BRUCE BLUMBERG, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

Ph.D., University of California Los Angeles, 1987

4203 McGaugh Hall
Irvine, CA 92697-2300
Tel:(949) 824-8573
Fax: (949) 824-4709
blumberg@uci.edu

BLUMBERG LAB
2113 McGaugh Hall
Tel: (949) 824-6873

(Profile)

   
RESEARCH INTEREST: Hormonal Signaling: Functional Genomics:
My research goals are to understand the role of hormonal signaling in establishing positional information in the early embryo and physiologic function in the adult. One class of information transfer is mediated by morphogens, diffusible chemicals responsible for causing morphogenesis. An interest in identifying novel morphogens led me to design a strategy where candidate nuclear hormone receptor homologs are first isolated from a developmental system and then used to identify the corresponding ligand. I chose Xenopus because it affords an ideal combination of embryological and biochemical approaches to study embryonic signaling while remaining an appropriate model for higher vertebrates. In addition, Xenopus and other amphibians serve as excellent models for the effects of environmental agents on development and physiology.