Ovitt Lab

Catherine Ovitt

Ph. D. 1987 Washington University

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Genetics (BMG) in the
Center for Oral Biology (COB)

Research Overview

Salivary Gland Development and Regeneration

Research in our lab is focused on the molecular mechanisms involved in exocrine gland development and regeneration. Using mouse models, the role of salivary gland precursor cells in normal development and in regeneration of damaged tissue is under investigation. We are working to establish models for therapeutic treatment of salivary gland dysfunction.

Projects

Salivary gland precursor cells: A determination of the genes and specific cell types that play critical roles in the specification of salivary gland structure and function.

Common signaling mechanisms in salivary and lacrimal gland development: study of the signaling pathways linking exocrine glands commonly affected by Sjogren’s syndrome.

Salivary gland repair: development of therapeutic strategies to treat salivary gland damage by radiation or disease

Recent Publications

Bullard, T., Koek, L., Roztoci, E., Kingsley, P.D., Mirels, L., and Ovitt, C.E. (2008) Ascl3 expression marks a progenitor population of both acinar and ductal cells in mouse salivary glands. Dev Biol 320:72-78 View article in PubMed.

Nakamoto T., Srivastava A., Romanenko V.G., Ovitt C.E., Perez Cornejo P., Arreola J., Begenisich T., and Melvin J.E. (2007) Functional and molecular characterization of the fluid secretion mechanism in human parotid acinar cells. Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. 292, R2380-2390 View article in PubMed.

Lan, Y., Ovitt, C. E., Cho, E.-S., Maltby, K. M., Wang, Q., and Jiang, R. (2004) Odd-skipped related 2 (Osr2) encodes a key intrinsic regulator of secondary palate growth and morphogenesis. Development 131:3207-3216. View article in PubMed.

More papers:

Graduate Cluster Affiliations

Genetics, Genomics and Development (GGD)

Contact

Catherine Ovitt
University of Rochester
School of Medicine and Dentistry
601 Elmwood Ave., Box 611
Rochester, NY 14642

Office: KMRB G-9639
Phone: (585) 275-2920
Lab: (585) 273-3076
Fax: (585) 276-0190

catherine_ovitt@urmc.
rochester.edu

Lab Members

	Szilvia Arany Post-doctoral fellow
	Mridula Vinjamuri Graduate student
	Stacey Stahl Undergrad student
	Trang Le summer student
	Joel Caraballo summer student