https://thornelab.org/welcome daily 1.0 2026-01-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/1495847285256-PDXBDRR6QEB534YS0LE3/Uofa-looking-NE-crop2.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/1497497571553-KPBXZIIDUFC2CNMJEWT0/GutPangea.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/1495398525194-VPZM6UR5F5Q6RBPTN0QF/image-asset.jpeg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/dccf621e-0d96-4b1a-a986-e83cb00ef26b/Screenshot+2026-01-15+at+12.36.52%E2%80%AFPM.png Welcome - Uncovering new regulators of tissue homeostasis and regeneration We have established a high-dimensional functional map of kinase activity in colonic stem cells that has uncovered previously unrecognized molecular regulators of intestinal tissue homeostasis, including key members of the CLK and CDK kinase families. This work has defined distinct functional networks and signaling modules that coordinate epithelial maintenance, regeneration, and stress responses, providing a systems-level view of how tissue stability is controlled. The current phase of the project focuses on validating these kinases, along with other newly identified regulatory players, through targeted functional assays. Using both 2D and 3D intestinal culture systems, we are performing mechanistic studies to define how CLK and CDK signaling influences stem cell behavior, epithelial integrity, and tissue repair. These experiments establish causal roles for these kinases within the broader regulatory networks that maintain intestinal homeostasis. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/1501707885092-P8LY7YZQDFL4FSN23BJ3/image-asset.png Welcome - GSK-3 signaling in crypt maintenance and drug resistance Evidence suggests the protein kinase, GSK-3, is highly regulated in stem cell niches in vivo. Additionally, our studies have shown decreased GSK-3 activity stimulates stem cell maintenance and provides significant drug resistance to chemotherapies. To understand the role of GSK-3 activity in intestinal crypt homeostasis and drug response, we are developing a single cell live reporter for GSK-3 activity. Using time-lapse microscopy, we are exploring the dynamics of GSK-3 activity in the maintenance of the stem cell niche and identifying microenvironmental signals that regulate GSK-3 and produce drug resistance. The goal is to uncover molecular mechanisms by which epithelia self-organize and evade cytotoxic drugs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/1501708380572-YKOI0C4HQUB3RDGW8SIS/Drug-screen.jpg Welcome - Discovery and characterization of small molecule kinase activators Small molecule inhibition of kinase activity is well established as a fruitful therapeutic strategy. Yet, widely neglected is the development of small molecule kinase activators for rationally selected targets. GSK-3 is an outstanding candidate for small molecule activation due to its many allosteric pockets and its inactivation in various disease states. We are conducting a two-step (enzymatic followed by cell-based imaging) high throughput screen of novel compound libraries to identify small molecule activators of GSK-3. Utilizing a high-dimensional structure-activity relationship (HD-SAR) approach, we are categorizing the compounds into three major classes: 1) proliferation, 2) metabolism, and 3) cytoskeleton. These compounds will be valuable both as tools for biologists and as potential lead compounds for cancer drug development. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/f3a56950-4d31-4183-b8ad-b9bd7f9677c8/Screenshot+2026-01-17+at+9.21.46%E2%80%AFAM.png Welcome - Organoid-based phenotypic screening platform for infectious diseases We are developing advanced experimental and computational platforms to study infectious diseases, with particular emphasis on clinically important pathogens such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Cryptosporidium. These infections represent major global health challenges, especially for children, immunocompromised individuals, and patients in low- and middle-income countries, where they contribute substantially to morbidity, mortality, and long-term developmental consequences. We use human intestinal organoids—“miniature organs” that faithfully recapitulate the structure and biology of the human gut—to model infection in a way that more closely mimics real patient physiology than traditional cell culture systems. Our approach combines large-scale compound testing, high-content microscopy, and artificial intelligence–based image analysis to quantify infection dynamics, host responses, and therapeutic efficacy. By integrating organoid biology with AI-driven phenotypic profiling, we aim to create a broadly applicable pipeline for infectious disease research that can identify and prioritize new therapeutics for pathogens where effective treatments are currently limited or nonexistent. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/1500335260186-RQZOABA3W9LANJH4R65H/SideFoci.jpg Welcome - Cells (small intestine stem cells and Paneth cells) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/1497498571903-OUGFWPVT69W8M8UDYUSB/Tumor.jpg Welcome - Tissue (colon tissue with tumor) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/1497498615643-BAZ5D3IY8CUUFXIL496B/Roll.jpg Welcome - Organ (small intestine) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/ce66e0b1-87c7-45f8-a035-b8b495d07f46/Curtis+HeadShot.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/5dde6837-f589-4b82-b9dc-2c8a227dfa9a/201800465-cardo+vila-marina-9.jpg Welcome - Marina Cardó Vila, PhD Associate Research Professor Marina received her B.S in 1995 and her M.S in Immunology in 1996 from the University of Barcelona. She received her Ph.D. in 2003 from the University of Barcelona under the mentorship of Dr Antonio Celada (University of Barcelona) and Dr. Renata Pasqualini (The Burnham Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA), studying the biology of macrophages and mechanisms of cellular adhesion. During her postdoctoral fellowship she studied therapeutic applications of tissue-specific protein interactions using in vitro and in vivo phage display in the laboratory of Drs. Wadih Arap and Renata Pasqualini at MD Anderson Cancer Center. In 2013 she joined their team as Assistant Research Professor at the University of New Mexico, where she identified multiple receptor targets in normal and diseased microenvironments, identifying new strategies to mitigate early events of tumor dissemination. Some of the peptides identified in these studies underwent evaluation in a first-in-man phase zero clinical trial. She joined the University of Arizona Cancer Center as Associate Research Professor in 2018 where she studied the regulation of p-body formation and mRNA decapping in breast and prostate cancer in Dr. Andrew Kraft’s lab and drug resistance in castration-resistance prostate cancer in Dr. Cindy Miranti’s Lab. She focused on studying DNA repair in cancer and Lupus disease in Dr. Joann Sweasy’s Lab https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/13ae1d8c-baad-430e-91fe-3de2e4a46f28/IMG_3640.jpg Welcome - Dylan Corcoran Graduate Student Dylan received his B.S. in Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in 2022. During and after his undergraduate studies, he worked in the lab of Dr. Yasuhiko Kawakami. Dylan studied the zinc finger transcription factor Sall4, a master regulator of vertebral posterior trunk patterning and development. Of note, Dylan and the Kawakami lab established a novel connection between Sall4 and Wnt signaling, which he presented at the 2023 Developmental Biology Center Symposium, an annual international conference hosted by the University of Minnesota. Dylan worked in conjunction with other lab members to publish this finding as part of a larger story on the role of Sall4 in gene regulation and posterior development. He joined the University of Arizona’s ABBS program in 2024 and has decided to pursue his doctorate in cancer biology. Dylan joined the Thorne lab in March of 2025, where he plans to utilize the remarkable model system of intestinal organoids for his future research. In his free time, Dylan enjoys reading, playing/watching sports, and being outdoors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/483ecf71-4198-42fb-ac56-1ffc3fe2edcf/Screenshot+2026-01-15+at+11.16.17%E2%80%AFAM.png Welcome - Briana Guzman Graduate Student Briana is a first-generation Hispanic student, born and raised in Tucson. She received her B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Arizona in 2023. During her undergrad Briana worked in the Nagy Lab investigating the evolution of the gene network that patterns segmentation within the fruit fly Drosophila and the beetle Tribolium. During her time in the lab her interests in research grew, but in fields of infectious diseases, specifically cancer, and working to develop therapeutics in the field. Briana is continuing at the University of Arizona to receive her PhD. In her spare time, Briana enjoys hiking during her free time in the beautiful desert and working out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/1d809811-6f4d-423d-9191-94899bf2fae4/comt+headshot+%21.jpeg Welcome - Kate Johnson MD/PhD Student Kate received her B.S. in Biology-Chemistry from Point Loma Nazarene University in 2022. During undergrad, she worked in the Dorrell-Woelbern Lab, where she studied E7 oncogene variance across HPV subtypes and completed her honors thesis on differentiation of tumor-associated macrophages in the glioblastoma tumor microenvironment. During this time, she also interned at the Lowy Medical Research Institute in San Diego, where she cultured retinal organoids from iPSCs and trained AI to do retinal layer segmentation to help determine the multifactorial pathogenesis of MacTel. When the pandemic began in 2020, Kate also started working both at PLNU’s Wellness Center and in the lab to screen students and staff for COVID-19. Kate joined the MD/PhD program at the University of Arizona in 2022. She officially began her graduate studies with the Thorne Lab in 2024, where she plans to focus on signaling pathways in gut regeneration. In her free time, Kate enjoys watercolor painting, reading, and fostering pets through the Pima Animal Care Center. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/5f2204af-02cc-42c9-84a5-b55af1af4d5a/Crystal+Headshot.png Welcome - Crystal Morales Graduate Student Crystal is a proud first-generation student who obtained her bachelor’s in biomedical sciences and Master’s in biology at Northern Arizona University (NAU). In 2020 Crystal was awarded the NIH funded RISE (Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement) fellowship at NAU. Crystal worked on peptide-based HPV vaccines under Dr. Naomi Lee at NAU and it helped her develop her current research interests which include working on novel cancer therapeutics while also tackling cancer disparities. In 2022, Crystal was awarded the University Fellowship award at the University of Arizona and joined the Arizona Biological and Biomedical Sciences program. Crystal is pursuing her doctorate degree in cancer biology while working in the Thorne lab, where she plans to continue the lab’s research on colorectal cancer. She hopes one day her work can benefit patients and minimize the burden of cancer in marginalized communities. Additionally, Crystal likes to be outdoors, get crafty, and train her puppy, Chimichanga, to do new tricks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/1613435137286-FVMZ6I8960FZ7C2439PA/7AB261E4-E5CF-4169-A6AA-383E7F97F180.jpg Welcome - Julia Morris MD/PhD Student Julia received her degrees in biology and ethics from Villanova University in 2015. There she worked in the lab of Matthew Youngman, studying immunosenescence, the genetic and biochemical basis of the changes seen in immune response during natural aging. The fall after graduating, she moved from the East Coast out to Arizona to join the MD/PhD Program at U of A. In 2021, she began working in the Thorne Lab for the graduate portion of her dual degree. Julia adores the warm weather of the southwest and spends her free time going to the gym, hiking, cooking, and playing with her three cats, Ellie, Olaf, and Kristoff. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/1557765301886-PBNQRZ1V3C2RKNAVUPV8/KPOND+Photo.jpg Welcome - Kelvin Pond, PhD Assistant Research Professor Kelvin received his bachelor’s degree in biology in 2010 from the University of Oregon. After this, he obtained his ESL teaching certificate and worked abroad as an English teacher in Prague, CR, and then as a high school science teacher in Bangkok, TH. In 2014, Kelvin moved back to Arizona and received an MS in Biochemistry at Northern Arizona University under Dr. Diane Stearns, studying Uranium Toxicity. Since then, Kelvin has been at the University of Arizona. As a technician, he studied drug resistance mechanisms in pancreatic cancer under Dr. Terry Landowski until joining the lab of Dr. Nathan Ellis in 2015, where he studied DNA repair in human cancers. Kelvin received his PhD in 2019 and is currently working to establish independent projects supported by the Thorne/Paek groups to develop new ways to track signaling states in time and space as tissues regenerate. When not doing experiments, Kelvin basks in the greatest town on the planet, where he enjoys photography, rock climbing, eating tacos, and hanging out with his dog Winston. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/1564085273621-UDJSVP0UEE0YUMXPCJ6F/DSC00642.jpg Welcome - Reeba Varghese, PhD Postdoc Reeba graduated from Arizona State University with a B.S. in Biological Sciences (Genetics, Cell, and Developmental Biology) in 2014. She then received her Master’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Medicine from the University of Arizona in 2018. As a Master student, Reeba joined Dr. Cynthia Miranti’s lab to investigate the survival pathways induced by various extracellular matrices (i.e., laminin and collagen) in castration-resistant prostate cancer cells that result in drug resistance. In 2023 she finished her doctorate in Cancer Biology at the University of Arizona in the Thorne Lab. Currently, she is postdocing as she continues her drug discovery efforts in the Thorne lab. In her free time, she loves to read, do photography, and watch movies. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/a9998202-f547-483b-9c44-881b9824f839/Pearl+Headshot.jpg Welcome - Pearl Wichaidit, PhD Research Scientist IV/Computational Biologist Pearl received her Ph.D. from Department of Electrical Engineering (Electromagnetics Field & Waves) at University of Wisconsin - Madison. After graduation, she worked on a small project improving computational model for fluorescent light bulb funded by Sylvania as a postdoc. She started her career in Biology as a postdoctoral researcher at Altschuler and Wu laboratory at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center - Dallas where she met Curtis and found her passion in image and big data analysis. She worked in Melanie Cobb’s laboratory after Dr Altschuler and Dr Wu moved to UCSF before joining Thorne laboratory at 2022. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/1502317866373-JSMB9JQLWZ83LN02GPMP/image-asset.jpeg Welcome - Oddities Pictures and videos of experimentation, simulation, automation and collaboration https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/1654643222254-PW5ANNW7BXVZ4JIVFPZW/DSC03574.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/1654643222056-YUJYFG6ZYANUPR87D538/DSC03621-4.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/1566328546663-N71OM8NDC3U5C8PCU3O9/DSC00549.jpg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/1682438464992-NBOY5Y9EAWLMFRHV8PIE/Hi-Res+3D.jpeg Welcome https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5903f7b5ebbd1a679b6a79d7/1566328586370-I9OPMQHGI017WFTU4VMY/IMG_4823.jpg Welcome 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