Congratulations to Raul Chavarria and Sue Xu for being named the Whitney Laboratory Center for Biological Imaging and Discovery (CBID) 2025 Fellows.
Raul Chavarria is a Ph.D. student in the Martindale Lab and will be examining the molecular and cellular mechanisms of regeneration in ctenophores. Some animals possess the ability to regenerate major body parts following injury, but the underlying pathways remain enigmatic. Since ctenophores are one of the earliest branching animal lineages, a deeper understanding of regeneration in ctenophores will yield fundamental insights into these processes.
Sue Xu is a Ph.D. student in the Schnitzler Lab and will be studying the role of stem cells in the growth of the cnidarian Hydractinia. Stem cells are cells that can transform into multiple different types of cells, such as muscle cells or brain cells. Hydractinia have a population of stem cells that enable adult animals to divide and regenerate in remarkable ways, and studies on these cells will produce major advances in stem cell biology.
The Center for Biological Imaging and Discovery was established in 2021 to enable the research community at the Whitney Lab to leverage advanced imaging technologies to address major scientific questions. The center is funded by donors that have joined with the Whitney Lab to obtain new imaging technologies and launch training initiatives. Donors established the CBID fellowship to support Ph.D. students that are developing and applying innovative imaging strategies in their research.
Background Image: Trichoplax using Bruker Light Sheet Microscope at the Whitney Laboratory Center for Biological Imaging and Discovery.