Development and diseases of the pancreas

Welcome to the Parsons Lab. We are interested in the development and regeneration of the pancreas. By understanding how the differentiation of pancreatic progenitors is regulated, we aim to learn more about how insulin-producing β cells are made, as well as, the molecular transitions that occur during onset of pancreatic cancer. To facilitate our work, we use the zebrafish and human cell culture as model systems. Our lab developed the NTR transgenic system for directing cell-specific ablation, now a commonly used technique in regeneration studies.

2023 is our second year SoCal BioEYES where we partner with UCI students and take scientific research into the classroom of local middle schools.