University of Iowa Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics

08/14/2026

We are proud to announce that Dr. Kevin Campbell's lab has published a new paper in Science!

The study, "Xylose phosphatase activity of dystroglycan self-regulates its receptor function," reveals a previously unknown mechanism by which dystroglycan controls its own activity through regulation of matriglycan synthesis. The discovery advances our understanding of the molecular basis of dystroglycanopathies and opens new avenues for investigating diseases caused by defective dystroglycan function.

Congratulations to first author Dr. Ish*ta Chandel, whose leadership and dedication were instrumental to this work, and to Dr. Kevin Campbell and the research team on this exceptional achievement.

08/10/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Mike Anderson, his lab, and collaborators on their new publication in Experimental Eye Research: “C1q dependency of retinal ganglion cell death in blast-mediated traumatic brain injury.”

This study found that blocking a specific immune pathway may help protect vision after traumatic brain injury, offering hope for future treatments.

🔗 Read the article:

08/05/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Chris Ahern, his lab, and collaborators on their new publication in Molecular Psychiatry:“Nonsense-mediated decay influences position-dependent effects of SCN2A premature stop codons on neuronal excitability and behavior.”

🔗 Read the article:

SCN2A encodes the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.2, a central regulator of action potential initiation and propagation in glutamatergic neurons, and one of the strongest single-gene risk factors for autism spectrum disorder. Premature termination codons in SCN2A are widely considered to produce u...

08/04/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Chris Ahern and his team members Dr. Ahmad Al Saneh and Dr. Lionel Gissot on their new publication in Nucleic Acids Research, "Programmed repair of disease-causing UGA premature termination codons in mammalian brain."

Their work demonstrates a promising strategy for repairing disease-causing premature stop codons in the mammalian brain, advancing the development of genetic therapies for neurodevelopmental disorders caused by nonsense mutations.

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Abstract. Protein-truncating variants caused by stop codons are the most prevalent class of rare variant mutations in neurodevelopmental diseases, with UGA

08/03/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Scott Moye-Rowley, his lab, and collaborators on their new publication in Genetics, "Candida glabrata YPK2 is a multidrug susceptibility locus."

This work advances our understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying antifungal drug susceptibility in Candida glabrata, an important human fungal pathogen.

🔗 Read the article:

Abstract. The biological conservation between fungi and mammals due to a common ancestor has made development of selective antifungal drugs a difficult cha

07/28/2026

We're excited to celebrate the Year 22 renewal of the Iowa Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Center (P50NS053672) from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke!

Congratulations to Drs. Kevin Campbell, Katherine Mathews, and Steven Moore and the entire Wellstone team, on this continued recognition of their outstanding work advancing muscular dystrophy research and patient care.

07/23/2026

What’s better than one major NIH award? Two! 🎉

Congratulations to Dr. Alex Miller and her lab on receiving an R01 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for her project, “Decoding the Structure, Function and Pharmacology of TOK Channels from Human-Pathogenic Fungi.” We are thrilled for Alex with this tremendous achievement!

07/08/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Alex Miller on receiving her first major research grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)!

She has been awarded a MIRA R35 for her project, “Dissecting the Molecular Basis of Potassium Homeostasis in Yeast” (R35 GM161440). We are proud to celebrate this exciting milestone and look forward to the forthcoming discoveries from Dr. Miller’s innovative research program.

07/07/2026

We’re excited to share a new PNAS publication from the Campbell Lab. Congratulations to Dr. Kevin Campbell, his lab, and collaborators. As first author, Dr. Jeff Hord led this important study exploring the role of β-dystroglycan in neuromuscular health. The findings provide valuable new insights into the biology of neuromuscular disease.

Read the article:

The dystrophin–glycoprotein complex (DGC) provides structural integrity to the sarcolemma, and disruption of the DGC leads to muscular dystrophy. A...

07/06/2026

Physiology has had two great poster sessions in the last few weeks. Thank you to everyone who presented, attended, and supported these events. We are proud of the creativity, curiosity, and collaboration on display throughout both sessions.