Professor
Primary Department
Anatomy and Cell Biology
Secondary Department
Ophthalmology
Affiliation
School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Research Interests
Dr. Stepp studies the cornea to better understand how epithelial tissues function and how they support the functions of the corneal sensory nerves. In particular, her lab focuses on how epithelial cells adhere to their extracellular matrix and sensory nerves via proteins called integrins and how those interactions change during wound healing. A better understanding of how sensory nerves interact with epithelial cells will advance treatment for pain caused by injuries to the peripheral nerves.
Keywords
Integrins, Cornea, Extracellular Matrix, Wound Healing, Epithelial Cells, Sensory Nerves, Innervation, Aging,
Research Level
T0 / T1: Basic Science Discovery and Initial Translation to Humans
Research Method(s)
Develop mouse model
Time lapse cell migration studies
Brightfield and confocal microscopy
analyses of protein expression and signal transduction pathways using immunoblotting, immunoprecipitation, reporter assays, and zymography
Primary culture of mouse epithelial cells
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