Amanda LaRue, Ph.D.

The primary research focus in my laboratory is the investigation of the plasticity of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in a variety of patho-physiological conditions. Our studies have demonstrated a novel HSC origin for a variety of cell types in the tumor microenvironment (including carcinoma-associated fibroblasts, circulating fibroblast precursors, cancer-associated adipocytes), fibrobasts in the heart, aorta, and lung, and osteoblasts in the bone microenvironment. Most recently, my team has established a murine model that exhibits key clinical DSM-5 characteristics of PTSD, including intrusiveness, avoidance, hyperarousal, and lasting symptoms. Using this model, we are now investigating the interactions between mental health and a variety of pathological conditions. These studies are based on my technical expertise in HSC isolation (cell sorting), HSC culture and expansion (cell biology), HSC characterization (flow cytometry, histology, and microscopy), small animal models of behavior, small animal imaging, bone marrow ablation and murine transplantation. I serve as the Director for the HCC Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting (FCCS) Shared Resource. As Director of the HCC Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting Shared Resource, I provide oversight for FCCS administration and operations as well as expert guidance for experimental design and data analyses.