Joseph Campanale's Portrait

Joseph Campanale, PhD

Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology

Department(s)
Life Sciences
Mail Code
4004
Fax
702-895-3956

Biography

Joseph grew up in the suburbs of San Bernardino California. He earned dual bachelor’s and a master’s degree in biology from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) before going on to earn his doctorate in Marine Biology from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego. He joined the lab of Denise Montell at the University of California Santa Barbara for postdoctoral training before joining the faculty of UNLV in 2025. Joseph is committed to advancing the careers and education of diverse peoples. Being queer, a first-generation college student, and from an NIH designated underrepresented population in STEM, he aims to enhance the success of people from a variety of backgrounds, both in the lab and in the classroom.

Expertise

Developmental Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology, Quantitative Microscopy, Live Cell Microscopy, Collective Cell Behavior, Genetics, Morphogenesis

Research

Collective cell migrations are essential cell behaviors for development and wound healing, and are a causative mechanism for cancer dissemination. The Campanale Lab studies the interplay between conserved polarity signaling paradigms in collective migrations. Our major objectives are to decipher the roles of polarity proteins in driving morphogenesis via collective cell migration. Our research interests intersect cell, developmental, and organismal biology and capitalize on two model systems, the fruit fly ovary and mammalian pancreas. We use cutting edge live cell microscopy and 4- dimensional organotypic cell culture (organoids) to discover how collectively migrating cells build tissues.

Collectively migrating cells have both leaders and followers. We use genetic techniques to identify exciting new mechanisms of follower cell behaviors rooted in cell polarity signaling. Critically, follower cell behaviors are rarely studied in migrating collectives. Thus, we ask parallel questions in multiple systems to discover how the conserved and fundamental features of cell polarity proteins, particularly Scribble, Discs Large and Lethal Giant Larva drive collective behaviors that cells use to build organs. To this end, we leverage Drosophila genetics to study collective migrations in the fly ovary and morphogenesis using mammalian organoid culture, aiming to decipher the collective behaviors driving pancreas organogenesis and metabolism using adult stem cell derived organoids.

SEB Program Integrative Physiology, Cell and Molecular Biology
SEB Office 3214
SEB Lab Location: 3155