Rebekah M. Charney PhD
Rebekah M. Charney
PhD
Assistant Professor
Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Specialty/Research Focus
Bioinformatics; Developmental Biology; Epigenetics; Gene Expression; Genomics and proteomics; Molecular and Cellular Biology; Molecular Basis of Disease; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Stem Cells; Transcription Factors; Transcriptomics
Professional Summary:
The goal of my lab is to understand the causes of birth defects. We are particularly interested in malformations associated with an embryonic cell population called the neural crest, which contributes widely to the tissues and organs of the body including craniofacial tissue, neurons and glia of the peripheral nervous system, sympathoadrenal cells, melanocytes, and many others. Abnormal neural crest cell development is associated with numerous pathologies including craniofacial malformations like cleft lip and cleft palate, rare syndromes, and aggressive cancer. These pathologies are collectively known as neurocristopathies, and affect thousands of children born every year.
In the lab, we employ state-of-the-art genomic, proteomic, and patient-centric strategies to examine the gene regulatory networks underlying the neural crest cell lineage and the mechanistic causes of neural crest pathologies. We make use of human pluripotent stem cells to model human cell differentiation and couple this work with in vivo studies using the chick embryo. We also engage in collaborations to develop patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell lines to model neurocristopathies, and work with clinicians and patient organizations to remain on the cutting-edge of new discoveries that will allow us to advance human health.
Education and Training:
- NIDCR K99 Pathway to Independence Award, University of California, Riverside (2020)
- Fellowship, NIDCR F32, University of California, Riverside (2018)
- PhD, Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine (2016)
- Fellow, U.S. Department of Education Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need, University of California, Irvine (2015)
- Trainee, NSF IGERT, University of California, Irvine (2012)
- BA, Political Science, UCLA, Cum Laude (2008)
Employment:
- Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, University at Buffalo (2023-present)
- Assistant Project Scientist, Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California, Riverside (2022–2023)
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California, Riverside (2016–2022)
Awards and Honors:
- SDB Junior Faculty Travel Award (2024)
- K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award (2015)
- Edward Steinhaus Teaching Award (2014)
- Mentor-TA Award, HHMI-UCI Teaching Fellows Program (2013)
- Graduate Fellow Award, HHMI-UCI Teaching Fellows Program (2012)
Grants and Sponsored Research:
- September 2024–August 2027
The role of the transcriptional repressor ZEB2 in human neural crest cell formation and craniofacial pathology
NIH-NIDCR R00
Role: Principal Investigator - July 2022–June 2025
Examining neurological disability in Mowat-Wilson syndrome using brain organoids
The Mowat-Wilson Syndrome Foundation
Role: Principal Investigator
Journal Articles:
- Charney RM, Prasad MS, Juan-Sing C, Patel LJ, Hernandez JC, Wu J, García-Castro MI. (2023) Mowat-Wilson syndrome factor ZEB2 controls early formation of human neural crest through BMP signaling modulation. Stem cell reports (Nov), 18(11): 2254-2267.
- Jansen C, Paraiso KD, Zhou JJ, Blitz IL, Fish MB, Charney RM, Cho JS, Yasuoka Y, Sudou N, Bright AR, Wlizla M, Veenstra GJC, Taira M, Zorn AM, Mortazavi A, Cho KWY. (2022) Uncovering the mesendoderm gene regulatory network through multi-omic data integration. Cell reports (Feb), 38(7): 110364. doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110364
- Prasad MS, Charney RM, Patel LJ, García-Castro MI. (2020) Distinct molecular profile and restricted stem cell potential defines the prospective human cranial neural crest from embryonic stem cell state. Stem cell research (Dec), 49: 102086. doi:10.1016/j.scr.2020.102086
- Afouda BA, Nakamura Y, Shaw S, Charney RM, Paraiso KD, Blitz IL, Cho KWY, Hoppler S. (2020) Foxh1/Nodal Defines Context-Specific Direct Maternal Wnt/ß-Catenin Target Gene Regulation in Early Development. iScience (Jul), 23(7): 101314. doi:10.1016/j.isci.2020.101314
- Marquez J, Criscione J, Charney RM, Prasad MS, Hwang WY, Mis EK, García-Castro MI, Khokha MK. (2020) Disrupted ER membrane protein complex-mediated topogenesis drives congenital neural crest defects. The Journal of clinical investigation (Feb), 130(2): 813-826. doi:10.1172/JCI129308
- Prasad MS, Uribe-Querol E, Marquez J, Vadasz S, Yardley N, Shelar PB, Charney RM, García-Castro MI. (2020) Blastula stage specification of avian neural crest. Developmental biology (Feb), 458(1): 64-74. doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.10.007
- Gomez GA, Prasad MS, Wong M, Charney RM, Shelar PB, Sandhu N, Hackland JOS, Hernandez JC, Leung AW, García-Castro MI. (2019) WNT/ß-catenin modulates the axial identity of embryonic stem cell-derived human neural crest. Development (Cambridge, England) (Aug), 146(16). doi:10.1242/dev.175604
- Hackland JOS, Shelar PB, Sandhu N, Prasad MS, Charney RM, Gomez GA, Frith TJR, García-Castro MI. (2019) FGF Modulates the Axial Identity of Trunk hPSC-Derived Neural Crest but Not the Cranial-Trunk Decision. Stem cell reports (May), 12(5): 920-933. doi:10.1016/j.stemcr.2019.04.015
- Prasad MS, Charney RM, García-Castro MI. (2019) Specification and formation of the neural crest: Perspectives on lineage segregation. Genesis (New York, N.Y. : 2000) (Jan), 57(1): e23276. doi:10.1002/dvg.23276
- Betters E, Charney RM, García-Castro MI. (2018) Electroporation and in vitro culture of early rabbit embryos. Data in brief (Dec), 21: 316-320. doi:10.1016/j.dib.2018.09.131
- Betters E, Charney RM, Garcia-Castro MI. (2018) Early specification and development of rabbit neural crest cells. Developmental biology (Dec), 444 Suppl 1(Suppl 1): S181-S192. doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.06.012
- Charney RM, Paraiso KD, Blitz IL, Cho KWY. (2017) A gene regulatory program controlling early Xenopus mesendoderm formation: Network conservation and motifs. Seminars in cell & developmental biology (Jun), 66: 12-24. doi:10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.03.003
- Charney RM, Forouzmand E, Cho JS, Cheung J, Paraiso KD, Yasuoka Y, Takahashi S, Taira M, Blitz IL, Xie X, Cho KW. (2017) Foxh1 Occupies cis-Regulatory Modules Prior to Dynamic Transcription Factor Interactions Controlling the Mesendoderm Gene Program. Developmental cell (Mar), 40(6): 595-607.e4. doi:10.1016/j.devcel.2017.02.017
- Chiu WT, Charney Le R, Blitz IL, Fish MB, Li Y, Biesinger J, Xie X, Cho KW. (2014) Genome-wide view of TGFß/Foxh1 regulation of the early mesendoderm program. Development (Dec), 141(23): 4537-47. doi:10.1242/dev.107227
Books and Book Chapters:
- Charney RM, Prasad MS, García-Castro MI. (2021) Current insights into neural crest cell development and pathologies. In: Diagnosis, Management and Modeling of Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Academic Press
Professional Memberships:
- International Society for Stem Cell Research; Member
- Society for Craniofacial Genetics and Developmental Biology; Member
- Society for Developmental Biology; Member
Presentations:
- "Modeling brain development in Mowat-Wilson syndrome using organoids" Mowat-Wilson Syndrome Foundation Family Conference (2024)
- "Uncovering the mechanisms of birth defects associated with the neural crest" UB Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics Research Day (2024)
- "The Mowat-Wilson syndrome gene ZEB2 regulates human neural crest cell development" UB Neuroscience Research Day (2023)
- "The Mowat-Wilson syndrome gene ZEB2 regulates human neural crest cell formation" UB Department of Oral Biology Seminar Series (2023)
- "Uncovering the mechanisms of birth defects using human pluripotent stem cells" UB Genome, Environment and Microbiome Community of Excellence Research-in-Progress Seminar Series (2023)
Service Activities:
- Mowat-Wilson Syndrome Foundation; Medical Advisory Board member (2024–present)
- Poster judge for the annual CSTEP Summer Research Poster Symposium; Poster judge (2024–present)
- Manuscript reviewer (2024–present)
- Poster judge for the annual GGB Research Day; Poster judge (2024–present)
- Poster judge for the annual Biochemistry Research Day; Poster judge (2024–present)
- UB Neuroscience Research Day; Faculty Poster Judge (2023–present)