Maria Barna, Stanford University

Maria Barna is an assistant professor in the Departments of Developmental Biology and Genetics at Stanford University. She studies how intricate control of gene expression and cell signaling is regulated on a minute-by-minute basis to give rise to the remarkable diversity of cell types and tissue morphology that form the living blueprints of developing organisms. Her lab investigates ribosome-mediated control of gene expression genome-wide in space and time during cellular differentiation and organismal development. They also employ live cell imaging to visualize cell signaling and cellular control of organogenesis, and create bioengineering tools to manipulate cellular interactions and signaling in-vivo.

Barna obtained her B.A. in Anthropology from New York University and her Ph.D. from Cornell University, Weill Graduate School of Medicine. She completed her thesis work in the lab of Dr. Lee Niswander in the Developmental Biology Department at Sloan Kettering Institute in 2007. Dr. Barna was subsequently appointed as a UCSF Fellow through the Sandler Fellows program. She received a dual appointment as an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Developmental Biology and Genetics at Stanford University in 2013. She is presently a NYSCF Robertson Stem Cell Investigator.