James Monaghan
Degrees/Education
Ph.D., University of Kentucky
B.A., DePauw University
Area(s) of Expertise
Regeneration Biology
Research Interests
Prof. Managhan’s lab uses the axolotl salamander to investigate the cellular and molecular basis of complex tissue regeneration. Axolotls have the amazing ability to regenerate large portions of their limbs, tail, heart, and spinal cord. His lab studies the development and regeneration of the nervous system and limb and the interactions that take place between these organ systems to ask: 1) Why are nerves necessary for complex tissue regeneration? 2) What cellular properties do the axolotls possess that allow them to regenerate limbs and spinal cords? These important questions have the potential to impact our understanding of animal homeostasis as well as regenerative medicine.
Location
404 Mugar Life Sciences Building
The salamander king
When assistant professor of biology James Monaghan was an undergraduate, he hung a life-size inflatable Spiderman from the ceiling of his dorm room.
Using Salamanders to Study Regeneration
Dr. James Monaghan, an assistant professor of regeneration biology at Northeastern University, has been studying the Mexican axolotl salamander’s amazing regenerative properties to discover the cellular and genetic basis of tissue regeneration — findings that could have a huge impact on regenerative medicine.