Rate My Professor Jean Wilson

Jean Wilson, PhD, serves as Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at The University of Arizona, where she directs the Willed Body Program. She holds concurrent professorial appointments in the BIO5 Institute, Cancer Biology Graduate Interdisciplinary Program, and Neuroscience Graduate Interdisciplinary Program. Her research centers on the cell biology of epithelial tissues, with a focus on the regulation of membrane trafficking in polarized and non-polarized cells. The Wilson laboratory investigates epithelial development and polarity, particularly membrane trafficking to tight junctions and the apical membrane, which is critical for selective barrier function against pathogens while allowing nutrient absorption. Studies explore Rab GTPases such as Rab14 and Rab22a, Arf6, myosin Vb, and endosomal proteins like endotubin in processes including apical targeting, lumen morphogenesis, and enterocyte differentiation. These mechanisms are vital for intestinal integrity, with implications for inflammatory bowel disease, kidney disease, lung disease, neural connections, and immune responses.

Wilson's scholarly contributions include numerous peer-reviewed publications, such as Blum et al. on 'Rab22a regulates the establishment of epithelial polarity' (Small GTPases, 2020), Jamwal et al. on 'Intestinal Epithelial Expression of MHCII Determines Severity of Chemical, T-Cell-Induced, and Infectious Colitis in Mice' (Gastroenterology, 2020), Engevik et al. on 'Loss of myosin Vb promotes apical bulk endocytosis in neonatal enterocytes' (Journal of Cell Biology, 2019), and Cox et al. on 'The Endosomal Protein Endotubin Is Required for Enterocyte Differentiation' (Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2018). Earlier key works encompass Lu and Wilson on 'Rab14 specifies the apical membrane through Arf6-mediated regulation of lipid domains and Cdc42' (Scientific Reports, 2016), Kitt et al. on 'Rab14 regulates apical targeting in polarized epithelial cells' (Traffic, 2008), and Hernández-Deviez et al. on 'Regulation of dendritic development by the ARF exchange factor ARNO' (Nature Neuroscience, 2002). She received the Women in Medicine and Science (WIMS) Torchbearer Award in 2023 for her achievements and contributions. Additionally, she delivers seminars, including on membrane trafficking and mitochondrial dynamics.