Carter M Takacs, Ph.D

Carter Takacs is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Sciences at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine. His research employs animal models to understand how gene regulation directs embryonic development. Takacs completed his undergraduate degree at the University at Albany in cultural anthropology. After a hiatus, he returned to school to study ecology, but such plans were thwarted by a course in introductory cell biology. Driven by a newfound interest in gene regulation and its intimate connection to biological form, Takacs pivoted towards developmental biology. His doctoral work revealed a novel role for the tumor suppressor gene APC in regulating cell signaling in the fruit fly. His postdoctoral work examined genetic regulatory mechanisms operating in the early embryo using zebrafish as a model. His own lab couples gene perturbation with transcriptome analysis to further explore the genetic basis of embryonic development. At every stage, this work seeks to inform our understanding of human health and disease. Dr. Takacs now shares his knowledge and experience in molecular genetics and developmental biology in service to the Netter student body.