Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics,
Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
Maureen Gannon, PhD is Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center with secondary appointments in the Departments of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics and Cell & Developmental Biology at Vanderbilt University. She received her undergraduate degree from Molloy College and her Master’s Degree from Adelphi University, both on Long Island in NY. She received her PhD in Cell Biology and Anatomy from Cornell University.
Dr. Gannon is a member of the Executive Committee for the Vanderbilt Diabetes Center. She is also very active in the American Diabetes Association, having served on several national committees, including two years as chair of the planning committee for the association’s annual scientific conference, and one year as Chair of the Islet Biology Professional Interest Group. She is currently a senior associate editor for Diabetes, the premier scientific research journal of the American Diabetes Association.
The research in Dr. Gannon’s lab is focused on factors that regulate the number of insulin-producing cells during embryonic development and in response to pregnancy, obesity, and aging. Her research has implications for the treatment of Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. The Gannon lab has identified genes that regulate the number of insulin cells an individual is born with and has discovered pathways that can increase the number of insulin cells in the adult pancreas.
Dr. Gannon’s research has been funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, American Diabetes Association, and the Veterans Administration. She has presented her research at conferences in the US, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Dr. Gannon is very active in training and mentoring undergraduates, graduate students and junior faculty. She lives in Nashville, TN with her husband and son. In her spare time she performs in Celtic singing and Irish Step Dancing, having performed at the Ryman Auditorium with The Chieftains, onstage at the Grand Old Opry, and at TPAC. She also sings in her church music group and volunteers with her son’s boy scout troop.
PDX:PBX complexes are required for normal proliferation of pancreatic cells during development.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Jan, 2001 | Pubmed ID: 11158595
The PERK eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha kinase is required for the development of the skeletal system, postnatal growth, and the function and viability of the pancreas.
Molecular and cellular biology Jun, 2002 | Pubmed ID: 11997520
Conserved sequences in a tissue-specific regulatory region of the pdx-1 gene mediate transcription in Pancreatic beta cells: role for hepatocyte nuclear factor 3 beta and Pax6.
Molecular and cellular biology Jul, 2002 | Pubmed ID: 12052878
The role of the transcriptional regulator Ptf1a in converting intestinal to pancreatic progenitors.
Nature genetics Sep, 2002 | Pubmed ID: 12185368
The role of pdx1 and HNF6 in proliferation and differentiation of endocrine precursors.
Diabetes/metabolism research and reviews Mar-Apr, 2004 | Pubmed ID: 15037986
Intraislet endothelial cells contribute to revascularization of transplanted pancreatic islets.
Diabetes May, 2004 | Pubmed ID: 15111502
The proximal islet-specific glucose-6-phosphatase catalytic subunit-related protein autoantigen promoter is sufficient to initiate but not maintain transgene expression in mouse islets in vivo.
Diabetes Jul, 2004 | Pubmed ID: 15220199
Efficient recombination in pancreatic islets by a tamoxifen-inducible Cre-recombinase.
Genesis (New York, N.Y. : 2000) Jul, 2005 | Pubmed ID: 15986486
Targeted deletion of a cis-regulatory region reveals differential gene dosage requirements for Pdx1 in foregut organ differentiation and pancreas formation.
Genes & development Jan, 2006 | Pubmed ID: 16418487
The FoxM1 transcription factor is required to maintain pancreatic beta-cell mass.
Molecular endocrinology (Baltimore, Md.) Aug, 2006 | Pubmed ID: 16556734
Characterization of diabetic nephropathy in a transgenic model of hypoinsulinemic diabetes.
American journal of physiology. Renal physiology Dec, 2006 | Pubmed ID: 16705146
Complementation rescue of Pdx1 null phenotype demonstrates distinct roles of proximal and distal cis-regulatory sequences in pancreatic and duodenal expression.
Developmental biology Oct, 2006 | Pubmed ID: 16962573
Pancreatic islet production of vascular endothelial growth factor--a is essential for islet vascularization, revascularization, and function.
Diabetes Nov, 2006 | Pubmed ID: 17065333
Maintenance of hepatic nuclear factor 6 in postnatal islets impairs terminal differentiation and function of beta-cells.
Diabetes Dec, 2006 | Pubmed ID: 17130469
Molecular regulation of pancreatic beta-cell mass development, maintenance, and expansion.
Journal of molecular endocrinology Feb, 2007 | Pubmed ID: 17293440
BuMP-ing up insulin secretion by pancreatic beta cells.
Cell metabolism Mar, 2007 | Pubmed ID: 17339021
Ptf1a binds to and activates area III, a highly conserved region of the Pdx1 promoter that mediates early pancreas-wide Pdx1 expression.
Molecular and cellular biology Jun, 2007 | Pubmed ID: 17403901
Deficiency of endothelial nitric-oxide synthase confers susceptibility to diabetic nephropathy in nephropathy-resistant inbred mice.
The American journal of pathology May, 2007 | Pubmed ID: 17456755
pdx-1 function is specifically required in embryonic beta cells to generate appropriate numbers of endocrine cell types and maintain glucose homeostasis.
Developmental biology Feb, 2008 | Pubmed ID: 18155690
Gene expression profiling of a mouse model of pancreatic islet dysmorphogenesis.
PloS one Feb, 2008 | Pubmed ID: 18297134
Beta-cell proliferation, but not neogenesis, following 60% partial pancreatectomy is impaired in the absence of FoxM1.
Diabetes Nov, 2008 | Pubmed ID: 18728229
Regulation of pancreas plasticity and malignant transformation by Akt signaling.
Gastroenterology Mar, 2009 | Pubmed ID: 19121634
Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) inactivation leads to defects in islet cell lineage allocation and beta-cell proliferation during embryogenesis.
Molecular endocrinology (Baltimore, Md.) Mar, 2009 | Pubmed ID: 19131512
Bioluminescence imaging in mouse models quantifies beta cell mass in the pancreas and after islet transplantation.
Molecular imaging and biology : MIB : the official publication of the Academy of Molecular Imaging Jan-Feb, 2010 | Pubmed ID: 19548035
Pancreas cell fate.
Birth defects research. Part C, Embryo today : reviews Sep, 2009 | Pubmed ID: 19750517
Multiple, temporal-specific roles for HNF6 in pancreatic endocrine and ductal differentiation.
Mechanisms of development Dec, 2009 | Pubmed ID: 19766716
Gestational diabetes mellitus resulting from impaired beta-cell compensation in the absence of FoxM1, a novel downstream effector of placental lactogen.
Diabetes Jan, 2010 | Pubmed ID: 19833884
Adult pancreatic acinar cells give rise to ducts but not endocrine cells in response to growth factor signaling.
Development (Cambridge, England) Jul, 2010 | Pubmed ID: 20534672
OASIS/CREB3L1 induces expression of genes involved in extracellular matrix production but not classical endoplasmic reticulum stress response genes in pancreatic beta-cells.
Endocrinology Sep, 2010 | Pubmed ID: 20668028
Conditional gene targeting in mouse pancreatic ß-Cells: analysis of ectopic Cre transgene expression in the brain.
Diabetes Dec, 2010 | Pubmed ID: 20802254
Diet-induced impaired glucose tolerance and gestational diabetes in the dog.
Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) Feb, 2011 | Pubmed ID: 21088210
Type 2 diabetes and the aging pancreatic beta cell.
Aging Jun, 2011 | Pubmed ID: 21765202
Connective tissue growth factor acts within both endothelial cells and beta cells to promote proliferation of developing beta cells.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Sep, 2011 | Pubmed ID: 21876171
Genetic interactions between hepatocyte nuclear factor-6 and Notch signaling regulate mouse intrahepatic bile duct development in vivo.
Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) Jan, 2012 | Pubmed ID: 21898486
Tamoxifen-Induced Cre-loxP Recombination Is Prolonged in Pancreatic Islets of Adult Mice.
PloS one , 2012 | Pubmed ID: 22470452
Differential regulation of embryonic and adult β cell replication.
Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.) Jul, 2012 | Pubmed ID: 22659844
Inactivation of the dual Bmp/Wnt inhibitor Sostdc1 enhances pancreatic islet function.
American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism Sep, 2012 | Pubmed ID: 22829579
The skeletal site-specific role of connective tissue growth factor in prenatal osteogenesis.
Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists Dec, 2012 | Pubmed ID: 23073844
A physiological role for connective tissue growth factor in early wound healing.
Laboratory investigation; a journal of technical methods and pathology Jan, 2013 | Pubmed ID: 23212098
Onecut1 is essential for horizontal cell genesis and retinal integrity.
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience Aug, 2013 | Pubmed ID: 23926259
Advancements and challenges in generating accurate animal models of gestational diabetes mellitus.
American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism Dec, 2013 | Pubmed ID: 24085033
Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) negatively regulates BMP-2 induced osteoblast differentiation and signaling.
Journal of cellular physiology May, 2014 | Pubmed ID: 24127409
An assay for small scale screening of candidate β cell proliferative factors using intact islets.
BioTechniques Dec, 2013 | Pubmed ID: 24344680
Loss of HNF6 expression correlates with human pancreatic cancer progression.
Laboratory investigation; a journal of technical methods and pathology May, 2014 | Pubmed ID: 24638272
Activated FoxM1 attenuates streptozotocin-mediated β-cell death.
Molecular endocrinology (Baltimore, Md.) Sep, 2014 | Pubmed ID: 25073103
Connective tissue growth factor modulates adult β-cell maturity and proliferation to promote β-cell regeneration in mice.
Diabetes Apr, 2015 | Pubmed ID: 25392241
High-fat diet-induced β-cell proliferation occurs prior to insulin resistance in C57Bl/6J male mice.
American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism Apr, 2015 | Pubmed ID: 25628421
Preserving Mafa expression in diabetic islet β-cells improves glycemic control in vivo.
The Journal of biological chemistry Mar, 2015 | Pubmed ID: 25645923
Activation of FoxM1 Revitalizes the Replicative Potential of Aged β-Cells in Male Mice and Enhances Insulin Secretion.
Diabetes Nov, 2015 | Pubmed ID: 26251404
Macrophages are essential for CTGF-mediated adult β-cell proliferation after injury.
Molecular metabolism Aug, 2015 | Pubmed ID: 26266091
The PGE2 EP3 Receptor Regulates Diet-Induced Adiposity in Male Mice.
Endocrinology Jan, 2016 | Pubmed ID: 26485614
Sustained expression of GLP-1 receptor differentially modulates β-cell functions in diabetic and nondiabetic mice.
Biochemical and biophysical research communications Feb, 2016 | Pubmed ID: 26854076
Diabetes Caused by Elastase-Cre-Mediated Pdx1 Inactivation in Mice.
Scientific reports Feb, 2016 | Pubmed ID: 26887806
Threshold-Dependent Cooperativity of Pdx1 and Oc1 in Pancreatic Progenitors Establishes Competency for Endocrine Differentiation and β-Cell Function.
Cell reports 06, 2016 | Pubmed ID: 27292642
Loss of Free Fatty Acid Receptor 2 leads to impaired islet mass and beta cell survival.
Scientific reports Jun, 2016 | Pubmed ID: 27324831
HNF6 and Rev-erbα integrate hepatic lipid metabolism by overlapping and distinct transcriptional mechanisms.
Genes & development 07, 2016 | Pubmed ID: 27445394
Connective tissue growth factor is critical for proper β-cell function and pregnancy-induced β-cell hyperplasia in adult mice.
American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism Sep, 2016 | Pubmed ID: 27460898
Unexpected effects of the MIP-CreER transgene and tamoxifen on β-cell growth in C57Bl6/J male mice.
Physiological reports Sep, 2016 | Pubmed ID: 27670405
Growth Hormone Mediates Its Protective Effect in Hepatic Apoptosis through Hnf6.
PloS one , 2016 | Pubmed ID: 27936029
Onecut transcription factors in development and disease.
Trends in developmental biology , 2016 | Pubmed ID: 28018056
Regulation of pancreatic β-cell function and mass dynamics by prostaglandin signaling.
Journal of cell communication and signaling Jun, 2017 | Pubmed ID: 28132118
Opposing effects of prostaglandin E receptors EP3 and EP4 on mouse and human β-cell survival and proliferation.
Molecular metabolism 06, 2017 | Pubmed ID: 28580285
Gestational diabetes exacerbates maternal immune activation effects in the developing brain.
Molecular psychiatry 09, 2018 | Pubmed ID: 28948973
Vascular-derived connective tissue growth factor (Ctgf) is critical for pregnancy-induced β cell hyperplasia in adult mice.
Islets 11, 2017 | Pubmed ID: 29111856
The liver.
Current biology : CB Nov, 2017 | Pubmed ID: 29112863
Cooperative function of Pdx1 and Oc1 in multipotent pancreatic progenitors impacts postnatal islet maturation and adaptability.
American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism 04, 2018 | Pubmed ID: 29351489
Synaptotagmin 4 Regulates Pancreatic β Cell Maturation by Modulating the Ca Sensitivity of Insulin Secretion Vesicles.
Developmental cell 05, 2018 | Pubmed ID: 29656931
Developmental programming of the pancreatic islet by overnutrition.
Trends in developmental biology , 2017 | Pubmed ID: 29657386
Sex differences underlying pancreatic islet biology and its dysfunction.
Molecular metabolism 09, 2018 | Pubmed ID: 29891438
Increases in bioactive lipids accompany early metabolic changes associated with β-cell expansion in response to short-term high-fat diet.
American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism Dec, 2018 | Pubmed ID: 30106624
A call for improved reporting of human islet characteristics in research articles.
Diabetologia 02, 2019 | Pubmed ID: 30547229
A Call for Improved Reporting of Human Islet Characteristics in Research Articles.
Diabetes Feb, 2019 | Pubmed ID: 30552106
Regulation of the Pancreatic Exocrine Differentiation Program and Morphogenesis by Onecut 1/Hnf6.
Cellular and molecular gastroenterology and hepatology , 2019 | Pubmed ID: 30831323
Sex modifies placental gene expression in response to metabolic and inflammatory stress.
Placenta Mar, 2019 | Pubmed ID: 30955704
Maternal Western-style diet affects offspring islet composition and function in a non-human primate model of maternal over-nutrition.
Molecular metabolism Jul, 2019 | Pubmed ID: 31036449
Toll-like receptors TLR2 and TLR4 block the replication of pancreatic β cells in diet-induced obesity.
Nature immunology Jun, 2019 | Pubmed ID: 31110312
Pancreatic Ductal Deletion of Hnf1b Disrupts Exocrine Homeostasis, Leads to Pancreatitis, and Facilitates Tumorigenesis.
Cellular and molecular gastroenterology and hepatology Jun, 2019 | Pubmed ID: 31229598
Extracellular matrix-associated factors play critical roles in regulating pancreatic β-cell proliferation and survival.
Endocrinology Jul, 2019 | Pubmed ID: 31271410
Differential cell susceptibilities to Kras in the setting of obstructive chronic pancreatitis.
Cellular and molecular gastroenterology and hepatology Jul, 2019 | Pubmed ID: 31310834
The Beta Cell in Type 2 Diabetes.
Current diabetes reports Aug, 2019 | Pubmed ID: 31399863
1Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University,
2, Agilent Technologies,
3Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University,
4, Department of Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley,
5Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center,
6Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University
Darian T. Carroll1,
Sarah R. Lindsley2,
Melissa Kirigiti2,
Alex Buko3,
Angela Jones4,
Paul Kievit2,
Maureen Gannon1,5,6,7
1Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University,
2Division of Metabolic Health and Disease, Oregon National Primate Research Center,
3, Human Metabolome Technologies (HMT) America,
4Vanderbilt Technologies for Advanced Genomics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center,
5Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center,
6, Department of Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley,
7Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University