Bradley Yoder, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, has ranked No. 8 of over 800 principal investigators in the fields of anatomy and cell biology, according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research report for 2023. Yoder achieved this ranking after securing over $4.2 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding.
Bradley Yoder, Ph.D.
Yoder’s research focuses on the formation and function of primary cilia. The goal of this research is to observe and discover the processes and functions of both motile and primary form of cilia, while also learning how defects within these processes can cause developmental abnormalities and disease pathogenesis.
“When I began my scientific career, the primary immotile cilium was not well understood and was often dismissed as a vestigial organelle with little clinical significance,” Yoder said. “However, shortly after joining UAB, our team engineered a mutation in mice that blocked the formation of the cilium, leading to severe developmental defects and disease pathologies across numerous tissues. This mouse model catalyzed a major shift in our perception of the primary cilium.”
The research conducted by Yoder and his team has greatly helped further the understanding of primarily cilia, and how defects within can impact human health. “I feel fortunate to have been part of the pioneering group that has witnessed and contributed to the remarkable expansion of knowledge in this field over the past 26 years,” said Yoder.
Yoder credited his achievement to the many peers that he has worked with over the years.
“The true foundation of my success has been the exceptional collaborators, faculty, staff, and trainees I've had the honor of working with at UAB. Their dedication has propelled us into many new and unexpected research avenues, leading to some truly groundbreaking discoveries.”
The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research (BRIMR) is an independent nonprofit organization, specializing in evaluating institutions, departments, and investigators according to the funding they receive from the NIH.
The UAB Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology overall ranked No. 19 in the BRIMR assessment, after securing over $9.8 million in NIH funding.