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Schipani Lab

The Schipani Laboratory has a long-standing interest in the study of cartilage and bone development. Over the years, we have used cartilage and bone tissues as models to establish essential principles in the broader fields of G-protein coupled receptors and hypoxia biology.

Early in her career, Dr. Schipani cloned the human PTH/PTHrP receptor (PTHR1) and its gene, and discovered that gain-of-function mutations of PTHR1 cause Jansen Metaphyseal Chondrodysplasia (JMC), a severe form of short-limbed dwarfism associated to hypercalcemia. JMC has been one of the first examples in the literature of a human disease being caused by a constitutively active G-protein coupled receptor. Analysis of mutant mice generated using those mutations have contributed to shape up our current understanding of the role of osteoblastic PTHR1 in skeletal development and homeostasis, and hematopoiesis.

Dr. Schipani next pioneered the notion that gradients of oxygen control tissue morphogenesis during skeletal development. Oxygen is not only an essential metabolic substrate in numerous enzymatic reactions, including mitochondrial respiration, but also a regulatory signal. The Schipani laboratory studies the role of hypoxia-driven pathways in skeletal development with the overall goal of unveiling both novel aspects of the cellular adaptation to hypoxia and new avenues for the treatment of cartilage and bone diseases. We use genetically modified mice as a model organism and we analyze their phenotypes with a variety of in vivo, ex-vivo and in vitro assays.

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News

Schipani Lab Awarded NIH R01 grant
March 13, 2023
The Schipani Lab was awarded a R01 grant from the NIH to study the effects of HIF-1 during the process of somitogenesis!

Stina as Keynote Speaker at the 4th H.Fleisch workshop
November 22, 2022
Stina attended the 4th Herbert Fleisch Workshop as a Keynote Speaker in Bruegge Nov 20-22, 2022

Dr. Schipani and Brittany attended the GRC Bone and Teeth Conference
September 18, 2022
Dr. Schipani was the chair of the Gordon Bone and Teeth conference in Ventura California in September. Brittany Laslow attended to present her poster titled "Loss of HIF1 alters the process of Somitogenesis". The conference was a great success and good times were had by all!

Congrats to Mohd on his promotion!
August 01, 2022
Mohd has been promoted to Research Associate in the Schipani Lab

Congrats Mohd!
May 20, 2022
Congratulations to Mohd in the Schipani Lab for getting his green card!

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