About the Chair

The Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy resides within the Medical College of Georgia, one of eleven colleges within Augusta University.  The Medical College of Georgia was established in 1828 and is one of the oldest and largest medical schools in the nation.

The department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy is located on the Health Sciences campus of Augusta University within the Carl Sanders Research and Education building.  It is home to a vibrant academic enterprise and that is advancing significantly in its key missions of Research and Education.

Research:  We have a diverse research portfolio that spans a broad range of interests: autophagy and apoptosis, bone and muscle metabolism, cell polarity, developmental biology, diseases related to aging, educational research, exosome studies, renal disease, stem cell research, and vision research. Many investigators are members of research centers and institutes on campus that enhance, especially, disease-related, clinically-relevant translational research.  Our team is actively seeking and securing extramural funding for exciting research initiatives, presenting their findings nationally and internationally and collaborating on-campus and beyond. Our department oversees an outstanding histology/electron microscopy core facility with exceptionally well-trained personnel. We also manage a very well-equipped core facility for imaging that features new confocal microscopes and two-photon imaging capabilities, as well as super resolution microscopy plus the expertise to assist our colleagues across campus in using cutting-edge technology.

Education:  Our faculty members are actively engaged in teaching anatomical sciences to medical, graduate and allied health sciences students.  Our department is home to a recently renovated state-of-the-art gross anatomy teaching facility and we play a key role in the Phase 1 Medical curriculum. We also play a key role in the PhD biomedical sciences graduate core courses and our faculty members oversee several courses within the department. We graduated eighteen PhD students in the last 7 years, and are very pleased that nearly a dozen graduate students are currently working toward their PhD degree in our department. Our department oversees a robust weekly seminar program and an energized bi-monthly journal club.  We also offer opportunities for graduate students to participate in the educational mission of the department.

Mentoring:  The Faculty members of the Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy are an interactive group interested in each other's scientific and academic pursuits as well as fostering the careers of early and mid-level faculty colleagues.  The department has an excellent reputation for its collegiality and collaborative spirit. We are equally dedicated to high quality training of pre- and post-doctoral fellows and their career development as well.  We educate future scientists, physicians and healthcare professionals and take great pride in the quality of our fantastic "educational product!"

On behalf of the Department of Cellular Biology, I extend heartfelt appreciation for your interest in our department and look forward to sharing more of our exciting activities with you as they unfold.

Sincerely,
Meghan McGee-Lawrence