Daniela Drummond-Barbosa

Professor of Genetics

School of Medicine and Public Health

We investigate how stem cell lineages are regulated by diet, metabolism, and physiology in Drosophila melanogaster.

Phone

608-262-0060

Office Location

Office Address:

4102 Genetics-Biotech

Lab Address:

4330/4340 Genetics-Biotech

B.S. in Biochemistry and Immunology, 1991, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
M.Phil. in Genetics, 1993, Yale University
Ph.D. in Genetics, 1995, Yale University

Search PubMed for more publications by Daniela Drummond-Barbosa

LaFever, L. and Drummond-Barbosa, D. Direct control of stem cell division and germ line development by neural insulin in Drosophila. Science 309(5737), 1071-1073, 2005.

LaFever, L., Feoktistov, A., Hsu, H.-J., Drummond-Barbosa, D. Specific roles of Target of rapamycin in the control of stem cells and their progeny in the Drosophila ovary. Development 137:2117-2126, 2010.

Ables, E. T., Drummond-Barbosa, D. A steroid hormone functions with chromatin remodeling factors to control germline stem cells in Drosophila. Cell Stem Cell 7:581-592, 2010.

Armstrong, A. R., Laws, K., Drummond-Barbosa, D. Adipocyte amino acid sensing controls adult germline stem cell number via the amino acid response pathway and independently of Target of Rapamycin signaling in Drosophila. Development 141:4479-4488, 2014.

Laws, K., Drummond-Barbosa, D. AMP-activated protein kinase has diet-dependent and –independent roles in Drosophila oogenesis. Dev. Biol. 420:90-99, 2016.

Matsuoka, S., Armstrong, A. R., Sampson, L. L., Laws, K. M., Drummond-Barbosa, D. Adipocyte metabolic pathways reprogrammed by diet control the female germline stem cell lineage in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 206:953-971, 2017. PMCID: PMC5499197.

Weaver, L. N., Drummond-Barbosa, D. Hormone receptor 4 is required in muscles and distinct ovarian cell types to regulate specific steps of Drosophila oogenesis. Development 148, dev198663, 2021.

Gandara, A. C. P., Drummond-Barbosa, D. Warm and cold temperatures have distinct germline stem cell lineage effects during Drosophila oogenesis. Development 149, dev200149, 2022.

Stem cell lineages undergo intrinsic metabolic shifts during differentiation, and they also sense and respond to physiological and environmental factors. Our past work revealed a multi-organ network involving insulin-like peptides and other signaling molecules that regulate the Drosophila germline stem cell lineage in response to organismal physiology. We currently focus on the following questions: 1) How do specific metabolic requirements change during differentiation from the germline stem cell fate to progressively more developed stages of oogenesis? 2) How do specific diets, physiological factors, and obesity modulate the germline stem cell lineage? 3) How do other types of stress (e.g. high temperature) impact oogenesis? Our research addresses fundamental aspects of the physiological and metabolic regulation of stem cell lineages and oogenesis across a wide range of organisms, and it will also generate new insight into how the current climate crisis affects the reproduction of insects.

  • Association for the Advancement of Science Electorate Nominating Committee member, 2020-2023
  • Shikani/El Hibri Prize for Discovery & Innovation, Johns Hopkins University, 2017
  • Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, 2014
  • National Research Service Award, National Institutes of Health, 1997-2000
  • Chancellor’s Award for Research, Vanderbilt University, 2006
  • Miles Scholar Award, Bayer Corporation, 1993-1995
  • First place in Biological Sciences college entrance exam, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil, 1988