Dennis Clegg

Biography

Dr. Clegg earned his BS degree in biochemistry at UC Davis and his PhD in biochemistry at UC Berkeley, where he used emerging methods in recombinant DNA to study the sensory transduction systems of bacteria. As a Jane Coffin Childs Postdoctoral Scholar at UCSF, he studied neural development and regeneration. He has continued this avenue of research since joining the UCSB faculty, with studies of extracellular matrix and integrin function in the developing eye. His current emphasis is in stem cell research, with a focus on developing therapies for ocular disease. Dr. Clegg is the recipient of the UCSB Distinguished Teaching Award in the Physical Sciences, the Pacific Coast Business Times Champions in Health Care Award, the National Eye Institute Audacious Goals award, and served as Chair of the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from 2004-2009. He has been a Frontiers of Vision Research Lecturer at the National Eye Institute, a Keynote Lecturer at the Stem Cells World Congress, and a TEDx speaker. He is founder and Co-Director of the UCSB Center for Stem Cell Biology and Engineering, and has served on advisory boards for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the National Institutes of Health Center for Regenerative Medicine. He is a Co-Principal Investigator of The California Project to Cure Blindness, a multi-disciplinary effort to develop a stem cell therapy for Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Research

How does something as complex, beautiful, and functional as an eye develop? How do neurons become precisely aligned and connected in intricate networks that allow vision and thought? And what goes awry in the case of neurodegenerative diseases? Finally, can stem cells be applied in novel therapies to treat such diseases, especially Age-related Macular Degeneration? These are the principal questions that drive our current research in the areas of stem cell research, neural development and neural disease.

Mentoring Priorities

"I work with students to guide their growth as scientists, investigators to develop a program of mentorship tailored to their needs as individuals, with an emphasis on professional success and research independence."