Education BA in Biology--Bethel College (North Newton, Kansas) MA in Physiology and Cell Biology--University of Kansas PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology--Kansas State University Post-Doc in Cell Biology--Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Mexico, D.F Post-Doc in Cell and Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine Post-Doc in Molecular Developmental Biology, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Ohio State University

Teaching Interests Developmental Biology of Animals, Anatomy and Physiology, Molucular Biology of the Cell, Careers in the Health Sciences, Adhesions and Junctions Among Cells.

Research Interests Darrell Wiens focuses on cell motility and the cytoskeleton during development, cadherins during development, neural crest cells, heart development, and gravitational biology.

Professional Accomplishments

•  Wiens, Darrell, Lisa Jensen, Jill Jasper, and Jennifer Becker (1995).  Developmental expression of connexins in the chick embryo myocardium and other tissues.  Anatomical Record 241:541-553.
•  Wiens, Darrell J. (1996). A perspective on cell sheet migration directed by adhesion molecules in embryos:  The pattern of fibronectin during heart formation in the chick embryo.  Journal of Theoretical Biology 179:33-39.
•  Orris, April S. And Darrell Wiens (1999).  Isotretinoin alters morphology, polarity, and motility of migrating neural crest cells in culture.  Reproductive Toxicology 13(1):45-52.
•  Lwigale, Peter Y., Joel E. Thurmond, William N. Norton, Brian S. Spooner and Darrell J. Wiens (2000).  Simulated microgravity and hypergravity attenuate heart development in explant culture, Cells Tissues Organs 167:171-183.
 •  L.C. Fuller, S.K. Cornelius, C.W. Murphy, D.J. Wiens (2002).  Neural crest cell motility in valproic acid.  Reproductive Toxicology 16 (6): 825-839.
•  Darrell J. Wiens, Dayna J. Depping, Stacey R. Wallerich, Emily S. Van Laar, and Angela L. Juhl (2003).  Factors influencing biology interest among undergraduate majors: Gender matters.  Journal of College Science Teaching 33(1):32-36.

•  Remus, R. and D. Wiens (2008). The Effects of Hypergravity on the Morphology of Xenopus Embryos. American Journal of Undergraduate Research 7(2):19-26.

•  Olson W.M., D.J. Wiens, T.L. Gaul, M. Rodriguez, and C.L. Hauptmeier (2008). Development From Late Gastrulation To Feeding Tadpole In Simulated Microgravity. International Journal of Developmental Biology, in press.

•  Clubine, A. and D. Wiens (2008).  Homocysteine Modifies Neural Crest Cell Actin Cytoskeleton and Nuclei. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology annual meeting, San Antonio, TX.

Responsibilities Research in cellular developmental biology Teaching in the Biology Department Service to department, College of Natural Sciences, and the University of Northern Iowa

Grants History " Principal Investigator, American Heart Association, "Investigation of the Mechanism of Embryonic Heart Malformation by Isotretinoin," $9,627 in 1990-91; $14,984 in 1991-92. " Associate, NASA-University Joint Venture in Space Research (JOVE), grant to College of Natural Sciences, Developmental Study of Gap Junction Protein Expression in the Embryonic Chick Heart, Establishment of Unit Gravity Parameters, $23,453, 1992-1995. " Co-investigator, NSF-ILI-IG, Computer Assisted Video Image Analysis and Dynamics in Biology, $150,000, 1995-1997. " Principal Investigator, NASA, Altered Gravity and Early Heart Development in Culture, $161,959 in 1996-1998. " Principal Investigator, JOVE Augmentation Grant, $35,569 ($15,569 UNI matching), 1998-1999. " Principal Investigator, American Heart Association, "Heart and Neural Tube Defects: The Cellular Mechanism of Action of Valproic Acid, $79,786, 2000-2002. " Principal Investigator, Iowa Space Grant Consortium Cooperative Activity Grant,"The Influenne of Altered Gravity on Amphibian Cranial Neural Crest Cells", $28,036, 2004.

Languages English, Spanish (not fluent)

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