Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II

Medical Pulmonary Physiology 

Culture of STEM Higher Education

One of my core beliefs is that science is for everyone. This touches everything I do, from teaching, to research and professional service. I often write on this subject (see professional affiliations below) and have begun several research projects on various aspects of STEM higher education in an effort to increase diversity and equity. I am particularly interested in inclusive and evidence-based teaching practices at all levels, as well as bringing transparency to the faculty job search.

Microenvironmental Regulation of Cell Migration

I primarily identify as a cell biologist in the context of my interdisciplinary career, one who is interested in how physical properties of the external environment influence a cell. During my PhD I investigated how cancer cells respond to changes in extra-cellular matrix (ECM) stiffness, looking at matrix metalloproteinase activity and cell migration in various human pancreatic cancer cell lines. For my post-doc I decided I wanted to further this interest by looking at a different side of this process; how cells sense changes in physical properties via cell-ECM adhesion molecules. Thus, I went on to characterize novel mouse models with functional mutants in Talin-1, an adaptor protein essential for integrin-mediated cell-ECM adhesion. This allowed me to study focal adhesion biology and in vivo cell migration in the context of mammalian development. 

As I start my own independent lab, I aim to combine my graduate and post-graduate work into a new scientific focus - the microenvironment regulation of neural crest cells. Neural crest cells are a highly migratory population, essential to vertebrate development, but also often the origin of aggressive cancers such as neuroblastomas or melanomas. Much previous work has gone into delineating the genetic network that controls the differentiation of neural crest cells. I want to use a range of techniques from in vivo to in vitro to understand how the complex microenvironment surrounding neural crest cells controls their migration. With the ultimate goal of applying what we learn from normal migration in animal development to abnormal migration in cancer cell metastasis. 

2014                Research Excellence Award, Iowa State University, Ames, IA

2014                Graduate Student Teaching Certificate, Iowa State University, Ames, IA

2017                Intestinal Organoid Training Certificate, Stem Cell Technologies, Vancouver, BC

2019                Best Talk – CELLS retreat, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC

Post-Doctoral Training;  Cell Migration in Mammalian Development

Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences

Tanentzapf Lab 

University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC Canada

2014-2019

Doctor of Philosopohy; Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Schneider Lab

Iowa State Univerity, Ames IA USA

2010-2014

Bachelor of Arts; Biology

Wartburg College, Waverlry IA USA

2006-2010

8. Haage A., Wagner K., Deng W., Venkatesh B., Mitchell C., Goodwin K., Bogutz A., Lefebvre L., Van Raamsdonk C.D., & Tanentzapf G. Precise coordination of cell-ECM adhesion is essential for melanoblast migration during development. Under Revision at Development. (2020). 

7. Fernandes D. J., Sarabipour S., Smith T. C., Niemi M. N., Jadavji M. N., Kozik J. A., Holehouse S. A., Pejaver V., Symmons O., Bisson Filho W. A. & Haage A. Insights from a survey-based analysis of the academic job market. BioRxiv preprint first posted online Oct. 9, 2019; Under Revision at eLife.

6. Fu L., Haage A., Kong N., Tanentzapf G., & Li H. Dynamic protein hydrogels with reversibly tunable stiffness regulate human lung fibroblast spreading reversibly. Chemical Communications. (2019).

5. Camp D., Haage A., Solianova V., Castle W.M., Xu Q.A., Lostchuck E., Goult B.T., & Tanentzapf G. Direct binding of talin to rap1 is required for cell-ECM adhesion in drosophila. Journal of Cell Science. (2018). 

4. Haage A., Goodwin K., Whitewood A., Camp D., Bogutz A., Turner C.T., Granville D.J., Lefebvre L., Plotnikov S., Goult B.T. & Tanentzapf G. Talin autoinhibition regulates cell-ECM adhesion dynamics and wound healing in vivo. Cell Reports. (2018).

3. Haage A., Nam D.H., Ge X. & Schneider I.C. A function blocking antibody reveals matrix metalloproteinase-14 as a force-regulated proteinase. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. (2014).

2. Haage A. & Schneider I.C. Cellular contractility and extracellular matrix stiffness regulate matrix metalloproteinase activity in pancreatic cancer cells. FASEB J. (2014).

1. Zhang Y., Haage A., Whitley E.M., Schneider I.C. & Clapp A.R. Mixed-surface, lipid-tethered quantum dots for targeting cells and tissues. Colloids and Surfaces, B. Biointerfaces. (2012).

preLights Contributer - https://prelights.biologists.com/profiles/amanda-haage/

BioRxiv Affiliate - https://www.biorxiv.org/about-biorxiv

Preprints promote transparency and communication - The Node, August 2018

HAPS Social Media - @HumanAandPSoc

ASCB COMPASS Communications Alumni - 

• What's it all about? single cell sequencing - August 16th, 2019
• 4 ways to use social media to get people to your poster (or talk) - Novemember 22nd, 2019
• 5 tips for surviving the academic job market – April 19th, 2019.
• What’s it all about? 3D Bioprinting – October 26th, 2018.
• Spotlight: COMPASS Outreach Grant Recipients Spring/Summer 2018 – September 14th, 2018.
• preLights: Preprint highlights for biology – July 13th, 2018
• What’s it all about? Microfluidics – June 15th, 2018
• Six ways to start something new in the lab – April 13th, 2018
• Lego Grad Student: Stepping one brick up in academia – March 1st, 2018
• What’s it all about? Super-Resolution Microscopy – February 9th, 2018
• The Best of the ASCB Post: 2017 Edition – December 27th, 2017
• Spotlight on 2017 Fall COMPASS outreach grant recipients – December 1st, 2017
• What’s it all about? Organoids – October 6th, 2017
• What’s it all about? CRISPR/Cas – August 11th, 2017
• Spotlight: COMPASS Outreach Grant Recipients – June 2nd, 2017
• Keeping your enthusiasm up when science gets you down – May 5th, 2017