The Centrosome

The Centrosome: Cell and Molecular Mechanisms of Functions and Dysfunctions in Disease includes chapters on classic and modern aspects of centrosome research to cover topics of current interest that have not been covered in depth in most books on the market so far. It extends on previous topics and includes new exciting aspects of centrosome research focused on primary cilia and their dysfunctions that are implicated in numerous diseases. Each chapter will be written by experts in their fields who will contribute their unique expertise in specific research fields and include cell and molecular details that are important for the specific subtopics. The book will be comprehensive, concise and will include reviews of key topics in the field. Cutting edge new information will be balanced with background information that will be readily understandable for the newcomer and the experienced centrosome researcher alike.

Heide Schatten is Professor at the University of Missouri, Columbia, USA.  She is a cell biologist with research focused on cytoskeletal regulation in various cell systems and on cytoskeletal dysfunctions of the centrosome-microtubule complex that play a role in disease such as cancer and in disorders such as infertility and other reproductive disorders. 

She received her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Karl-Ruprecht University in Heidelberg, Germany, and performed her Ph.D. research studies at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg. She performed pre-and postdoctoral studies with Professor Daniel Mazia at the University of California, Berkeley, who introduced her to the fascinating field of centrosome biology and generated unlimited enthusiasm for centrosome research that she pursued in collaborations with Daniel Mazia and numerous colleagues in cell, molecular, and reproductive biology in the USA, Europe, China, and Latin America. She has given numerous presentations in these and other countries. Her studies also included collaborations with NASA scientists and experiments aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour to examine the effects of spaceflight on centrosome-cytoskeletal regulation during development.

Her publications include cellular and molecular biology, cancer biology, reproductive biology, microbiology, space biology, and advanced imaging methods including novel imaging techniques that she employed in close collaborations with Professor Hans Ris at the University of Wisconsin-Madison to analyze cellular structures in their three-dimensional network.

She is a member of the American Society for Cell Biology, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Microscopy Society of America. She has received numerous awards including grant awards from NASA, NIH, and NSF.  She has published over 190 papers, 7 book chapters and edited several special topics journal issues and 8 books with several more in progress.