Aron Geurts Lab
Aron Geurts, PhD
Principal Investigator
Professor, Department of Physiology
ageurts@mcw.edu
Dr. Geurts is a professor of physiology and leads an NIH-funded research team focused on innovating novel approaches to genetic engineering and creating animal and cell models of complex genetic human diseases. He is a recipient of a prestigious New Innovator award from the Office of the Director of the NIH.
Michael Grzybowski
Laboratory Supervisor
mgrzybowski@mcw.edu
My role in Dr. Aron Geurts' lab is to help facilitate the creation of genetically modified models. I design nuclease reagents that are then created and validated in the Geurts lab that will be used to create these modifications. I am also responsible for the day to day operations in the lab. My research interests are mainly molecular biology and technology and how to create and develop animal models.
Akiko Takizawa
Research Scientist II
atakizawa@mcw.edu
My research interests are related to reproductive biology in rats. I am especially interested in assisted reproductive technology such as cryopreservation of gametes and zygotes, re-derivation and embryo manipulation. These technologies are reliable methods to preserve strains which were generated using new gene modification technologies such as Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFNs) and TAL Effector Nucleases (TALENs), to avoid breeding problems. I am also interested in the development of more effective sperm cryopreservation and nuclear transfer technology.
Jason Klotz
Research Technologist III
jklotz@mcw.edu
Under Dr. Geurts I help coordinate the business conducted in the Rat Transgenic Service Center. I also perform micro-injections and sperm cryopreservation for the Service Center.
Recent Publications
-
Physiological role and mechanisms of action for a long noncoding haplotype region.
(Xue H, Mishra MK, Liu Y, Liu P, Grzybowski M, Pandey R, Usa K, Vanden Avond MA, Bala N, Alli AA, Cowley AW Jr, Qiu Q, Greene AS, Rao S, O'Meara CC, Geurts AM, Liang M.) Cell Rep. 2025 Jun 24;44(6):115805 PMID: 40493452 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-105007437771 06/10/2025
-
A Novel GH Deficient Rat Model Reveals Cross-Species Insights Into Aging.
(Myint SMMP, Lasher AT, Liu K, Geurts AM, Austad SN, Sun LY.) Aging Cell. 2025 Jun 05:e70126 PMID: 40474491 06/06/2025
-
(Fitzpatrick MK, Dyson C, Beeson A, Adrian L, Marrs G, Grzybowski M, Klotz J, Geurts AM, Chen R, Weiner JL, Solberg Woods LC.) bioRxiv. 2025 Apr 02 PMID: 40236087 PMCID: PMC11996401 04/16/2025
-
Establishing the hybrid rat diversity program: a resource for dissecting complex traits.
(Dwinell MR, Takizawa A, Tutaj M, Malloy L, Schilling R, Endsley A, Demos WM, Smith JR, Wang SJ, De Pons J, Kundurthi A, Geurts AM, Kwitek AE.) Mamm Genome. 2025 Mar;36(1):25-37 PMID: 39907792 PMCID: PMC11880076 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85217741215 02/05/2025
-
(Ray A, Yang C, Stelloh C, Tutaj M, Liu P, Liu Y, Qiu Q, Auer PL, Lin CW, Widlansky ME, Geurts AM, Cowley AW Jr, Liang M, Kwitek AE, Greene AS, Rao S.) Hypertension. 2025 Mar;82(3):476-488 PMID: 39723540 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85213707759 12/26/2024
-
(Fitzpatrick MK, Dyson C, Beeson A, Adrian L, Marrs G, Grzybowski M, Klotz J, Geurts AM, Chen R, Weiner JL, Solberg Woods LC.) Genes Brain and Behavior. June 2025;24(3) SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-105007863205 06/01/2025
-
(Fitzpatrick MK, Szalanczy A, Beeson A, Vora A, Scott C, Grzybowski M, Klotz J, Der N, Chen R, Geurts AM, Solberg Woods LC.) Obesity (Silver Spring). 2025 Jan;33(1):91-103 PMID: 39632398 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85211109928 12/05/2024
-
(Liu Y, Pandey R, Qiu Q, Liu P, Xue H, Wang J, Therani B, Ying R, Usa K, Grzybowski M, Yang C, Mishra MK, Greene AS, Cowley AW Jr, Rao S, Geurts AM, Widlansky ME, Liang M.) bioRxiv. 2024 Oct 14 PMID: 39463975 PMCID: PMC11507733 10/28/2024
-
Characterization of a novel variant in KCNJ16, encoding Kir5.1 channel.
(Xu B, Levchenko V, Bohovyk R, Ahrari A, Geurts AM, Sency V, Xin B, Wang H, Staruschenko A.) Physiol Rep. 2024 Oct;12(20):e70083 PMID: 39414394 PMCID: PMC11483507 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85206614453 10/17/2024
-
(Stone W, Strege C, Miller W, Geurts AM, Grzybowski M, Riddle M, Lees C, Eide C, Keene DR, Tufa SF, Seelig D, McGrath J, Tolar J.) PLoS One. 2024;19(5):e0302991 PMID: 38722855 PMCID: PMC11081381 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85192799401 05/10/2024