Photo of Ann Cowan, PhD

Ann Cowan, PhD

Professor, Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics
Deputy Director, Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling
Academic Office Location:
Molecular Biology and Biophysics
UConn Health
263 Farmington Avenue
Farmington, CT 06030-6406
Phone: 860-679-1449
Fax: 860-679-1039
Email: acowan@nso2.uchc.edu
Website(s):

Cell Biology Graduate Program

Systems Biology Graduate Program

Moelcular Biology & Biochemistry Graduate Program
Education
DegreeInstitutionMajor
BSQueen’s UniversityBiology
MSYale University Biology
PhDUniversity of ColoradoMolecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

Post-Graduate Training
TrainingInstitutionSpecialty
Professional TrainingNIHNational Institutes of Health Predoctoral Traineeship
FellowshipLalor FoundationPostdoctoral Fellowship
PostdoctoralDamon Runyon-Walter Winchell Cancer Fund
PostdoctoralUniversity of Connecticut Health CenterDepartment of Physiology

Awards
Name of Award/HonorAwarding Organization
Outstanding Faculty AwardGWIMS
Osborn Biomedical Science Graduate Teaching Award Recipient Graduate Student Organization
Postdoctoral FellowshipLalor Foundation
Postdoctoral Fellowship 1984-1987Damon Runyon-Walter Winchell Cancer Fund
B. Sc. (Honours) with First Class HonoursQueen’s University
Predoctoral Traineeship 1977-1980National Institute of Health
Name & DescriptionCategoryRoleTypeScopeStart YearEnd Year
CCAM Microscopy User Facility Advisory BoardAdvisory CommitteememberUConn HealthLocal2021
PLoS Computational BiologyProfessional/Scientific JournalReviewerExternalInternational2016
PLoS OneProfessional/Scientific JournalReviewerExternalInternational2015
NIH Special Emphasis Panel “Tulane National Primate Research Center (TNPRC)” Study SectionReview Panel MemberExternalNational20122012
NIH Study Section Ad Hoc Reviewer “Cellular, Molecular and Integrative Reproduction”Study SectionAd Hoc ReviewerExternalNational20122012
CCAM Faculty Search CommitteeAdvisory CommitteeMemberUConn HealthNational20122017
Bioscience CT Research Network CommitteeAdvisory CommitteeMemberUConn HealthLocal20122015
NIH Special Emphasis Panel “COBRE Phase III P-30 Transitional Centers” Study SectionReview Panel MemberNational20102010
Cell Biology Chair Search CommitteeAdvisory CommitteeMemberUConn HealthUniversity20102011
Immunology Chair Search CommitteeAdvisory CommitteeMemberUConn HealthUniversity20102011
NIH Special Emphasis Panel ZRG1 BST-E (51) New Biomedical Frontiers at the Interface of the Life and Physical SciencesStudy SectionReview Panel MemberExternalNational20102012
NIH Study section Microscopic Imaging Study SectionReview Panel MemberExternalNational20092009
NIH Study section MOSS G 52 R15 AREA applicationsStudy SectionReview Panel MemberExternalNational20092009
PEW Scholars Program Preproposal SelectionAdvisory CommitteeReviewerUConn HealthUniversity20092009
NIH Special Review Panel “Collaborations with National Centers for Biomedical Computing”Study SectionReview Panel MemberExternalNational20082008
National Science and Education Research Council (NSERC), CanadaStudy SectionReviewerExternalInternational20082008
Medical School Cell Biology Curriculum Review Committee Advisory CommitteeMemberUConn HealthUniversity20082009
USDA National Research Initiative Competitive Grants ProgramStudy SectionAd Hoc ReviewerExternalNational20082008
NIH Special Review Panel “Continued Development and Maintenance of Software” (ZRG-1 BST-E)Study SectionReview Panel MemberExternalNational20072008
NIH Special Review Panel NIAMS Rheumatic Diseases Core Center Study SectionReview Panel MemberExternalNational20062006
Health Center Research Advisory Committee Advisory CommitteeMemberUConn HealthUniversity2006
National Science FoundationStudy SectionAd Hoc ReviewerExternalNational20062006
2006 Annual Meeting Society for the Advancement of Chicano and Native American Scientists Community ServiceStudent Poster JudgeExternalNational20062006
“Advanced Techniques in Live Cell Imaging” Four-day course”, Center for Biomedical Imaging Technology Workshop/ConferenceCourse DirectorUConn HealthInternational20052007
Third International Symposium on Computational Cell Biology, (March 23-24), Cranwell Inn, Lenox, MAWorkshop/ConferenceChair of Organizing CommitteeExternalInternational20052005
NIH Review Panel: Molecular Imaging Study Section 2002-2004; Ad Hoc Reviewer Study SectionReview Panel MemberExternalState20042010
NIH Roadmap Initiative Special Review Panel "Technology Centers for Networks and Pathways" Study SectionReview Panel MemberExternalNational20042004
NIH Study Section Special Emphasis Panel Small Business Medical ImagingStudy SectionReview Panel MemberExternalNational20042005
Health Sciences Education Center Advisory Committee Working Group on BlackboardAdvisory CommitteeMemberUConn HealthUniversity20042004
Special Subgroup Session: "Computational Cell Biology". American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting Workshop/ConferenceOrganizerExternalNational20042004
“Advanced Techniques in Live Cell Imaging” Four-day course”, Center for Biomedical Imaging TechnologyWorkshop/ConferenceCourse DirectorUConn HealthInternational20032003
Second International Symposium on Computational Cell Biology, )March 23-24) Cranwell Inn, Lenox, MA, Chair of Organizing CommitteeWorkshop/ConferenceOrganizerExternalInternational20032003
Special Subgroup Session: "Tools for Computational Modeling of Cellular Mechanisms". American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting Workshop/ConferenceOrganizerExternalNational20032003
“Advanced Techniques in Live Cell Imaging” Four-day course”, Center for Biomedical Imaging TechnologyWorkshop/ConferenceCourse DirectorUConn HealthInternational20022002
NIH Molecular Imaging Study Section SSSX-30; SSS-7Study SectionMemberExternalNational20022004
National Science FoundationStudy SectionAd Hoc Reviewer ExternalNational20022002
Special Subgroup Session: "Computational Cell Biology with the Virtual Cell". American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting Workshop/ConferenceOrganizerExternalNational20022002
Organizing Committee, International Symposium on Computational Cell Biology, Lenox, MA. Professional/Scientific OrganizationChairExternalInternational20012005
BMC Services Review Committee Advisory CommitteeMemberUConn HealthUniversity20012001
Faculty Compensation Appeals CommitteeAdvisory CommitteeMemberUConn HealthUniversity20012002
First International Symposium on Computational Cell Biology, (March 4-6, 2001) Cranwell Inn, Lenox MAWorkshop/ConferenceChair of Organizing CommitteeExternalInternational20012001
Medical School Cell Biology Curriculum Review Committee Advisory CommitteeMemberUConn HealthUniversity20002000
Special Subgroup Session: "Modeling Cellular Processes in Three Dimensions: The Virtual Cell Software". American Society for Cell Biology Annual MeetingWorkshop/ConferenceOrganizerExternalNational20002000
“Fundamentals of Light Microscopy” Three-day course, Center for Biomedical Imaging TechnologyWorkshop/ConferenceCourse DirectorUConn HealthUniversity19991999
USDA National Research Initiative Competitive Grants ProgramStudy SectionAd Hoc ReviewerExternalNational19992003
Developmental BiologyEditorial BoardEditorial BoardExternalNational19982010
“Digital Microscopy Workshop” Center for Biomedical Imaging TechnologyWorkshop/ConferenceCourse DirectorUConn HealthUniversity19981998
“Introduction to Confocal Microscopy” CBIT Workshop in Imaging TechnologyWorkshop/ConferenceWorkshop OrganizerUConn HealthUniversity19981998
“Image Processing” CBIT Workshop in Imaging Technology Workshop/ConferenceWorkshop OrganizerUConn HealthUniversity19971997
“Principles and Applications in Advanced Light Microscopy” Three-day WorkshopWorkshop/ConferenceCourse DirectorUConn HealthUniversity19971997
North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Science and Tech. Development Program Study SectionAd Hoc ReviewerExternalNational19971997
Biomedical Imaging Technical Session, Connecticut Critical Technologies Conference (June 20, 1997)Workshop/ConferenceOrganizerExternalState19971997
“Principles and Applications in Advanced Light Microscopy. Three-Day Microscopy Course, Center for Biomedical Imaging TechnologyWorkshop/ConferenceCourse DirectorUConn HealthUniversity19961996
“An Introduction to Image Processing, Center for Biomedical Imaging TechnologyWorkshop/ConferenceWorkshop Organizer UConn HealthUniversity19961996
National Science FoundationStudy SectionAd Hoc ReviewerExternalNational19961996
Biomedical Imaging Technical Session, Connecticut Critical Technologies Conference (June 14, 1996)Workshop/ConferenceOrganizerExternalState19961996
“Confocal Microscopy” CBIT Workshop in Imaging TechnologyWorkshop/ConferenceWorkshop OrganizerUConn HealthUniversity19951995
“Techniques in Fluorescence Microscopy” CBIT Workshop in Imaging TechnologyWorkshop/ConferenceWorkshop OrganizerUConn HealthUniversity19951995
“Techniques in Image Processing” CBIT Workshop in Imaging TechnologyWorkshop/ConferenceWorkshop OrganizerUConn HealthUniversity19951995
USDA National Research Initiative Competitive Grants ProgramStudy SectionAd Hoc ReviewerExternalNational19951995
Biomedical Imaging Session, Connecticut Critical Technologies Conference (June 9,1995)Workshop/ConferenceOrganizerExternalState19951995
American Society for Cell BiologyProfessional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalNational
UCHC HCRAC Faculty Research GrantsStudy SectionAd Hoc ReviewerUConn HealthUniversity2000

My general research interests center on the dynamic organization of the plasma membrane and in the application of quantitative fluorescence imaging and biophysical methods to the study of molecular events in living cells.The Richard D. Berlin Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling (CCAM) is a highly collaborative research center that integrates optical engineering, biophysics, and computational methods to study cell biological mechanisms. As part of an interdisciplinary team at CCAM's NIH-funded National Resource for Cell analysis and Modeling (NRCAM), I combine high resolution quantitative imaging and biochemical analyses with mathematical modeling to develop computational simulations of specific cellular events. NRCAM is home to the “Virtual Cell” (VCell) modeling environment, a tool for creating spatially realistic mathematical models of cellular processes using a web-based interface that is freely available to the academic research community. I am currently focused on developing a suite of dedicating software utilizing VCell simulation technology to analyze quantitative imaging applications such as fluorescence redistribution after photobleaching (FRAP), FRET-based fluroescence biosensor measurements and optogenetics. As Director of the CCAM Microscopy User Facility, I oversee a facility of confocal, 2-photon, FCS and TIRF microscopes that provides advanced imaging capabilities to the UCHC and broader research community. I also collaborate extensively in projects that apply quantitative fluorescence imaging to a wide range of cellular systems.

Not accepting students for Lab Rotations at this time

Journal Articles

Conference Papers

Title or AbstractTypeSponsor/EventDate/YearLocation
Talk UnknownTalkNational Technology Centers for Networks and Pathways All Hands Meeting2007Bethesda, MD
Booth at 2006 Annual Meeting Society for the Advancement of Chicano and Native American Scientists for student recruitmentOther2006 Annual Meeting Society for the Advancement of Chicano and Native American Scientists 2006
Title UnknownTalkHoward University Workshop on Computational Cell Biology2005Washington, CT
Title UnknownTalkNortheast Spore Meetings,2002Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Title UnknownTalkCenter for Microbial Pathogenesis, UCHC2002
Title Unknown (cancelled due to 9/11 events)TalkIowa Microscopy Society Meeting, University of Iowa2001 Ames, IO
Confocal Demonstration and Tour for Avon High School studentsOtherUConn Health Center2001Farmington, CT
Confocal Demonstration and Tour, UConn Clinical Engineering studentsOtherUConn Health Center2000Farmington, CT
Confocal Microscopy Demonstration for students in Biological Structure Course at Wesleyan UniversityOtherUConn Health Center1999Middletown, CT
Title UnknownTalkSociety for the Study of Reproduction Annual Meeting1998College Station, TX
Title UnknownTalkThe Population Council, Center for Biomedical Research1997New York, NY
Photonics: Teaching Across the SpectrumTalkConference for Science and Technology Teachers, University of Connecticut1997Storrs, CT
Confocal Demonstration and Tour, Science Teacher Onsite VisitOtherMiddletown High School1997Middletown, CT
CPTV’s Family Science ExpoOtherCT Public TV1997Hartford, CT
Targets for Contraceptive DevelopmentTalkNICHD workshop, NIH1994Bethesda, MD
Title UnknownTalkLoeb Institute, Civic Hospital, 1993Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Title UnknownTalkDepartment of Anatomy and Cell Biology. University of Alberta1992Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Title UnknownTalkDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tufts University School of Medicine1992Boston, MA
title UnknownTalkDepartment of Anatomy, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center1991Tuscon, AR
Fertilization and Activation of DevelopmentTalkGordon Conference1991NH
Title UnknownTalkDepartment of Biological Sciences, SUNY at Buffalo1990Buffalo, NY
Title UnknownTalkDivision of Reproductive Biology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center 1989PA