Photo of Rosaria  Guzzo, PhD

Rosaria Guzzo, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Neuroscience
Investigator, Stem Cell Institute
Academic Office Location:
Neuroscience
UConn Health
Acadamic Research Building, E4029/E4032
263 Farmington Avenue
Farmington, CT 06030
Phone: 860-679-3026
Email: guzzo@uchc.edu
Website(s):

Department of Neuroscience

Skeletal Biology and Regeneration

Stem Cell Institute

Dr. Rosaria Guzzo is an assistant professor in the Department of Neuroscience and an investigator in the Stem Cell Institute. Her research has focused on understanding the underlying mechanisms that dictate differentiation of stem cells to musculoskeletal lineages.

Education
DegreeInstitutionMajor
BScUniversity of OttawaBiochemistry-Nutrition
PhDUniversity of OttawaPharmacology

Post-Graduate Training
TrainingInstitutionSpecialty
PostdoctoralSanford-Burnham Medical Research InstituteResearch fellow, Development, Aging and Regeneration Program
PostdoctoralUConn School of MedicineResearch fellow, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Awards
Name of Award/HonorAwarding Organization
Mid-Career Faculty Travel GrantAmerican Society for Bone and Mineral Research
Basic Research Poster Award-Aging Research DayUniveristy of Connecticut
Postdoctoral Fellowship AwardAmerican Heart Association
Excellence ScholarshipUniversity of Ottawa
Doctoral Fellowship AwardCanadian Institutes of Health Research
Entrance ScholarshipUniversity of Ottawa
Name & DescriptionCategoryRoleTypeScopeStart YearEnd Year
PhD Qualifying Exam Committee - Hui Sun (Skeletal Biology and Regeneration)Education CommitteeExaminerUConn HealthUniversity2023
PhD Qualifying Exam Committee - Steven Toro (Skeletal Biology and Regeneration)Education CommitteeExaminerUConn HealthUniversity20232023
PhD Qualifying Exam Committee - Justin King (Skeletal Biology and Regeneration)Education CommitteeExaminerUConn HealthUniversity20232023
Biomedical Science Graduate School Admissions CommitteeAdvisory CommitteeReviewerUConn HealthUniversity20232023
Skeletal Biology and Regeneration Graduate ProgramEducation CommitteeProgram DirectorUConn HealthUniversity2022
PhD Student General Exam Committee (Qinfang Liu)Education CommitteeExaminerUConn HealthUniversity2022
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Discovery Grants ProgramStudy SectionReviewerExternalInternational2022
American Society for Bone and Mineral Research Membership Engagement CommitteeProfessional/Scientific OrganizationCommittee MemberExternalInternational20222025
Graduate Program, Skeletal Biology and Regeneration Area of ConcentrationEducation CommitteeAssociate DirectorUConn HealthUniversity20202021
Skeletal Biology and Regeneration (SBR) Graduate ProgramEducation CommitteeAssociate DirectorUConn HealthUniversity20202020
Ad Hoc ReviewerProfessional/Scientific JournalManuscript ReviewerExternalInternational20192019
Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, 1st year student advisorEducation CommitteeAdvisorUniversity2019
Curriculum Committee, Skeletal Biology and Regeneration Graduate ProgramChairUConn HealthUniversity20182019
Graduate School General Exam Committee, Skeletal Biology and Regeneration Area of Concentration (Laura Doherty)Education CommitteeExaminerUConn HealthUniversity20182018
Medical School Research DayResearch CommitteeExaminer, oral presentationsUConn HealthUniversity20182018
MD/PHD AdmissionsEducation CommitteeInterviewerUConn HealthUniversity2017
Scientific Review Panel, Medical Student ResearchEducation CommitteeReviewerUConn HealthUniversity20172017
Biomedical Science Graduate School AdmissionsEducation CommitteeInterviewerUConn HealthUniversity2016
Scientific Review Panel, Medical student summer research proposalsEducation CommitteeReviewerUConn HealthUniversity2016
Curriculum Committee, Skeletal Biology and Regeneration Graduate ProgramEducation CommitteeVice ChairUConn HealthUniversity20162017
PHD Thesis Advisory (Alexandra Nicaise, Neuroscience)Research CommitteeCommittee memberUConn HealthUniversity20162018
Graduate School General Exam Committee, Skeletal Biology and Regeneration Area of Concentration (Patience Mao-Burt)Education CommitteeExaminerUConn HealthUniversity20152015
Graduate School General Exam Committee, Skeletal Biology and Regeneration Area of Concentration (Spencer Smith)Education CommitteeExaminerUConn HealthUniversity20152016
Musculoskeletal Program “Work in Progress” Seminar SeriesOtherSeminar Series CoordinatorUConn HealthUniversity20092013
Let’s Talk Science -Volunteer Outreach Program Promoting Science Among High School StudentsCommunity ServiceExternalLocal20012001
American Society for Cell BiologyProfessional/Scientific OrganizationExternalNational1999
Pharmacology Graduate Program Student CouncilAdvisory CommitteeExternalUniversity19992000
American Society for Bone and Mineral ResearchProfessional/Scientific OrganizationMemberExternalInternational
NIH - Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel ZRG1 MCST-U (80) Training in Veterinary and Comparative Medicine June 2023Study SectionReviewerExternalNational
NIH - Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel ZRG1 MSOS-L (03) Musculoskeletal, Dental and Oral Sciences December 2023Study SectionReviewerExternalNational
Graduate Programs CommitteeAdvisory CommitteeMembers - Skeletal Biology and Regeneration AoC RepresentativeUConn HealthUniversity

My independent research focuses on novel molecular and epigenetic mechanisms in the transcriptional regulation of musculoskeletal and how these mechanisms control physiological processes in homeostasis and degeneration. This research bears significance to clinically relevant problems related to regenerative therapies.

 


Accepting Lab Rotation StudentsSpring 1 and 2 Block 2025

Journal Articles

Book Chapters

  • Human Pluripotent Stem Cells: Advances in Chondrogenic Differentiation and Articular Cartilage Regeneration
    Rosa M. Guzzo and Michael B. O'Sullivan Current Molecular Biology Reports 2016 Jul;Stem/Progenitor Cells Biology and Regeneration1-10
  • Cardiac development in the frog.
    Foley, A.C., Guzzo, R.M. and Mercola, M. Heart Development and Regeneration 2008 Jan;87-102
  • Signaling pathways in embryonic heart induction.
    Guzzo, R.M., Foley, A.C. Ibarra, Y.M. and Mercola, M. Advances in Developmental Biology: Cardiovascular Development 2007 Jan;117-151

Abstracts

  • Control of cartilage maintenance and degeneration by Twist1 and Runx1 transcription factors.
    Guzzo, R.M., Soung, D.Y., Spicer, D., Polkowski, G. and Drissi, M. American Society for Bone and Mineral Research Annual Meeting: Baltimore, MD 2013 Oct;
  • Defining the chondrogenic potential of iPSC-derived mesenchymal stem cells.
    Guzzo, R.M., Gibson, J. and Drissi, H. StemConn 2013 Symposium: New Haven, CT 2013 Apr;
  • Induction of chondro-, osteo- and adipogenesis in embryonic stem cells by bone morphogenetic protein-2: effect of cofactors on differentiating lineages.
    zur Nieden, Nicole I; Kempka, Grazyna; Rancourt, Derrick E; Ahr, Hans-Jürgen BMC developmental biology 2013 Apr;51
  • Incremental loss of Runx1 function temporally impairs fracture healing.
    Soung, D.Y., Bradley, E., Guzzo, R.M., Lieberman, J. and and Drissi, H. 2010 Annual Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society: Long Beach, CA 2010 Jan;
  • Heart Induction in mouse embryonic stem cells by Nodal/Cripto involves Cerberus.
    Cai, W., Guzzo, R.M. and Mercola, M. 15th Weinstein Cardiovascular Development Conference: San Francisco, CA 2009 Jan;
  • Twist1 overexpression in chondrocytes leads to aberrant growth plate organization in vivo.
    American Society of Bone and Mineral Research 2009 Jan;
  • Paracrine factors promote embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte specification.
    Guzzo, R.M., Cai, W., Ibarra, Y.M., and Mercola, M. 14th Weinstein Cardiovascular Development Conference: Indianapolis, IN, USA 2007 Jan;
  • Endoderm-derived signals promote cardiogenesis in embryonic stem cell cultures.
    Guzzo, R.M., Ibarra, Y., Foley, A. and Mercola, M. 13th Annual Weinstein Cardiovascular Development Conference 2006 Jan;
  • Expression of the tail-anchored protein SLMAP in developing myocardium and during remodeling after myocardial infarction.
    Nader, M., Westendorp, B., Guzzo, R.M., Ahamad, M., Leenen, F.H.H. and Tuana, B.S. Canadian Cardiovascular Congress: Vancouver, AB, Canada. 2006 Jan;
  • Developmental expression and a potential role for sarcolemmal membrane-associated proteins (SLMAPs) in muscle differentiation.
    Guzzo, R.M., Salih, M., Wigle, J.T. and Tuana, B.S. 42nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Cell Biology: San Francisco, CA 2002 Jan;
  • Sarcolemmal Associated Proteins (SLMAPs) comprise a novel family of alpha-helical coiled-coil membrane proteins associated with the Golgi apparatus.
    Guzzo, R.M., Salih, M., Wigle, J.T. and B.S. Tuana, B.S. Canadian Society of Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology 11th Winternational Conference 2001 Jan;
  • Targeting of Sarcolemmal Associated Proteins (SLMAPs) to cellular membranes and the microtubule organizing centre.
    Guzzo, R.M., Salih, M., Wielowieyski, P., Wigle, J.T. and Tuana, B.S. 39th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Cell Biology: Washington, DC 1999 Jan;
  • SLMAP: A coiled-coil protein associated with membranes exhibits changes during the cell cycle that are suggestive of a role in cleavage.
    Guzzo, R.M., Salih, S., Wigle, J.T. and Tuana, B.S. Signaling in Normal and Cancer Cells: Banff, AB, Canada 1998 Jan;

Conference Papers

Title or AbstractTypeSponsor/EventDate/YearLocation
Non-catalytic functions of Dot1L histone methyltransferase regulate endochondral bone growth and developmentTalkAmerican Society for Bone and Mineral Research Annual Meeting2022Austin, Texas
Developmental models to study skeletal growthTalk8th Annual Developmental Biology Day, University of Hartford2022Hartford, CT
Understanding the role of the Disruptor of Telomeric Silencing-1 like in Skeletal Growth and DevelopmentTalk16th Annual Musculoskeletal Institute Research Day: The Future of the MSI2022UConn Health, Farmington, CT
Postnatal inactivation of Dot1L histone methyltransferase in growth plate cartilage impairs longitudinal bone growthPosterASBMR Annual Meeting2018Montreal, PQ Canada
Postnatal inactivation of Dot1L histone methyltransferase in growth plate cartilage impairs longitudinal bone growthPosterMechanistic and Therapeutic Advances in Rare Skeletal Diseases2018Montreal, PQ Canada
Growth plate characterization in Dot1L conditional knockout micePosterUConn Health, Summer Student Research Day2018Farmington, CT
Efficacy of pharmacological and genetic inhibition of Dot1L in chondrocytesTalkUConn Health, Summer Student Research Day2018Farmington, CT
Establishing the chondrogenic potential of human iPS cells: tissue and disease-specific effectsTalkConnecticut Stem Cell Retreat2014Wesleyan, University
Interrogating the epigenetic control of skeletal growth and developmentTalkUniversity of Connecticut Health Center2014
Twist1 is Differentially Regulated in Normal and Osteoarthritic Articular CartilageLectureOrthopaedic Research Society2012San Francisco, CA
Differentiation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Into an Articular Cartilage-like PhenotypeLectureUniversity of Connecticut Health Center2011Farmington, CT
In vivo Role of Twist1 During Cartilage DevelopmentLectureOrthopaedic Research Society2009Las Vegas, NV
The San Diego Consortium for Regenerative Medicine: “The Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa”LectureThe Salk Institute2006La Jolla, CA