UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

2020, The role of continuous phenotypic variation in structural defects of the face, R01DE019638
2018, Molecular Basis of Tissue Interactions that Regulate Craniofacial Development, R01DE018234
2017, Effects of Aging on Macrophages and Bone Regeneration, R01AG046282
2016, Developmental mechanisms underlying genotype-phenotype correlations, R01DE021708
2007, BMP-Mediated Tissue Interactions that Pattern the Face, R03DE015901
, CELL DEATH IN EMBRYONIC HEAD MUSCLES, F32DE005683

Membership & Committees

About Ralph Marcucio, PhD

Ralph Marcucio was born in and grew up in Amsterdam, N.Y. Ralph began his research career as an intern at The Boyce Thompson Institute while he was an undergraduate at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. After receiving his Bachelor's Degree from Cornell University in 1990, Ralph was accepted intoCornell University's School of Agriculture PhD program. He completed his PhD in 1995. For his exemplary performance and dedication as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, Ralph was recognized by the Dean of Cornell University's School of Agriculture for his outstanding contribution to undergraduate education. After receiving his PhD, Ralph was awarded a prestigious NIH training grant to study tissue interactions that control development of the musculoskeletal system. Dr. Marcucio spent 5 years in the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine studying the origins of the musculature responsible for moving the head and jaw skeleton.

In 2000, Dr. Marcucio joined the Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory at the University of California, San Francisco, (UCSF). In this position, Ralph began studying how the skeleton of the face attains its shape and form. This work has resulted in the preparation of numerous manuscripts for publication in world-renowned research journals and has formed the basis for his independent research career.

In 2003, Dr. Marcucio was appointed to the faculty at UCSF as an Assistant Professor in Residence in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. His research program focuses on two basic science areas. First, using cutting-edge genomic technology, Dr. Marcucio is examining how the entire genome responds to orthopaedic trauma. This genome-mining approach is aimed at determining the global genome response during fracture repair and allows the possibility to generate improved, highly innovative therapies for people undergoing fracture repair. Second, Ralph is examining the role that the brain plays during normal development of the facial skeleton. Many facial birth defects have an underlying brain malformation, and the goal of the research is to generate novel therapeutic approaches that will allow correcting facial malformations prior to birth.

Dr. Marcucio is a dedicated and enthusiastic mentor to dental and medical students. His students have been invited to participate in University, State, National, and International research competitions. Dr. Marcucio reviews articles for leading journals including Cell and Tissue Research, Bone, and Mechanisms of Development, and has been an invited speaker at National and International Scientific Conferences.