Ralph Marcucio, PhD

Ralph Marcucio, PhD
Orthopaedic Trauma Institute - Marcucio Lab
Orthopaedic Trauma Institute at Zuckerberg San Francisco General
Education
Publications
- Clark D, Nakamura M, Miclau T, Marcucio R. Effects of Aging on Fracture Healing. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2017 12; 15(6):601-608. PMID: 29143915
- Linde-Medina M, Hallgrímsson B, Marcucio R. Beyond cell proliferation in avian facial morphogenesis. Dev Dyn. 2016 Mar; 245(3):190-6. PMID: 26637960
- Hankenson KD, Zimmerman G, Marcucio R. Biological perspectives of delayed fracture healing. Injury. 2014 Jun; 45 Suppl 2:S8-S15. PMID: 24857030
- Marcucio R, Hunt TK, Miclau T. Beneficial effects of oxygen- and lactate-production in scaffold designs. Bone. 2013 Nov; 57(1):324. PMID: 23895996
- Hu D, Marcucio RS. Neural crest cells pattern the surface cephalic ectoderm during FEZ formation. Dev Dyn. 2012 Apr; 241(4):732-40. PMID: 22411554
- Hu D, Marcucio RS. Unique organization of the frontonasal ectodermal zone in birds and mammals. Dev Biol. 2009 Jan 01; 325(1):200-10. PMID: 19013147
- Lu C, Marcucio R, Miclau T. Assessing angiogenesis during fracture healing. Iowa Orthop J. 2006; 26:17-26. PMID: 16789443
Grants & Awards
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Understanding the Forces that Shape the Face
September 15, 2018 - August 31, 2020
NIH/NIDCR R21DE028198
Role: Principal Investigator
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Effects of Aging on Macrophages and Bone Regeneration
September 30, 2013 - June 30, 2017
NIH/NIA R01AG046282
Role: Principal Investigator
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Developmental mechanisms underlying genotype-phenotype correlations
April 27, 2011 - March 31, 2016
NIH/NIDCR R01DE021708
Role: Principal Investigator
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The role of continuous phenotypic variation in structural defects of the face
July 23, 2010 - December 31, 2020
NIH/NIDCR R01DE019638
Role: Principal Investigator
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Molecular Basis of Tissue Interactions that Regulate Craniofacial Development
June 1, 2007 - June 30, 2018
NIH/NIDCR R01DE018234
Role: Principal Investigator
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BMP-Mediated Tissue Interactions that Pattern the Face
January 1, 2005 - December 31, 2007
NIH/NIDCR R03DE015901
Role: Principal Investigator
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CELL DEATH IN EMBRYONIC HEAD MUSCLES
September 1, 1996
NIH/NIDCR F32DE005683
Role: Principal Investigator
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.