Lab updates

Welcome to the Lab Ashley!

We are extremely excited to welcome a new PhD student, Ashley Ranere, to the lab! Ashley earned her BS/MS from Drexel University and joins us after working in industry in the Bay Area. Ashley's research will work to translate ZNF865 and other genes the lab has been studying to the cancer field! 

August 18, 2026

Two men in white lab coats and blue nitrile gloves smiling in a laboratory; one man holds a micropipette over a bench with microcentrifuge tube racks and vials. Two men in white lab coats and blue nitrile gloves smiling in a laboratory; one man holds a micropipette over a bench with microcentrifuge tube racks and vials.

Welcome Dr. Hawkins!

We are excited to have Dr. Ben Hawkins from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in the lab! Dr. Hawkins will be learning the CRISPR pipeline as part of his sabbatical for application to his microfluidic device work at Cal Poly! We are excited for future collaboration in developing novel diagnostics for detection of senescent cells.

May 11, 2026

Five students and a faculty member standing in a row in front of a projection screen displaying the Back Pain & Engineered Therapeutics Laboratory acknowledgements slide. Five students and a faculty member standing in a row in front of a projection screen displaying the Back Pain & Engineered Therapeutics Laboratory acknowledgements slide.

Congratulations Class of 2026!

.Congratulations to Seniors Kamry Bailey, Sydney Biddix, and Brynne Byars on an excellent senior symposium! Shoutout to Kamry for earning 3rd place poster as well! You all will be missed, and we’re excited to hear of your upcoming ventures!

April 24, 2026

A smiling young woman with long dark hair wearing a white top and a red academic stole, leaning against a light-colored stone pillar. A smiling young woman with long dark hair wearing a white top and a red academic stole, leaning against a light-colored stone pillar.

Congratulations Sky!

.Congratulations to Sky Jalili on successfully defending her Master’s thesis! Sky’s work as an undergraduate developing CRISPRa Upregulation of Type II Collagen in the Goat genome for Degenerative Disc Disease Therapy provides much needed insight into the translatability of gene therapies for Degenerative Disc Disease in a large animal model.

April 21, 2026

Dark slate blue logo featuring a circular arc with small floating circles and the text SUNAC THERAPEUTICS on a white background. Dark slate blue logo featuring a circular arc with small floating circles and the text SUNAC THERAPEUTICS on a white background.

Sunac Therapeutics Highlighted by TLO

The University of Utah Technology Licensing Office recognized Sunac Therapeutics, a spinoff company encompassing the research conducted in the Bowles Lab. Currently, Sunac Therapeutics is developing a simple, low-risk solution that could transform patient lives in a single-use injection that will address all the genetic factors that contribute to degenerative and aging-related diseases. Read more below!

Read More →

April 13, 2026

Smiling man with reddish-brown hair and a beard wearing a blue blazer and white shirt against a grey background. Smiling man with reddish-brown hair and a beard wearing a blue blazer and white shirt against a grey background.

Dr. Bowles Named 2026 Outstanding Research Mentor

Congratulations to Dr. Bowles for receiving BME’s 2026 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor award! Dr. Bowles has mentored over 20 talented undergraduate students since becoming his time at the University of Utah in 2020. Well deserved, Dr. Bowles! See the full article below!

Read More →

April 6, 2026

A man in a navy blue blazer stands at a wooden lectern next to a projection screen displaying his dissertation title and the University of Utah logo. A man in a navy blue blazer stands at a wooden lectern next to a projection screen displaying his dissertation title and the University of Utah logo.

Christian Wins Dissertation Award!

Congratulations to this year’s BME Outstanding Dissertation Award Winner, Christian Lewis! Christian’s dissertation, Characterization of ZNF865 as a Key Modulator of Senescence in the Intervertebral Disc demonstrated outstanding originality, creativity, and impact on human health. See the full article below!

Read More →

April 4, 2026

Smiling man with wavy shoulder-length light-brown hair and a light beard wearing a light-grey polo shirt against a blurred green outdoor background. Smiling man with wavy shoulder-length light-brown hair and a light beard wearing a light-grey polo shirt against a blurred green outdoor background.

Jonah Wins ORS Poster Award

Congratulations to graduate student Jonah Holbrook for earning a poster award at the ORS annual conference in Charlotte, NC! Jonah’s poster showcased his research on damage caused by the low pH in the intervertebral disc and ZNF865 (BLST)’s ability to protect cells from this damage through regulation of multiple DNA damage and repair pathways.

Read More →

March 31, 2026

Two smiling men standing side-by-side in front of wooden wall panels; the man on the right wears a navy blue vest with a SUNAC logo. Two smiling men standing side-by-side in front of wooden wall panels; the man on the right wears a navy blue vest with a SUNAC logo.Two smiling men standing side-by-side in front of wooden wall panels; the man on the right wears a navy blue vest with a SUNAC logo. Two smiling men standing side-by-side in front of wooden wall panels; the man on the right wears a navy blue vest with a SUNAC logo.Two smiling men standing side-by-side in front of wooden wall panels; the man on the right wears a navy blue vest with a SUNAC logo. Two smiling men standing side-by-side in front of wooden wall panels; the man on the right wears a navy blue vest with a SUNAC logo.Two smiling men standing side-by-side in front of wooden wall panels; the man on the right wears a navy blue vest with a SUNAC logo. Two smiling men standing side-by-side in front of wooden wall panels; the man on the right wears a navy blue vest with a SUNAC logo.

Dr. Brian Diekman Gives Seminar

Bowles Lab Collaborator and DNA damage expert, Dr. Brian Diekman, from the Lampe Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering at UNC Chapel Hill and NC State University shared an outstanding seminar on his group’s research and recent insights into the genetic and aging factors in osteoarthritis. We look forward to continued collaboration between our labs moving forward!

March 3, 2026

Headshot of a young woman with long wavy light-brown hair wearing a beige long-sleeved top, smiling against a blurred green field and blue sky background. Headshot of a young woman with long wavy light-brown hair wearing a beige long-sleeved top, smiling against a blurred green field and blue sky background.Two smiling men standing side-by-side in front of wooden wall panels; the man on the right wears a navy blue vest with a SUNAC logo. Two smiling men standing side-by-side in front of wooden wall panels; the man on the right wears a navy blue vest with a SUNAC logo.Two smiling men standing side-by-side in front of wooden wall panels; the man on the right wears a navy blue vest with a SUNAC logo. Two smiling men standing side-by-side in front of wooden wall panels; the man on the right wears a navy blue vest with a SUNAC logo.Two smiling men standing side-by-side in front of wooden wall panels; the man on the right wears a navy blue vest with a SUNAC logo. Two smiling men standing side-by-side in front of wooden wall panels; the man on the right wears a navy blue vest with a SUNAC logo.

Brynne Byars Wins Undergraduate Excellence in Innovation Award!

Huge congratulations to Bowles Lab undergraduate Brynne Byars for winning the prestigious University-wide Undergraduate Excellence in Innovation Award! Brynne's projects in the lab have worked on elucidating the role of ZNF865 and advancing its potential as a degenerative disc disease treatment.

Read More →

October 28, 2025