Dr. Darrell Wiens

Professor of Biology - 2018

Dr. Darrell Wiens

Professor of Biology - 2018

Education
  • BA in Biology--Bethel College (North Newton, Kansas)
  • MA in Physiology and Cell Biology--University of Kansas
  • PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology--Kansas State University
  • Post-Doc in Cell Biology--Instituto Politecnico Nacional, D.F.
  • Post-Doc in Cell and Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine
  • Post-Doc in Molecular Developmental Biology, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Ohio State University
Teaching Interests

Developmental Biology of Animals, Anatomy and Physiology, Adhesions and Junctions Among Cells. BIOLOGY. Cell differentiation; morphogenesis; the influence of extracellular macromolecules on development; cytoskeleton changes; gravitational biology; cardiac myogenesis; stem cells; birth defects.

Research Interests

Darrell Wiens focuses on cell motility and the cytoskeleton during development, cadherins during development, neural crest cells, heart development, gravitational biology, and folates and neural development.

Professional Accomplishments

  • Wiens, Darrell, and Brian S. Spooner (1983).  Biosynthetic transitions in early cardiac organogenesis.  Eur. J. Cell Biol. 30: 60-66.

  • Wiens, Darrell, Mark Sullins, and Brian S. Spooner (1985).  Pre-cardiac mesoderm differentiation in vitro.  Differentiation 28: 62-72, 1984, and Differentiation 28: 296, 1985.

  • Stockdale, F. E., Wiens, D. J., and Levine, J. F. (1986).  Cell-cell interactions in the mediation of hormone dependent differentiation of mammary epithelium. In: "Progress in Developmental Biology (H. C. Slavkin, Ed.), Part B, pp. 417-424.  Liss, New York.

  • Wiens, Darrell J., Chung S. Park, and Frank E. Stockdale (1987).  Milk protein expression and ductal morphogenesis in the mammary gland in vitro:  Hormone dependent and independent phases of adipocyte-mammary epithelial cell interaction.  Develop. Biol. 120: 245-258.

  • Stockdale, Frank E. and Darrell Wiens (1986). Adipocyte, preadipocyte, and mammary        epithelial interactions. In: Cellular and Molecular Biology of Experimental Mammary Cancer. D. Medina, W. Kidwell, G. Heppner, and E. Anderson, eds. Plenum Pub. Corp., New York, NY.

  • Wiens, Darrell J., Tamara K. Mann, Dan E. Fedderson, W. Kimryn Rathmell, and Barbara H. Franck (1992).  Early heart development in the chick embryo: Effects of isotretinoin on cell proliferation, a-actin synthesis, and development of contractions.  Differentiation 51:105-112.

  • Wiens, Darrell, Lisa Jensen, Jill Jasper, and Jennifer Becker (1995). Developmental expression of connexins in the chick embryo myocardium and other tissues. Anatomical Record 241:541-553.

  • Wiens, Darrell J. (1996). A perspective on cell sheet migration directed by adhesion molecules in embryos: The pattern of fibronectin during heart formation in the chick embryo. Journal of Theoretical Biology 179:33-39.
  • Orris, April S. And Darrell Wiens (1999). Isotretinoin alters morphology, polarity, and motility of migrating neural crest cells in culture. Reproductive Toxicology 13(1):45-52.
  • Lwigale, Peter Y., Joel E. Thurmond, William N. Norton, Brian S. Spooner and Darrell J. Wiens (2000). Simulated microgravity and hypergravity attenuate heart development in explant culture, Cells Tissues Organs 167:171-183.
  • L.C. Fuller, S.K. Cornelius, C.W. Murphy, D.J. Wiens (2002). Neural crest cell motility in valproic acid. Reproductive Toxicology 16 (6): 825-839.
  • Darrell J. Wiens, Dayna J. Depping, Stacey R. Wallerich, Emily S. Van Laar, and Angela L. Juhl (2003). Factors influencing biology interest among undergraduate majors: Gender matters. Journal of College Science Teaching 33(1):32-36.
  • Remus, R. and D. Wiens (2008). The Effects of Hypergravity on the Morphology of Xenopus Embryos. American Journal of Undergraduate Research 7(2):19-26.
  • Olson W.M., D.J. Wiens, T.L. Gaul, M. Rodriguez, and C.L. Hauptmeier (2008). Development From Late Gastrulation To Feeding Tadpole In Simulated Microgravity. International Journal of Developmental Biology 54(1):167-174.
  • Mwakikunga, A.R., A.L. Clubine, and D.J. Wiens (2011). Homocysteine and Cardiac Neural Crest Cell Cytoskeletal Proteins in the Chick Embryo. Int. J. Biology 3(2):43-56.
  • Kacie Flaherty, Alicia Paulson, Ashley Adamson and Darrell Wiens (2012). Expression of cadherin-11 during organogenesis in the chick embryo. Int. J. Biology 4(1):36-48.
  • Duchman, B., and D. Wiens (2012). The effects Of hypergravity on Xenopus embryo growth and cardiac hypertrophy. American Journal of Undergraduate Research 11 (1&2):1-12.
  • DeWitt, A., M.C. DeSoto and D. Wiens (2013).  Influence of folic acid on chick neural   connectivity.  Proceedings of the National Conference on Undergraduate Research 1-8.
  • Howes, S., and D. Wiens (2014). Cardiac myocardial hypertrophy and altered swimming behavior in Xenopus laevis embryos in incrementally increasing hypergravity. American Journal of Undergraduate Research 12(2):29-42.
  • Wiens, D., A DeWitt, M. Kosar, C. Underriner, M. Finsand, and M. Freese (2016). Influence of   Folic Acid on Neural Connectivity During Dorsal Root Ganglia Neurogenesis. Cells Tissues Organs 201(5):342-353. DOI: 10.1159/000444389. Epub 2016 May 3.
  • Wiens, D. (2016). Could Folic Acid Influence Growth Cone Motility During the Development of Neural Connectivity? Neurogenesis 3:1, e1230167, DOI: 10.1080/23262133.2016.12367
  • Wiens, D. and M. C. DeSoto (2017).  Evidence that High Folic Acid is a Risk Factor Autism—A Review.  Brain Sciences 7:149-158.  DOI: 10.3390/brainsci711014
  • Bergen, H., Walter, O.S., McGinley A., Ahlrichs, B. and Wiens, D.  (2018). Autism spectrum disorder and valproic acid effects on dorsal root neurons in chick embryos. Manuscript in preparation.