Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty and Staff Directory
Shannon Davis
Title: | Associate Professor Research Concentration - Stem Cells & Developmental Biology |
Department: | Biological Sciences College of Arts and Sciences |
Email: | swdavis@mailbox.sc.edu |
Phone: | 803-777-8349 (office), 803-777-9940 (lab) |
Office: | CLS 503 |

Research
The pituitary gland plays a critical role in regulating a wide range of physiological
processes, including reproduction, growth, metabolism, and stress response. These
processes are regulated through the secretion of hormones that affect specific target
organs such as the liver, thyroid, and gonads. As a consequence, lesions in genes
involved in pituitary development that result in multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies
(MPHD) can have profound effects on multiple physiological processes. Many genes that
cause MPHD are transcription factors necessary for the embryonic development of the
pituitary gland. For instance, loss of PROP1, which is a homeodomain containing transcription
factor, can result in an absence of growth hormone (GH), thyroid stimulating hormone
(TSH), prolactin (PRL), luteinizing hormone (LH), and progressive loss of adrenocorticotrophic
hormone (ACTH) in humans. Mice containing null mutations in Prop1 also display a similar
phenotype. Understanding how the pituitary gland forms and how each hormone producing
cell type is specified provides critical insight into the central role the pituitary
gland plays in vertebrate physiology.
Research in my lab focuses on determining the molecular mechanisms of pituitary gland
organogenesis. One current project focuses on the morphogenesis of the pituitary gland,
especially how signaling factors such as BMP, FGF, WNT, and SHH contribute to the
proper size, shape, and location of the pituitary gland. A second project seeks to
understand how the five hormone secreting cell types of the pituitary anterior lobe
are specified and what signaling factors are necessary for their formation.