Crystal Morales

PhD Student
Image of PhD student, Crystal Morales.
crystalmorales@arizona.edu
Pronouns:
she, her, hers

Research Advisor:

Curtis Thorne

Research Topic:

One of the most critical signaling mechanisms for a healthy gut is the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway that allows for cell proliferation and the maintenance of stem cell populations. My project focuses on CLK3, a kinase with evidence of being required for Wnt signaling and thus also plays a role in intestinal homeostasis. My project aims to uncover novel mechanisms of regulating the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway as well as enhance our understanding of stem cell regulation.

Selected Publications:

Morales, C. G.; Jimenez, N.; Herbst-Kralovetz, M.; Lee, N. R.Novel Vaccine Strategies and Factors to Consider in Addressing Health Disparities of HPV Infection and Cervical Cancer Development among Native American Women. Med Sci (Basel). 2022 Sep 13;10(3):52. doi: 10.3390/medsci10030052. PMID: 36135837; PMCID: PMC9503187.
 

Jones, C.; Morales, C. G.; Eltiste, S.; Yanchik-Slade, F; Lee, N. R.; Nilsson, B. L. Capacity for Increased Surface Area in the Hydrophobic Core of β-Sheet Peptide Bilayer Nanoribbons. J Pept Sci. 2021 Sep;27(9):e3334. doi: 10.1002/psc.3334. Epub 2021 Jun 20. PMID: 34151480; PMCID: PMC8349901.

Selected Presentations:

Morales, C.G., Cabel, C.R. (2025) CLK3 promotes Wnt Signaling in Stem Cells. American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology National Conference. Chicago, IL.

Morales, C.G., Cabel, C.R. (2023) CLK3 promotes Wnt Signaling in Stem Cells. American Society for Cell Biology National Conference. Boston, MA.

Morales, C.G. (2021) Self-Assembling Peptides (Q11 and KFE8) as a Platform to Create New HPV Vaccine Candidates. AISES National Conference. Phoenix, AZ

Morales, C.G. (2020, 2021) Self-Assembling Peptides (Q11 and KFE8) as a Platform to Create New HPV Vaccine Candidates. SACNAS National Conference. Virtual. 

 

Degrees

  • Northern Arizona University, BS, Biomedical Sciences, 2020
  • Northern Arizona University, MS, Biology, 2022

Awards

  • Herbert E. Carter Travel Award, University of Arizona, 2025
  • Cancer Research Training & Education Coordination (CRTEC) travel award, University of Arizona, 2023
  • University Fellows Award, University of Arizona, 2022
  • Outstanding Hispanic Graduate Student, Northern Arizona University, 2022