Benjamin L Allen, PhD

 portrait of Ben Allen
James Douglas Engel Legacy Professor
Director Academic Program
Cell and Developmental Biology
Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Medical School
University of Michigan
Cell and Developmental Biology
109 Zina Pitcher Place
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
[email protected]
Available to mentor
Benjamin L Allen, PhD
portrait of Ben Allen
Professor
  • Qualifications
  • Center Memberships
  • Research Overview
  • Links
  • Recent Publications

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    • Qualifications
    • Postdoctoral Fellow in Molecular and Cellular Biology
      Harvard University, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Cambridge, United States
      2004 - 2009
      Postdoctoral Fellowship
    • Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology
      University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
      1998 - 2004
    • B.S. with Honors in Animal Science
      Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
      1994 - 1998

    Center Memberships
    • Center Member
      Biosciences Initiative
    • Center Member
      Rogel Cancer Center
    • Center Member
      Center for Cell Plasticity and Organ Design

    Research Overview

    Research in the Allen Laboratory is focused on the fundamental mechanisms that control the Hedgehog signaling pathway during embryonic and postnatal development, and adult tissue homeostasis, regeneration and repair. We are also investigating the deregulation of Hedgehog signaling in developmental diseases, and childhood and adult cancers.

    Links
    • Ben Allen Lab

    Recent Publications

     See All Publications
    • Journal Article
      GliFHV mice: a tool to investigate GLI processing and localization
      Dear HS, Franks NE, Markley EE, Holtz AM, Song JY, Johnson CN, Medina-Cabrera PI, Hernandez D, Joel P, Pasca di Magliano M, Wellik DM, Allen BL. Development Cambridge England, 2025 Nov 1; 152 (21): DOI:10.1242/dev.204251
      PMID: 41058551
    • Journal Article
      Investigating the roles of GLI transcription factors in the pancreatic cancer microenvironment 4554
      Isabel P, Cabrera M, Scales M, Steele N, Franks N, Dear H, Biffi G, Tuveson D, Pasca di Magliano M, Allen B. The Journal of Immunology, 2025 Nov 23; 214 (Supplement_1): DOI:10.1093/jimmun/vkaf283.2223
    • Journal Article
      Primary and metastatic cellular landscapes in human pancreatic cancer
      Steele NG, Sirihorachai VR, Elhossiny AM, Loveless IM, Kadiyala P, Bonilla M, Lasse-Opsahl EL, Vargas CS, Donahue KL, Kemp SB, Gunchick V, Shah YM, Frankel TL, Bednar F, Rao A, Allen BL, Shi J, Sahai V, Crawford HC, Carpenter ES, Pasca di Magliano M. Iscience, 2025 Aug 15; 28 (8): DOI:10.1016/j.isci.2025.113012
    • Journal Article
      Generation of Hoxa11-3XFLAG and Hoxd11-3XFLAG alleles to investigate Hox11 genome-wide binding
      Echevarría-Andino ML, Song JY, van Ginkel PR, Chen S, Flynn CGK, Keleş S, Allen BL, Wellik DM. Developmental Biology, 2025 Aug 1; 524: 210 - 218. DOI:10.1016/j.ydbio.2025.05.013
      PMID: 40389054
    • Preprint
      KIF3C Regulates Bergmann Glia Density and Patterning during Cerebellar Development
      Waas B, Allen BL. 2024 Dec 4; bioRxiv, DOI:10.1101/2024.12.02.626415
    • Journal Article
      Hedgehog-dependent and hedgehog-independent roles for growth arrest specific 1 in mammalian kidney morphogenesis
      Franks NE, Allen BL. Development Cambridge, 2024 Dec 1; 151 (24): DOI:10.1242/dev.203012
      PMID: 39629522
    • Journal Article
      Oncogenic KRAS-dependent stromal interleukin-33 directs the pancreatic microenvironment to promote tumor growth
      Donahue K, Watkoske H, Zhang Y, Pasca Di Magliano M. Cancer Discovery, 2024 Jul 4; 14 (10): 1964 - 1989.
    • Journal Article
      Distinct expression patterns of Hedgehog signaling components in mouse gustatory system during postnatal tongue development and adult homeostasis
      Kumari A, Franks NE, Li L, Audu G, Liskowicz S, Johnson JD, Mistretta CM, Allen BL. Plos One, 2024 Jun 1; 19 (6 June): DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0294835
      PMID: 38848388

    Featured News & Stories
    Department News

    Congratulations to our Exceptional Team!

    We are excited to celebrate 7 faculty promotions in the University of Michigan Medical School Department of Cell & Developmental Biology! Congratulations to Ben, Jay, Idse, Dubek, Jillian, Swathi, and Sunny!
    Department News

    New collaborative publication from the Allen, Mistretta & Kumari labs!

    "Distinct expression patterns of Hedgehog signaling components in mouse gustatory system during postnatal tongue development and adult homeostasis,” has been published in PLoS One!