Assistant Professor, Division of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources

NextGen Focus Area: Oocyte Meiosis and Developmental Biology

Research conducted in the Balboula laboratory employs cutting-edge imaging technologies, transgenic mouse models and genetic approaches to understand the molecular mechanisms regulating mammalian oocyte meiosis and early embryonic development.

Precision Health Impact:

Chromosome mis-segregation frequently occurs during oocyte meiosis, resulting in aneuploidy (abnormal number of chromosomes in the cell), the leading genetic cause of infertility and congenital abnormalities such as Down syndrome. Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating mammalian oocyte meiosis is essential for addressing a significant gap in our knowledge of why oocyte meiosis is prone to errors and for improving female fertility.

Publications:

Londoño-Vásquez D, Rodriguez-Lukey K, Behura SK, Balboula AZ. Microtubule organizing centers regulate spindle positioning in mouse oocytes. Dev Cell. 2022 Jan 24;57(2):197-211.e3.

Kincade JN, Hlavacek A, Akera T, Balboula AZ. Initial spindle positioning at the oocyte center protects against incorrect kinetochore-microtubule attachment and aneuploidy in mice. Sci Adv. 2023 Feb 17;9(7):eadd7397.

Ezz MA, Takahashi M, Rivera RM, Balboula AZ. Cathepsin L regulates oocyte meiosis and preimplantation embryo development. Cell Prolif. 2024 Jan;57(1):e13526.

Londoño-Vásquez D, Jurkevich A, Balboula AZ. Multi-Photon Laser Ablation of Cytoplasmic Microtubule Organizing Centers in Mouse Oocytes. J Vis Exp [Internet]. 2022 Nov 11;(189).

Jung GI, Londoño-Vásquez D, Park S, Skop AR, Balboula AZ, Schindler K. An oocyte meiotic midbody cap is required for developmental competence in mice. Nat Commun. 2023 Nov 16;14(1):7419.

Google Scholar

PubMed

Email: abalboula@missouri.edu
Department website: https://cafnr.missouri.edu/directory/ahmed-balboula