Cierra Boyer

Address: 3400 PBDB
Phone: (319) 335-4843
Email: cierra-boyer@uiowa.edu

Mentor: Samuel Stephens, PhD

Undergraduate Institution: Briar Cliff University

Graduate Program: Pharmacology

Year Entered Into Program: 2019

Research Description

My current research interest focuses on understanding how changes in insulin granule trafficking contribute to the development of Type 2 diabetes. Tremendous work has shown that loss of β-cell function occurs in Type 2 diabetes however, the cellular mechanisms driving defects in insulin granule formation and trafficking remain relatively unexplored. Using a genetically encoded biosensor, high-resolution state of art imaging techniques and a novel in situ fluorescent pulse-chase labeling strategy we developed, I am exploring these mechanisms.

Awards

  • Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences Research Retreat, Poster Presentation Award, University of Iowa, 2022
  • Award for Best Trainee Poster, Internal Medicine Research Day, 2021

Publications

  1. Kristen E. Rohli, Cierra K. Boyer, Sandra E. Blom, and Samuel B. Stephens. Nutrient Regulation of Pancreatic Islet β-cell Secretory Capacity and Insulin Production. Biomolecules. 2022;12(2);335. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12020335

  2. Kristen E. Rohli, Cierra K. Boyer, Shelby C. Bearrows, Marshall R. Moyer, Weston S. Elison, Casey J. Bauchle, Sandra E. Blom, Chi-Li Yu, Marshall R. Pope, Jianchao Zhang, Yanzhuang Wang, and Samuel B. Stephens. ER redox homeostasis regulates proinsulin trafficking and insulin granule formation in the pancreatic islet β-cell. In review at Diabetes. 2021. 09.22.461417; doi: 10.1101/2021.09.22.461417

  3. Casey J. Bauchle, Kristen E. Rohli, Cierra K. Boyer, Ryan D. Sheldon, Vidhant Pal, Jonathan V. Rocheleau, Eric B. Taylor, and Samuel B. Stephens. Mitochondrial efflux of citrate and isocitrate is dispensable for regulating pancreatic islet β-cell function. Diabetes. 2021 May; doi: 10.2337/db21-0037 

  4. Anup Parchure, Meg Tian, Cierra Boyer, Shelby Bearrows, Kristen Rohli, Yanzhuang Wang, Samuel Stephens, and Julia von Blume. Liquid-liquid phase separation facilitates the biogenesis of secretory storage granules. In review at Science. 2021

  5. Christie M. Penniman, Gourav Bhardwaj, Taylor L. Junck, Cierra K. Boyer, Jayashree Jena, Jordan D. Fuqua, Vitor A. Lira, and Brian T. O’Neill. FoxOs contribute to age-related decreases in muscle strength and mitochondrial decline. In preparation. 2021

Abstracts

  1. Cierra K. Boyer, Kristen E. Rohli, Casey J. Bauchle, Samuel B. Stephens. (2022) Creb3 regulates increased β-cell secretory capacity as an adaptive mechanism during β-cell compensation. Gordon Research Conference; 2022 July 18-22. (poster)

  2. Cierra K. Boyer, Kristen E. Rohli, Casey J. Bauchle, Samuel B. Stephens. (2022) Creb3 regulates increased β-cell secretory capacity as an adaptive mechanism during β-cell compensation. Diabetes Research Day; 2022 May 16 & 23. (talk)

  3. Cierra K. Boyer, Kristen E. Rohli, Casey J. Bauchle, Samuel B. Stephens. (2022) Creb3 regulates increased β-cell secretory capacity as an adaptive mechanism during β-cell compensation. The 14th Annual Meeting of the Midwest Islet Club; 2022 May 16-18. (talk)

  4. Cierra K. Boyer, Kristen E. Rohli, Casey J. Bauchle, Samuel B. Stephens. (2022) Creb3 regulates increased β-cell secretory capacity as an adaptive mechanism during β-cell compensation. Internal Medicine Research Day; 2021 December 7. (poster)
    *1st place winner for Best Trainee Poster Award

  5. Cierra K. Boyer, Kristen E. Rohli, Casey J. Bauchle, Samuel B. Stephens. (2021) Increased insulin granule formation supports islet β-cell compensation. The 13th Annual Meeting of the Midwest Islet Club; 2021 July 13-15. (poster)

  6. Christie M. Penniman, Gourav Bhardwaj, Taylor Junck, Cierra Boyer, Jayashree Jena, Jordan D. Fuqua, Vitor A. Lira, Brian T. O’Neill. (2020) Loss of foxOs in muscle maintains strength and mitochondrial function during aging, but does not alter glucose or insulin tolerance. The 80th Annual Meeting of the American Diabetes Association; 2020 June 12-16. (poster)

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