Nicolas Malagon
Assistant Professor of Biology
Areas of Teaching
Introductory Biology, Cell Biology, Genetics
Education
Post-doctoral Fellow, University of Toronto (2019); Post-doctoral Fellow, Yale University (2017); PhD, University of Toronto (2013); BSc Biology, National University of Colombia (2005)
Work in Detail
Teaching
BIOL 1020 - The Genetic Revolution
BIOL 1310 - Cells and Energy
BIOL 2100 - Genetics of Eukaryotes and Bacteria
BIOL 2300 - Cell Biology
Research
Recent Publications
- Malagon, J., Ho, E., Ahuja, A., Singh, R., Larsen, E. (2018). Rotation of sex comb in Drosophila melanogaster requires precise and coordinated spatio-temporal dynamics from forces generated by epithelial cells. PLOS Computational Biology. Vol. 14 no. 10 pp. e1006455
Discussed in the Node: http://thenode.biologists.com/sex-combs-in-motion-using-computer-simulations-and-mathematical-modeling-to-study-the-evolution-of-morphogenesis/research/ - Malagon, J., Ahuja, A., Sivapatham, G., Hung, J., Lee, J., Muñoz, S., Atallah, J., Singh, R., and Larsen, E. (2014). Evolution of Drosophila sex comb length illustrates the inextricable interplay between selection and variation. PNAS. September 30, vol. 111 no. 39, pp. E4103–E4109
Summary in PNAS: http://www.pnas.org/content/111/39/14011
- Ma, X., Lu, J., Dong, Y., Li Daming., Malagon, J. & Xu, T. (2017). PP6 Disruption Synergizes with Oncogenic Ras to Promote JNK- dependent Tumor Growth and Invasion. Cell Reports. Vol. 19, pp. 2657–2664.
- Malagon, J. & Larsen, E. (2015). Chapter Four–Heredity and Self-Organization: Partners in the Generation and Evolution of Phenotypes. International Review of Cell and Molecular Biology. vol. 315, pp.153–181
- Malagon, J. & Larsen, E. (2016). E. Signs of complexity in epithelial morphogenesis. Acta Biológica Colombiana. vol. 21, no. 3, pp.495-500
- Malagon, J. & Waleed, K. (2016). Evolution of allometric changes in fruit fly legs: a developmentally entrenched story. Acta Biológica Colombiana. vol.21 no. 3, pp.509-519
- Malagon, J. (2006). In pursuit of evolutionary variation laws: Scale-free Networks. Acta Biológica Colombiana. vol. 11 no. 1
- Betancourt, A., Maldonado, A., Maldonado, R., A., Camargo, A., Guzman, A., Annicchiarico, I., Arroyave, J., Malagon, J., Pardo L., Perez H., Ruiz A., Eljach, L., Camacho, M. (2002). Image Inversion Effect on Faces. Acta Biológica Colombiana. vol.7 no. 2
Publications as supervisor of undergraduate research projects
- Waleed, K. & Malagon, J. (2016). Evolution of allometric changes in fruit fly legs: a developmentally entrenched story. Acta Biológica Colombiana.vol.21no. 3, pp. 509-519
- Kahn, T., Zhang, L., Malagon, J. (2013). Sex comb rotation in Drosophila melanogaster: changes in tissue length and cell extrusion. Journal of Undergraduate Life Science. vol. 7, pp. 20-26
- Long, Y., Zhang, L., Malagon, J. (2013). Changes in apical cell area and shape during sex comb rotation in Drosophila melanogaster. Journal of Undergraduate Life Science. vol. 7, pp. 26-35
- Wang, M., Tan, J., Malagon, J. (2012). Cellular dynamics involved in the narrowing of the first tarsal segment of the first leg of Drosophila melanogaster females used as a control for male sex comb rearrangements. Journal of Undergraduate Life Science. vol. 6, pp. 42-46
- Lee, J., Malagon J., & Larsen, E. (2011). The Case of Fly Sex Combs: Using a Model Organism to Infer Mechanisms of Morphological Evolution. Journal of Undergraduate Life Science. vol. 5, pp. 28-31
Future publications
- Malagon, J., Ho, E., Long, Y., Atallah, J., Singh, R., Rice, G., Kopp, A., Fernandez, R.; Larsen, E. (In preparation). Cellular basis of sex combs rotation in Drosophila melanogaster
Applied
What are you currently researching and working on?
My research program investigates the process by which organisms grow and develop and explore its implications for cancer progression.
In particular, I am interested in understanding the relationship between physics and biology. To do so, I analyze cell movement during morphogenesis using microscopy techniques and computational tools.