Sandy Becker, Developmental Biologist and science writer
 
 
Recently spent 3 1/2 years as a Scientist with Advanced Cell Technology, also studying Embryonic Stem Cells and Developmental Biology. Member of the Society for Developmental Biology, American Association for the Advancement of Science, International Society for Stem Cell Research. Scientific Publications Young Chung, Colin E. Bishop, Nathan R. Treff, Stephen J. Walker, Vladislav M. Sandler, Sandy Becker, Irina Klimanskaya, Wan-Song Wun, Randall Dunn, Rebecca M. Hall, Jing Su, Shi-Jiang Lu, Marc Maserati, Young-Ho Choi, Richard Scott, Anthony Atala, Ralph Dittman, and Robert Lanza (2009) ‘Reprogramming of Human Somatic Cells Using Human and Animal Oocytes” CLONING AND STEM CELLS Volume 11. Xu Maisano, Joseph Carpentino, Sandy Becker, Robert Lanza, Gloster Aaron, Laura Grabel, and Janice R. Naegele (2009, in press) “Embryonic Stem Cell Derived Neural Precursor Grafts for Treatment of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy” in Neurotherapeutics: “New Horizons in the Development of Antiepileptic Drugs: Non-Traditional Approaches to Treat Epilepsy”. Jared T. Wilcox, Esther Semple, Cathy Gartley, Brigitte A. Brisson, Steven D. Perrault , Daniel A. F. Villagómez, Chandrakant Tayade, Sandy Becker, Robert Lanza, and Dean H. Betts (2009, in press) “Characterization of canine embryonic stem cell lines derived from different niche microenvironments” Stem Cells and Development Chung Y, Klimanskaya I, Becker S, Li T, Maserati M, Lu SJ, Zdravkovic T, Ilic D, Genbacev O, Fisher S, Krtolica A, Lanza R. (2008) “Human embryonic stem cell lines generated without embryo destruction” Cell Stem Cell. 2(2):113-7. Klimanskaya, I., Chung, Y., Becker, S., Lu, S-J., and Lanza, R. (2007) “Human Embryonic stem cell lines derived from single blastomeres” Nature Protocols. Becker, S. and Chung, Y., “Embryonic Stem Cells from Single Blastomeres” p. 108-116 in Methods in Enzymology v. 418, Embryonic Stem Cells, ed. I. Klimanskaya and R. Lanza, Elsevier Academic Press, 2006. Chung, Y. and Becker, S., “Embryonic Stem Cells using Nuclear Transfer” p. 135-150 in Methods in Enzymology v. 418, Embryonic Stem Cells, ed. I. Klimanskaya and R. Lanza, Elsevier Academic Press, 2006. Klimanskaya, I., Chung, Y., Becker, S., Lu, S-J., and Lanza, R. (2006) “Human Embryonic stem cell lines derived from single blastomeres” Nature 444: 481-485. Chung, Y., Klimanskaya, I., Becker, S., Marh, J., Lu, S-J., Johnson, J., Meisner, L., and Lanza, R. (2006) “Embryonic and extraembryonic stem cell lines derived from single mouse blastomeres” Nature 439: 216-219. Becker, S. and Grabel, L. “The use of embryonic stem cells to study Hedgehog Signaling” ch 12 in Nonhuman Embryonic Stem Cell Protocols, Vol 1, ed Kursad Turksen, Humana Press 2006. Maye, P., Becker, S., Siemen, H., Thorne, J., Byrd, N. and Grabel, L. (2004) "The Role of Hedgehog in Neuronal Differentiation," Developmental Biology 265: 276-290. Byrd, N., Becker, S., Maye, P., Narasimhaiah, R., St. Jacques, B., Zhang, X., McMahon, J., McMahon, A., and Grabel, L. (2002) "Hedgehog is required for murine yolk sac angiogenesis." Development 129, 361-372. Maye, P., Becker, S., Kasameyer, E., Byrd, N., and Grabel, L. (2000) "Indian hedgehog signaling in extraembryonic endoderm and ectoderm differentiation in ES embryoid bodies."  Mech of Development. 94: 117-132. Grabel, L., Becker, S., Lock. L., Maye, P., and Zanders, T. (1998) “Using EC and ES cell culture to study early development:  recent observations on Indian hedgehog and Bmps”.  Int. J. Dev. Biol. 42:  917-925. Becker, S., Wang, Z.J., Massey, H., Arauz, A., Labosky, P., Hammerschmidt, M., St.-Jacques, B., Bumcrot, D., McMahon, A., and Grabel, L. (1997) “A Role for Indian hedgehog in Extraembryonic endoderm differentiation in F9 cells and the early mouse embryo”  Developmental Biology 187, 298-310. Wickramasinghe, D.; Becker, S.; Ernst, M.; Resnick, J.; Centanni, J.; Tessarollo, L., Grabel, L.; and Donovan, P. (1995) “Two CDC25 homologues are differentially expressed during mouse development.”  Development 121 .  Becker, S., and Grabel, L. (1992) “Spatial localization of endoderm-specific mRNAs in differentiating F9 embryoid bodies” Mechanisms of Development 37 http://www.advancedcell.com/shapeimage_1_link_0
Freelance writer, making science, health, and technology engaging and accessible to the general reader.
Journalism credits
 
 
 
Member of the National Association of Science Writers
 
My work has been published in the Hartford Courant (click here for some Op-Eds), the Middletown Press, Wesleyan Alumni Magazine, Connecticut Business Magazine,  the Pomona College Magazine, and BioWorld.
 
Taught a class for Wesleyan undergraduates in Writing About Science
 
Regular contributor to ScienceIQ.com, an online science education service.  Click here for some samples
 
Contributed several “doses” (out of a total of 365) to A Daily Dose of Knowledge, available at Amazon.com. Click here for a few sample doses.
 
Contributed chapter on the science underlying Jurassic Park, for a book on The Science of Michael Crichton, published by Ben Bella Books.
 
I also do “manuscript polishing” (improving the writing in work submitted to scientific journals)
 
Click here to read an unpublished personal essay having nothing to do with science
 
Email me
 
Research Associate in Laura Grabel’s lab at Wesleyan University, studying Embryonic Stem Cells and Developmental Biology