The Department of Biochemistry welcomes Bryce LaFoya, who joined the faculty on August 1, 2025. The LaFoya Lab will study neural stem cells and brain regeneration.
LaFoya first learned scientific research could be a career while a student attending community college in southern California, where he was raised. Committed to completing his undergraduate degree, LaFoya paid for school by running a business installing and maintaining fishtanks in office buildings. He eventually landed at Boise State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree while gaining experience working in a research lab.
“It can be hard as a transfer student or as a non-traditional student to find opportunities in labs,” LaFoya recalls. “Juniors and seniors in college who want to pursue careers in research can see a lot of doors closing because they didn’t join a lab early enough. When I transferred to Boise State as a senior, I had no research experience. But a professor was willing to give me a spot in their lab. I hope that as my career progresses, I will have opportunities to do the same for students here at UW–Madison.”
LaFoya stayed on at Boise State to complete his graduate studies in molecular biology. His research focused on cell signaling pathways that coordinate blood vessel development. “Sometimes, in biology, seeing is believing. There is powerful knowledge that comes with observing cells in action, so I switched gears for my postdoc and dove into microscopy, which was a whole new world for me,” says LaFoya.
LaFoya’s postdoctoral research, completed at the University of Oregon, examined neural stem cell divisions in fruit flies. As an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry, LaFoya will build on this research.
“There’s a concept in biology that mammals are fantastic failures at tissue regeneration. Our bodies struggle to effectively repair tissues once they’re injured or diseased, and this is especially true in the nervous system,” says LaFoya. “But many animals can actually regrow parts of their brain after an injury. My lab will look at regenerative animals such as Danionella fish, and try to understand how their neural stem cells are able to regenerate brain tissue following injury or disease.” The end goal, says LaFoya, is to unlock mechanisms that can help to activate regeneration in human brain tissue.
LaFoya was drawn to the University of Wisconsin–Madison by the supportive community of researchers and staff in the Department of Biochemistry and across campus. He is excited to expand his research through collaborations with other researchers and access to resources such as the UW–Madison Cryo-Electron Microscopy Research Center and the Biochemistry Optical Core.
LaFoya emphasizes that research careers are made richer through engagement with scientists who have different approaches and have pursued different career paths. As a mentor, LaFoya encourages students to connect with people outside of academic research and find the path that is right for them. He has already begun to grow his lab with a staff scientist who has experience working in the biotechnology industry.
“I’ve moved around a lot, I’ve changed lanes in my career, I’ve needed different types of support from different people,” says LaFoya. “I’m committed to supporting trainees in my lab and helping them build relationships with other mentors, because building mentoring teams can drive success and create new opportunities.”
Written by Renata Solan.