Breadcrumb
Amy Sprowles Ph.D.
Professor - Cellular/Molecular Biology
Dr Sprowles has been a member of the Cal Poly Humboldt Department of Biological Sciences since 2006. As an architect and director of the Humboldt CIRM Bridges Program, she has mentored hundreds of students in biomedical science and regenerative medicine since 2008. She is a long standing member of the CSUBIOTECH Faculty Consensus Group and currently serves as the Chair of the CSUBIOTECH Education Committee. She is also the academic coordinator for the UC Davis School of Medicine Huwighurruk Tribal Health Postbaccalaureate Program. Professor Sprowles has served as PI/Program Director of the Humboldt Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Inclusive Excellence '17 program, Co-Director of the Humboldt HSI STEM grant, Co-PI NSF INCLUDES Transcending Barriers Planning Grant and the Humboldt CSU STEM NET Faculty Advisor. She is a recipient of the 2020 CSU Faculty Innovation and Leadership Award and the 2026 recipient of the CSUBIOTECH Andreoli Service Award, which honors a California State University (CSU) faculty member who has made outstanding contributions to the development of biotechnology programs in the CSU system.
Research Focus
I am interested in the signal transduction mechanisms that regulate early embryonic development, particularly those that promote the onset of cancer when mutated. I am also a discipline-based educational researcher interested in improving learning for all students.
- B.A. (1995) Clark University, Biology (Minor: Piano Performance)
- Ph.D. (2003) Vanderbilt University, Biochemistry
- BIOL544/544L - Stem Cell Biology
- BIOL340 - Genetics
- BIOL440 - Genetics Laboratory
- SCI100 - Becoming a STEM Professional in the 21st Century
- BIOL450 - Cell Biology
- CHEM 436/536 Biochemistry III
Iturbide, M. I., Sprowles, A. E., Vincent-Layton, K., Bradley, S., & Margell, S. T. (2026). A Culturally Responsive Campus Learning Community: Stories About Professional and Personal Growth. Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 16(1), 7.
Baker, J. D., Bueno Watts, N., Isaacs, D. S., Johnson, M. D., Kenyon, D. B., Killgore, R., ... Sprowles, A.E., ... & Ondrechen, M. J. (2026). Strategies for Greater Inclusion of Indigenous Students in College Science Programs. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education.
Sprowles, A.E., Martell, S., Malloy, K.J., Hillman, L.T., Hillman, L.C., Rich, A., Smith, J., Shaughnessy, F., Hurst, M.P., Manor, S., Mazzag, B., Oliver, D., Siering, P., Cashman, E., O’Dowd, A.P., Goley, P.D., Black, G., Goldenberg, K., and Johnson, M.D. First year STEM curriculum co-created with Indigenous scientists improves intellectual growth, psychosocial factors associated with retention, and academic achievement of students from racially minoritized groups historically underrepresented in STEM. Discovering Education (in review).
Sprowles, A., and Johnson, M. (2021). A Faculty-Led Effort to Build Campus Community Around Inclusive Excellence in Stem. Shared Leadership in Higher Education.
Johnson, M. D., Sprowles, A. E., Goldenberg, K. R., Margell, S. T., & Castellino, L. (2020). Effect of a place-based learning community on belonging, persistence, and equity gaps for first-year STEM students. Innovative Higher Education.
Harper, M., Bernard, T., Sprowles, A., and A. Jacobson. 2020. Energy Requirements of the Screening Sites in a COVID-19 Hub and Spoke Testing Approach. Covid-19 Resources.
Sprowles, A.E., Goldenberg, K. , Goley, P. D. , Ladwig, S. , Shaughnessy, F. J. , Malloy, K. J. , Baldy, C. R. , Mola, M. M. , Smith, J. R. et al. (2019). Place-Based Learning Communities on a Rural Campus: Turning Challenges into Assets. Learning Communities Research and Practice.
Johnson, M.D., Sprowles, A.E., Overeem, K.M., Rich, A. (2017). A Place-based Learning Community: Klamath Connection at Humboldt State University. Learning Communities Research and Practice.
Eschenbach, E., Cashman E., Johnson, M., Sprowles, A. (2017). Connecting Environmental Engineers to the Klamath River via a Place Based Learning Community. Proceedings of the 2017 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference.
Sprowles, A and Malloy, K.J. 2017. Klamath Connection and Critical Histories/Activist Futures: The Role of Interdisciplinary Discourse in Addressing Racism and Inequity in STEM Education. Somatosphere - Science, Medicine, and Anthropology.
Mentorship
Current Graduate Students:
Sheng Yang
Imya Tripp
Former Graduate Students:
Madison Gutierrez (2025) An Investigation of How Loss of LGL1 Affects cJUN and DCX Expression in GFAP Expressing Neural Stem Cells
Alyssa Paynton (2024) Human Cell Modeling of CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder with Patient-Derived Organoids and HD-MEA
Ariah Mackie (2022) Determining haplotype specific X chromosome inactivation state and related epigenetic features in female X-linked genes
Amin Cressman (2022) Modulation of polyamines to elucidate function within osteogenesis of mesenchymal stromal cells
Natalie Pedicino (2022) Characterizing the relationship of Lgl1 and AKT in migration of murine neural stem and progenitor cells
Monique LaCourse (2018) The effect of the loss of Lgl1 in murine neural progenitor cells on MAPK signaling and proliferation
Kristine Teague (2018) Characterizing the effect of cJun on the expression of Oct4 variants and how they correlate with the expression of genes associated with potency and cell fate of murine embryonic stem cells
Elizabeth Zepeda (2018) The effects of increased cAMP levels on neuronal differentiation in murine embryonic stem cells and the creation of a CRISPR-induced c.1252c>t point mutation in the ADCY5 gene
Rachel Brewer (2017) The developmental implications of the regulatory relationship between cJun and OCT4 in murine embryonic stem cells
Manal Hosawi (2016) Regulation of Oct4 expression by Jun-N terminal kinase/cJun signaling in murine embryonic stem cells
Sharon Otis and Jacob Nowatzke