Dr. Archie J. Vomachka
Dr. Vomachka received his B.A. in Biology from the University of Minnesota, Duluth, and a Ph.D. in Zoology from Michigan State University (1976). Following a postdoctoral fellowship in reproductive physiology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, he began teaching in 1979. Faculty assignments included positions at Princeton University and Marquette University prior to coming to Arcadia University in 1988 as Associate Professor of Biology. Dr. Vomachka was the Chair of the Department of Biology from 1989-2001 and 2005-2006 He was promoted to the rank of Professor in 2000.
Dr. Vomachka currently teaches General Biology (Bi-101 and 102), Comparative Anatomy & Physiology (Bi-211), Human Physiology (Bi-206) and Junior Seminar (Bi-290). Bi-101 and 102 are courses taught as multiple sections following the same syllabus. These courses are required for all biology and psychobiology majors, but are taken for most preprofessional tracks including pre-med, pre-PT, and pre-PA students of all majors. Human Physiology (Bi-206) is a service course provided for pre-health profession students including pre-med, pre-PT, pre-PA, optometry and some science illustration majors. Comparative Anatomy & Physiology is a zoology course required for Biology and Psychobiology majors.
Dr. Vomachka's research interests may be broadly categorized in the area of endocrine physiology. Various hormonally-induced events are studied in many different animal models from fish to mammals. Much work has involved rodents such as hamsters, rats, and mice. Specific interests include aspects of how reproductive hormones working through the central nervous system result in sex-specific behaviors. Neural substrates for hormones and other regulatory peptides have been studied in fish and rodents. Hormonal regulation of morphological development, circulating proteins, cell signaling, and reproductive function are current areas of interest. Recent work in collaboration with Dr. ND Horseman at the University of Cincinnati focuses on the hormone prolactin, its interaction with reproductive steroids, the regulation of mammary gland development and function in mice, Humans, and cows.
Recent Publications
Stull MA, Pai V, Vomachka AJ, Marshall AM, Jacob GA, Horseman ND “Mammary gland homeostasis employs serotonergic regulation of epithelial tight junctions.” PNAS. 2007 Oct; 104(42): 16708-16713. Link.
Matsuda M, Imaoka T, Vomachka AJ, Gudelsky GA, Hou Z, Mistry M, Bailey JP, Nieport KM, Walther DJ, Bader M, Horseman ND “Serotonin regulates mammary gland development via an autocrine-paracrine loop.” Dev Cell. 2004 Feb;6(2):193-203. Link
Hou Z, Bailey JP, Vomachka AJ, Matsuda M, Lockefeer JA, Horseman ND “Glycosylation-dependent cell adhesion molecule 1 (GlyCAM 1) is induced by prolactin and suppressed by progesterone in mammary epithelium.” Endocrinology. 2000 Nov;141(11):4278-83. Link
Vomachka AJ, Pratt SL, Lockefeer JA, Horseman ND. “Prolactin gene-disruption arrests mammary gland development and retards T-antigen-induced tumor growth.” Oncogene. 2000 Feb 21;19(8):1077-84. Link
