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Vernadeth B. Alarcón, PhD

Vernadeth B. Alarcón, PhD

Associate Professor

Vernadeth Profile Image



  • Affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology

  • Email: vernadet@hawaii.edu

  • Phone: (808) 692-1417

Short Bio

Vernadeth B. Alarcón was born in Manila, Philippines and grew up in Ontario, Canada. After earning her PhD in Developmental Biology from the University of Toronto, she completed post-doctoral training at the Institute for Biogenesis Research of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is currently an Associate Professor, and leads a research program on mammalian embryo development whose goal is the identification of cellular and molecular mechanisms that are vital to normal embryogenesis and the birth of a healthy baby. She is passionate about the education of the next generation of physicians for the community, and is engaged in teaching human embryology, anatomy, and cadaveric dissection.

Graduate Faculty

Developmental and Reproductive Biology (DRB)

Research Interests

Uncovering the mechanisms of cell fate decisions and blastocyst morphogenesis in the early embryo

Evaluation of developmental toxicants of preimplantation embryos

Analysis of anatomical variation of structural remnants of the embryo in the adult body

Selected Publications

Marikawa Y, Alarcon VB. (2023) An active metabolite of the anti-COVID-19 drug molnupiravir impairs mouse preimplantation embryos at clinically relevant concentrations. Reproductive Toxicology 121:108475. doi: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2023.108475.

Alarcon VB, Marikawa Y. (2022) Trophectoderm formation: regulation of morphogenesis and gene expressions by RHO, ROCK, cell polarity, and HIPPO signaling. Reproduction 164(4):R75-R86. doi: 10.1530/REP-21-0478.

Kono K, Tamashiro DA, Alarcon VB. (2014) Inhibition of RHO-ROCK signaling enhances ICM and suppresses TE characteristics through activation of Hippo signaling in the mouse blastocyst. Developmental Biology 394:142-155. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2014.06.023.

Alarcon VB. (2010) Cell polarity regulator PARD6B is essential for trophectoderm formation in the preimplantation mouse embryo. Biology of Reproduction 83:347-358. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod.110.084400.

Complete List of Published Work in MyBibliography:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/vernadeth.alarcon.1/bibliography/48846176/public/?sort=date&direction=descending