Jade Stanley-Jefferson
Samford University
Assistant Professor
Howard College of Arts and Sciences
Biological and Environmental Sciences
219 Propst Hall
Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Jade Stanley-Jefferson has always dreamed of contributing to her community’s growth through education and service. After earning her Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University, she joined the Samford University Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences in 2025. Jade’s passion for health and nutrition began during her undergraduate years at Tuskegee University, shaped by her parents’ experiences with type 2 diabetes. This personal connection fueled her drive to explore the science behind metabolic health. Her research examines how amino acids, individually and collectively, regulate pancreatic endocrine cell function—specifically how they influence hormone secretion and intercellular communication among alpha, beta, and delta cells.
Outside the classroom and laboratory, Jade enjoys baking, drawing, and working on puzzles. She also finds joy in studying the Bible and spending time with her family. She and her husband currently reside in Mount Olive, Alabama.
Degrees and Certifications
- PhD in Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University (2025)
- BS in Chemistry, Tuskegee University (2019)
Publications
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Coate KC, Dai C, Singh A, Stanley JE, Brittney Covington B, Bradley A, Oladipupo F, Gong Y, Wisniewski S, Spears E, Poffenberger G, Bustabad A, Rodgers TJ, Dey N, Shultz L, Greiner D, Yan H, Powers AC, Chen W, Dean ED. Interruption of glucagon signaling augments islet non-alpha cell proliferation in SLC7A2- and mTOR-dependent manners. Mol Metab. 2024 Oct 19:102050. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2024.102050. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39433176.
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Spears E*, Stanley JE*, Shou M, Yin L, Li X, Dai C, Bradley A, Sellick K, Poffenberger G, Coate KC, Shrestha S, Jenkins R, Sloop KW, Wilson KT, Attie AD, Keller MP, Chen W, Powers AC, Dean ED. Pancreatic islet α cell function and proliferation requires the arginine transporter SLC7A2. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2023 Aug 14:2023.08.10.552656. doi: 10.1101/2023.08.10.552656. PMID: 37645716. *Co-first author
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Crabtree A, Neikirk K, Marshall AG, Vang L, Whiteside AJ, Williams Q, Altamura CT, Owens TC, Stephens D, Shao B, Koh A, Killion M, Lopez EG, Lam J, Rodriguez B, Mungai M, Stanley JE, Dean ED, Koh HJ, Gaddy JA, Scudese E, Sweetwyne MT, Davis J, Zaganjor E, Murray SA, Katti P, Damo SM, Vue Z, Hinton A Jr. Defining Mitochondrial Cristae Morphology Changes Induced by Aging in Brown Adipose Tissue. Adv Biol (Weinh). 2024 Jan;8(1):e2300186. doi: 10.1002/adbi.202300186. Epub 2023 Aug 21. PMID: 37607124.
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Armour SL, Stanley JE, Cantley J, Dean ED, Knudsen JG. Metabolic regulation of glucagon secretion. J Endocrinol. 2023 Jul 1:JOE-23-0081. doi: 10.1530/JOE-23-0081. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37523232.
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Zaborska KE, Dadi PK, Dickerson MT, Nakhe AY, Thorson AS, Schaub CM, Graff SM, Stanley JE, Kondapavuluru RS, Denton JS, Jacobson DA. Lactate activation of α-cell KATP channels inhibits glucagon secretion by hyperpolarizing the membrane potential and reducing Ca2+ entry. Mol Metab. 2020 Dec;42:101056. doi: 10.1016. PMID: 32736089.
