David M. Gardiner is a professor in the Department of Developmental and Cell Biology at the University of California Irvine. He received his BA in Biology from Occidental College, his Ph.D. from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD, and postdoctoral training at UC Davis. His research has been focused discovering the mechanisms regulating limb regeneration in salamanders. He pioneered the use of the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) as a model system for studies of vertebrate regeneration, and developed the Accessory Limb Model as an assay for bioactive compounds that induce dedifferentiation, blastema formation and limb regeneration. This novel assay is the basis for ongoing studies to identify molecular pathways that regulate regeneration in humans. Professor Gardiner is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a recipient of the Marcus Singer Medal for Excellence in Regeneration Research, and a recipient of the Frontiers in Stem Cell and Regeneration Biology Pioneer Award. He is an author on more than 100 articles, and has served on numerous peer review committees, journal editorial boards, and scientific advisory boards. At UCI he serves as the Associate Dean for Research and Academic Affairs for the Francisco J. Ayala School of Biological Sciences.