Title(s): Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery
School: School of Medicine
Address: 2550 23rd Street
San Francisco CA 94110
Phone Number: (628)206-5366
Email: ralph.marcucio@ucsf.edu
marcucio@orthosurg.ucsf.edu
Overview
Ralph Marcucio was born in and grew up in Amsterdam, N.Y. Dr. Marcucio began his research career as an intern at The Boyce Thompson Institute while he was an undergraduate at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in 1990, Dr. Marcucio was accepted into Cornell University's School of Agriculture PhD program. He completed his PhD in 1995. For his exemplary performance and dedication as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, Dr. Marcucio was recognized by the Dean of Cornell University's School of Agriculture for his outstanding contribution to undergraduate education. After receiving his PhD, Ralph was awarded a prestigious NIH training grant to study tissue interactions that control development of the musculoskeletal system. Dr. Marcucio spent 5 years in the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine studying the origins of the musculature responsible for moving the head and jaw skeleton.
In 2000, Dr. Marcucio joined the Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory at the University of California, San Francisco, (UCSF). In this position, he began studying how the skeleton of the face attains its shape and form. This work has resulted in the preparation of numerous manuscripts for publication in world-renowned research journals and has formed the basis for his independent research career.
In 2003, Dr. Marcucio was appointed to the faculty at UCSF as an Assistant Professor in Residence in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. His research program focuses on two basic science areas. First, he studies bone fracture healing focusing on the transformation of chondrocytes to osteoblasts and other cell types, as well as the inflammatory process during healing. Second, Dr. Marcucio is examining the role that the brain plays during development of the facial skeleton.
Dr. Marcucio is a dedicated and enthusiastic mentor to dental and medical students. His students have been invited to participate in university, state, national, and international research competitions.