Genetics Faculty Alphabetical Listing
Art Alberts (VARI), PhD, University of California-San Diego. Role of small GTPases and their effectors in actin and microtubule organization; breast cancer. art.alberts@vai.org
Richard Allison (Plant Biology), PhD, North Carolina State. Molecular biology of plant viruses; virus-host specificity; RNA recombination. allison@msu.edu
Andrea Amalfitano (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), PhD, MSU. Applications and evaluation of gene transfer technologies for use in treatment of acquired or inherited human diseases. amalfit1@msu.edu
David Arnosti (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), PhD, University of California, Berkeley. Eukaryotic transcriptional regulation, developmental genetics in Drosophila melanogaster. arnosti@msu.edu
Cindy Arvidson (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), PhD, University of California, Los Angeles. Bacteriology; protein targeting, virulence, and regulation of gene expression in the pathogenic Neisseriae. arvidso3@msu.edu
Bill Atchison (Pharmacology and Toxicology), PhD, University of Wisconsin. Environmental toxicant/gene interaction in neurological and cardiovascular disease. atchiso1@msu.edu
Michael Bagdasarian (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), M.D., PhD, Medical Academy (Warsaw). Secretion of proteins in bacteria; pathogenesis; vaccines. bagdasa3@msu.edu
Cornelius Barry (Horticulture), PhD, The University of Nottingham. Analysis of the genetic mechanisms that regulate development and ripening of fleshy fruits. barrycs@msu.edu
Christoph Benning (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), PhD, Michigan State University. Biosynthesis and function of membrane lipids in photosynthetic organisms; molecular and biochemical genetics of Arabidopsis and photosynthetic bacteria. benning@msu.edu
Helmut Bertrand (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), PhD, Kansas State University. Genetics of the biogenesis and function of mitochondria in fungi. mhelmut@msu.edu
Robert Britton (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), PhD, Baylor University. Genomics of Bacillus subtilis, genomics of probiotic/pathogen interactions, genomics of prokaryotic chromatin remodeling factors, gene expression mechanisms in Lactobacillus sp. rbritton@msu.edu
Robin Buell (Plant Biology), PhD, Utah State University. Genomics of plants and plant pathogens. buell@msu.edu
Suzanne Alexandra Burt (Psychology), PhD, University of Minnesota. The role of gene-environment interplay in the development of delinquent or antisocial behavior across the lifespan.burts@msu.edu
Zachary Burton (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), PhD, University of California, Los Angeles. RNA polymerase II-associated proteins; transcription factor IIF. burton@msu.edu
Wendy Champness (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), PhD, Michigan State University. Developmental genetics of sporulation and antibiotic production in Streptomyces. champnes@msu.edu
Christina Chan (Chemical Engineering & Material Science) PhD, University of Pennsylvania. Apply system biology approaches to reconstruct signaling and gene regulatory pathways to help elucidate disease mechanisms and identify pharmaceutical targets krischan@msu.edu
Chia-Cheng Chang (Pediatrics and Human Develop), PhD, University of Missouri. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of breast carcinogenesis. changcc@msu.edu
Hans Cheng (USDA Avian Disease and Oncology Laboratory), PhD, University of California, Berkley. Structural and functional genomics of disease resistance in chicken. hcheng@msu.edu
Jose Cibelli (Animal Science), PhD, University of Massachusetts. Developmental Biology, nuclear transfer cloning, primate embryonic stem cells. cibelli@msu.edu
Todd Ciche (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Applied molecular genetics and genomics to identify and characterize genes and processes involved in the symbiosis between the insect pathogenic nematode, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, and the enteric bacterium, Photorhabdus luminescens, in addition to the parasitic interactions of these organisms to model insects. ciche@msu.edu
Jeffrey Conner (Plant Biology), PhD, Cornell University. Plant/pollinator interactions; evolutionary ecology; ecological genetics. conner@kbs.msu.edu
Susan E. Conrad (Microbiology), PhD, California Institute of Technology. Control of proliferation in normal & transformed cells; estrogen regulation of human breast cancer cell proliferation. conrad@msu.edu
Yuehua Cui (Statistics and Probability), PhD, University of Florida. Statistical genetics/epigenetics; QTL, eQTL and nucleotide mapping complex disease; bioinformatics. cui@stt.msu.edu
Brad Day (Plant Pathology), PhD, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Molecular genetics and biochemistry of disease resistance in plants. bday@msu.edu
Dean DellaPenna (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), PhD, University of California, Davis. Plant biochemistry, especially relating to phytochemicals of importance to human nutrition, and structural and functional aspects of the plant cell wall. dellapen@msu.edu
Jerry Dodgson (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry), PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Chicken genome mapping and transgenic poultry. dodgson@msu.edu
Ke Dong (Entomology), PhD, Cornell University. Molecular genetics, electrophysiology, and pharmacologyof insect voltage-gated sodium and calcium channels; molecular mechanisms of insecticide resistance. dongk@msu.edu
Ian Dworkin (Zoology), PhD, University of Toronto. Quantitative and population genetic/genomic analysis of phenotypic variation and evolution; association mapping and developmental genetics of shape, evolution of cis-regulatory variation, transcriptional profiling. idworkin@msu.edu
Brian Epperson (Forestry), PhD, University of California, Davis. Theoretical population genetics, plant genetics, spatial statistics. epperson@msu.edu
Catherine Ernst (Animal Science), PhD, Ohio State University. Livestock structural and functional genomics; pig development genetics. ernstc@msu.edu
Walter Esselman (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), PhD, Pennsylvania State University. Expression and function of protein tyrosine phosphatases and kinases in the regulation of signaling and transformation in T lymphocytes. esselman@msu.edu
Susan Ewart (Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Animal Science), DVM, Michigan State University, PhD, Johns Hopkins University. Genetic susceptibility to asthma and other allergic diseases; equine genetics. ewart@cvm.msu.edu
Eva Maria Farre (Plant Biology) PhD, Max-Planck Institute. Plant circadian clock and its role in plant growth and development. farre@msu.edu
Rachel Fisher (Pediatrics & Human Development), PhD, University of London. Prenatal screening for birth defects and prematurity; etiology of Down Syndrome; genetics of hearing loss. fisherr@msu.edu
Michele Fluck (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), PhD, University of Geneva. Neoplastic transformation of polyomavirus; control of viral- and host-DNA replication by the viral oncogene; mammary gland oncogenesis. fluck@msu.edu
David R. Foran (Foresnic Biology), PhD, University of Michigan. DNA isolation and profiling from forensic samples, technique development, forensic casework. foran@msu.edu
Karen Friderici (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and Pediatrics and Human Development), PhD, Michigan State University. Molecular pathology of human genetic disease; genetics of hearing loss. frideric@msu.edu
John Fyfe (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and Small Animal Clinical Science), DVM, Washington State University; PhD, Pennsylvania. Animal models of inherited metabolic disease; molecular pathology. fyfe@msu.edu
Michael Garavito (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), PhD, Purdue University. Structure of membrane proteins involved in organelle biogenesis and division; protein crystallography. garavito@msu.edu
Jim Geiger (Chemistry), PhD, Princeton University. Structural biology: structure and regulation of transcription inititation in eukaryotes; structural biology of starch synthesis and inositol synthesis. geiger@cem.msu.edu
Rebecca Grumet (Horticulture), PhD, Michigan State University. Molecular genetics of plant disease resistance. grumet@msu.edu
Brian Haab (VARI, Biochemistry), PhD, UC Berkeley. Genetics alterations that enable or trigger cancer cell differentiation process. brian.haab@vai.org
James F. Hancock (Horticulture), PhD, University of California, Davis. Evolutionary and physiological consequences of polyploidy in plants; evolution of mating systems. hancock@msu.edu
Sandra Haslam (Physiology), PhD, University of California, Berkeley. Role of epithelial-stromal cell interactions and tissue microenvironment in normal and cancerous breast development and growth regulation. shaslam@msu.edu
Sheng Yang He (Plant Biology), PhD, Cornell University. Molecular interactions between plants and pathogenic bacteria. hes@msu.edu
R. William Henry (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), PhD, University of Alberta. Transcription of human small nuclear (sn) RNA genes as a model system to understand mechanisms of transcription and regulation of gene expression. henryrw@msu.edu
Susanne Hoffman-Benning (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), PhD, Michigan State University. Analysis of the role of phloem transport as well as cell wall and cuticle synthesis for the regulation of plant growth and development. hoffma16@msu.edu
Gregg Howe (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), PhD, University of California, Los Angeles. Molecular genetics of plant-insect interactions; regulation of plant defense responses. howeg@msu.edu
Jianping Hu (Plant Biology), PhD, University of Georgia. Genetic analysis of peroxisome functions and the crosstalk between peroxisomes and other organelles in Arabidopsis. huji@msu.edu
Kyung-Hwan Han (Forestry), PhD, Michigan State University. Metabolic engineering of plant species; genomics of secondary growth. hanky@msu.edu
Ning Jiang (Horticulture), PhD, University of Georgia. The relationship of transposable elements and their host organisms; how transposable elements shaped their host genomes while amplifying themselves. jiangn@msu.edu
A. Daniel Jones (Biochemistry and Chemistry), PhD, Pennsylvania State University. Development and application of mass spectrometry for metabolomic analysis to probe gene functions and cellular responses to stress. jonesar4@msu.edu
Jon Kaguni (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), PhD, University of California, Los Angeles. Mechanisms of DNA replication and its regulation in Escherichia coli. kaguni@msu.edu
Laurie Kaguni (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), PhD., University of California, Los Angeles. Mechanisms of eukaryotic DNA replication; organization and structure of chromosomal DNA replication origins; regulation of DNA synthesis during Drosophila development. lskaguni@msu.edu
Norbert Kaminski (Pharmacology & Toxicology) PhD., N. Carolina State University. Mechanisms of toxicant/gene interactions leading to impaired immune regulation and function. kamins11@msu.edu
Kenneth Keegstra (Plant Biology), PhD, University of Colorado. Chloroplast protein targeting; polysaccharides biosynthesis. keegstra@msu.edu
Will Kopachik (Zoology), PhD, Princeton University. Gene expression in prostate development. kopachik@msu.edu
Donna Koslowsky (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), PhD, University of Washington, Seattle. RNA editing; organelle gene expression in trypanosomes. koslowsk@msu.edu
Lee Kroos (Biochemistry and Microbiology), PhD, Stanford University. Gene expression during prokaryotic development. kroos@msu.edu
Leslie Kuhn (Biochemistry and Molecular biology), PhD, University of Pennsylvania. Developing computational approaches for protein folding, ligand interactions, and design. kuhn@sol.bch.msu.edu
Min-Hao Kuo (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), PhD, University of Rochester. Mechanism of gene regulation via modifications of chromatin: cell cycle regulation of histone modifications in yest S. cerevisiae. kuom@msu.edu
John J. LaPres (Biochemistry and Food Safety and Toxicology), PhD, Northwestern University. Molecular pharmacology and toxicogenomics of the PAS family of transcription factors. lapres@msu.edu
Robert Larkin (Plant Biology), PhD, University of Missouri. Regulation of chlorophyll biosynthesis, influence of chloroplast development on nuclear gene expression, plastid signaling pathways that regulate nuclear gene expression. larkinr@msu.edu
Robert Last (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), PhD, Carnegie-Mellon University. Arabidopsis functional genomics; regulation of plant metabolic pathways for nutritionally important molecules; plant stress tolerance mechanisms; metabolic engineering of plants. lastr@msu.edu
Richard Lenski (Crop and Soil Science, Microbiology, and Zoology), PhD, University of North Carolina. Genetics of evolving populations of bacteria. lenski@msu.edu
Qing Lu (Epidemiology), PhD, Case Western Reserve University. Statistical genetics in human complex diseases. qlu@epi.msu.edu
Jeff MacKeigan (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), PhD, University of North Carolina. Systems biology approaches to identify and understand the genes and signaling pathways that contribute to the pathophysiology of cancer and neurodegeneration. jeff.mackeigan@vai.org
Veronica Maher (Biochemistry and Microbiology), PhD, University of Wisconsin. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of mutagenesis in human cells; DNA repair; chemical- and radiation-induced mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. maher@msu.edu
Linda Mansfield (Large Animal Clinical Sciences and Microbiology), VMD, PhD, University of Pennsylvania. Development of swine model to examine the pathogenesis of and the mucosal immune response to Campylobacter jejuni. mansfie4@cvm.msu.edu
Laura McCabe (Physiology), PhD, University of Chicago. Molecular mechanisms of bone loss under unloading conditions (disuse, spaceflight) and in disease (diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer). mccabel@msu.edu
J. Justin McCormick (Biochemistry and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), PhD, Catholic University of America. Molecular/cellular mechanisms of malignant transformation of human cells; chemical- and radiation-induced oncogene carcinogenesis/mutagenesis. mccormi1@msu.edu
Katheryn Meek (Veterinary Pathology), DVM, Texas A&M University. V(D)J recombination; DNA double strand break repair B lymphocyte development. kmeek@msu.edu
Richard J. Miksicek (Physiology), PhD, University of Minnesota, Breast cancer and normal mammary gland biology, emphasizing the role of steroid hormones and their receptors in gene expression and cell growth. miksicek@msu.edu
Cindy Miranti (VARI), PhD, Harvard Medical School. Integrins and cell adhesion, signal transduction, and growth factor receptors in meastatic melanoma and prostate turmorigenesis. cindy.miranti@vai.org
Beronda Montgomery (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), PhD, University of California, Davis. Molecular basis of organ-specific phytochrome responses in higher plants; Light-regulated development in cyanobacteria. montg133@msu.edu
Martha Mulks (Microbiology), PhD, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Genetics and virulence factors of pathogenic bacteria. mulks@msu.edu
Ken Nadler (Plant Biology), PhD, Rockefeller University. Genetics and physiology of the Rhizobium-legume root nodule symbiosis; leghemoglobin formation; computer-assisted learning/teaching in plant physiology and biology. nadler@msu.edu
John Ohlrogge (Plant Biology), PhD, University of Michigan. Genetic control of plant lipid metabolism; genetic engineering of plant oils. ohlrogge@.msu.edu
Katherine Osteryoung (Plant Biology), PhD, University of California, Davis. Molecular mechanisms of plastid division in Arabidopsis. osteryou@msu.edu
Ronald Patterson (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), PhD, Northwestern University. Role of galectins (lactose-binding proteins) in pre-mRNA splicing. patter13@msu.edu
Markus Pauly (Plant Research, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), PhD, Technical University, Germany. Plant cell wall biosynthesis, structure, signaling and function; analysis of plant polysaccharides. paulymar@msu.edu
Simon Petersen-Jones (Small Animal Clinical Sciences), DVetMed, PhD DVOphthal DepECVO MRCVS, University of London, University of Cambridge. Molecular investigation of herediatry eye diseases in animals, progressive retinal atrophy to identify the causal gene mutations. peter315@cvm.msu.edu
Jack Preiss (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), PhD, Duke University. Genetics and metabolic regulation of glycogen and starch biosynthesis. preiss@msu.edu
C. A. Reddy (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), PhD, University of Illinois. Physiology and molecular biology of lignin biodegradation by wood-rotting fungi; biodegradation of xenobiotics; bioremediation. reddy@msu.edu
Tao Sang (Plant Biology), PhD, Ohio State University. Genetics of adaptation. sang@msu.edu
Douglas Schemske (Plant Biology), PhD., Illinois. Ecological genetics of adaptation and speciation in natural plant populations. schem@msu.edu
Thomas Schmidt (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), PhD, Ohio State University. Molecular approaches to microbial ecology and evolution; regulation of cellular ribosome content. tschmidt@msu.edu
Brian C. Schutte (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), PhD, University of Chicago. The Schutte lab uses genetic and molecular genetic approaches to study craniofacial development in humans and in murine models. brian-schutte@uiowa.edu
Debra Schutte (Nursing), PhD, University of Iowa. Genetic and environmental predictors of the clinical features of Alzheimer disease, Genetic and environmental predictors of pain, Molecular genetics/genomics and common complex health problems of the elderly. schutted@msu.edu
Richard Schwartz (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Transcription in hematopoietic differentiation; oncogenesis. schwart9@msu.edu
Kim Scribner (Fisheries and Wildlife and Zoology ), PhD, University of Georgia. Population genetics, behavioral ecology, molecular evolution, conservation genetics. scribne3@msu.edu
Barbara Sears (Plant Biology), PhD, Duke University. Chloroplast genetics and molecular biology; nuclear-cytoplasmic interactions in plants; controls of organelle heredity. sears@msu.edu
Alexander Shingleton (Zoology), PhD, Clare College, University of Cambridge. Genetic basis of size regulation in Drosophila; role of insulin-signaling pathways in integrating development with nutritional conditions.shingle9@msu.edu
Shin-Han Shiu (Plant Biology), PhD., University of Wisconsin-Madison. Evolutionary genetics and bioinformatics; gene family and genome evolution, functional divergence of duplicate genes, and effects of polyploidy on duplicate gene retention.
Mariam B. Sticklen (Crop and Soil Science), PhD, Ohio State University. Production of biofuels and industrial material from crops via genetic transformation. stickle1@msu.edu
George W. Sundin (Plant Pathology), PhD, Oklahoma State University. Evolution of bacterial plasmids, biochemical and evolutionary significance of mutagenic DNA repair, molecular genetics of plant-bacterial interactions, genomics of plant-bacterial interactions. sundin@msu.edu
Robert Tempelman (Animal Science), PhD, University of Wisconsin. Hierarchical Bayesian and mixed effects modeling applied to problems in quantitative genetics and statistical genomics. tempelma@msu.edu
Suzanne Thiem (Entomology), PhD, University of Idaho. Genetics and molecular biology of insect baculoviruses. smthiem@msu.edu
Michael Thomashow (Crop and Soil Science and Microbiology), PhD., University of California, Los Angeles. Molecular genetics of cold acclimation in higher plants; regulation of gene expression in response to environmental stress. thomash6@msu.edu
Frances Trail (Plant Biology) PhD, Cornell University. Genetics and physiology of fungal plant pathogens. trail@msu.edu
Steven Triezenberg (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), PhD, University of Michigan. Regulation of eukaryotic transcription; molecular biology of herpesviruses. triezenb@msu.edu
James Trosko (Pediatrics and Human Development), PhD, Michigan State University. Regulation of cell communication by oncogenes. trosko@msu.edu
Bruce Uhal (Physiology) PhD, St. Louis University. Lung epithelial stem cell function; regulation of epithelial cell death (apoptosis); molecular mechanisms of lung fibrogenesis and repair. uhal@msu.edu
Steve van Nocker (Horticulture), PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Molecular and genetic mechanisms involved in the transition from the vegetative phase to the reproductive phase in higher plants. vannocke@msu.edu
Patrick Venta (Small Animal Clinical Sciences), PhD, University of Michigan. Mammalian genome mapping; genetics of diseases. venta@msu.edu
Claire Vieille (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), PhD, Université Paris 7 at Institut Pasteur. The design and development of industrial biocaltalysis. vieille@msu.edu
Kevin Walker (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), PhD, University of Washington. Functional analysis of enzymes from biosynthetic pathways of plant-derived bioactive compounds.walker284@msu.edu
Jonathan Walton (Plant Biology), PhD, Stanford University. Molecular plant pathology. walton@msu.edu
Dechun Wang (Crop and Soil Science), PhD, Michigan State University. Soybean breeding and genetics in disease and insect resistance, seed quality, and agronomic performance. wangdech@msu.edu
Hongbing Wang (Physiology), PhD, University of California, Los Angeles. Calcium-stimulated signaling and gene expression in the brain. wangho@msu.edu
Chris Waters (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), PhD, University of Minnesota. The role of quorum sensing and chemical signaling in bacterial pathogenesis. watersc3@msu.edu
Sainan Wei (Pediatrics and Human Development), PhD, Michigan State University. Human genetic disorders including hearing loss, cystic fibrosis and cancers. (weisaina@msu.edu)
Michael Weinreich (VARI), PhD, University of Wisconsin. Initiation of DNA replication and DNA repair in yeast and mammalian cells. michael.weinreich@vai.org
Barry Williams (Zoology, and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), PhD, University of Illinois. The molecular basis of evolutionary diversification and stasis in yeasts. barryw@msu.edu
Curtis Wilkerson (Plant Biology), PhD, North Carolina State University. Discovering the enzymes and transcription factors that are responsible for the biosynthesis of hemicelluloses in the plant cell wall. wilker13@msu.edu
Robert Wiseman (Physiology), PhD, Florida State University. Muscle Physiology and remodeling in disease. The role of stem and satellite cells in muscle adaptation. Magnetic Resonance imaging and spectroscopy in animals and humans. rwiseman@msu.edu
Peter Wolk (Plant Biology), PhD, Rockefeller University. Developmental biology, biochemistry, and genetics of cyanobacteria. wolk@msu.edu
Zhiyong Xi (Entomology), PhD, University of Kentucky. Genetics of Infectious Disease: Functional genomics of dengue viruses-mosquito interactions; endosymbiont as a gene drive system for insect disease vectors. xizy@msu.edu
Hua Xiao (Physiology), PhD, University of Toronto. Roles of transcription cofactors in breast and liver cancers; mechanism and regulation of gene expression. xiaoh@msu.edu
Kefei Yu (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), PhD, University of Southern California. Molecular immunology, recombination and class switching in immunoglobulin genes. yuke@msu.edu
Vilma Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), PhD, University of Istanbul Medical School. Canine genome mapping, comparative mammalian genetics, cancer genetics. vygsu@msu.edu
Tim Zacharewski (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), PhD, Texas A&M University, Molecular, biochemical and whole animal toxicology, effects of chemicals on gene expression, mechanisms of endocrine disruption in human wildlife models, functional genomics, gene expression profiles, receptor-mediated endocrine disruptions. tzachare@msu.edu
Yonghui Zheng (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics), PhD, Hokkaido University Medical School, Japan. Host restriction to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). zhengyo@msu.edu