Faculty and research

Faculty associated with the Genetics Intercollege Graduate Degree Program at Penn State University Park Campus, together with a summary of their research interests. Faculty are listed in alphabetical order of last name.

Name	E-mail / phone	Interests include
Ades, Sarah Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	ades@psu.edu 814-863-1088 (University Park)	Signal transduction and antibiotic-induced stress responses in bacteria.
Axtell, Michael "Mike" Associate Professor of Biology	mja18@psu.edu 814-867-0241 (University Park)	Functional genomics of plant microRNAs and siRNAs.
Ayers, John Professor of Plant Pathology	jea@psu.edu 814-865-7776 (University Park)	Disease resistance in maize.
Babitzke, Paul Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Co-Director, Center for RNA Molecular Biology	pxb28@psu.edu 814-865-0002 (University Park)	Post-initiation control of bacterial gene expression.
Bai, Lu Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Assistant Professor of Physics	lub15@psu.edu 814-863-4824 (University Park)	Single cell / single molecule study of chromatin and gene regulation.
Blizard, David Senior Research Associate	dab22@psu.edu 814-865-3429 (University Park)
Cameron, Craig Paul Berg Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	cec9@psu.edu 814-863-8705 (University Park)	RNA virus genome development.
Carlson, John Professor of Molecular Genetics, School of Forest Resources	jec16@psu.edu 814-863-9164 (University Park)	Forest molecular genetics
Cavener, Douglas "Doug" Professor and Head of Biology	drc9@psu.edu 814-865-4562 (University Park)	Translational control of gene expression.
Chen, Gong Associate Professor of Biology	gongchen@psu.edu 814-865-2488 (University Park)	Molecular mechanism of synaptogenesis and plasticity.
Chopra, Surinder Associate Professor of Maize Genetics, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences	sic3@psu.edu 814-865-1159 (University Park)	Regulation of flavonoid biosynthesis in maize.
Cox-Foster, Diana Professor of Entomology	dxc12@psu.edu 814-865-1022 (University Park)	Insect biochemistry and physiology; evolutionary development; molecular biology; host/pathogen interactions.
Craig, Richard Professor Emeritus of Plant Breeding & J. Franklin Styer Professor Emeritus of Horticultural Botany	rxc9@psu.edu 814-863-2191 (University Park)	Cytology, genetics and breeding of floricultural crops.
Cui, Liwang Professor of Entomology	luc2@psu.edu 814-863-7663 (University Park)	Developmental biology of malaria parasites.
dePamphilis, Claude Professor of Biology	cwd3@psu.edu 814-863-6412 (University Park)	Genomics, bioinformatics, and molecular evolution. Origin and diversification of flowers & developmental pathways. Comparative genomics of plants, organelles, & plant gene families. Genomics and evolution of parasitic plants.
Eckhardt, Robert Professor of Developmental Genetics and Evolutionary Morphology	ey1@psu.edu 814-864-9963 (University Park)	Genetic and environmental influences on growth and development in human populations.
Ferry, J. Greg Stanley Person Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Director, Center for Microbial Structural Biology	jgf3@psu.edu 814-863-5721 (University Park)	Enzymology and molecular genetics of anaerobic microbes from the Archaea domain.
Foolad, Majid Professor of Plant Genetics, Department of Horticulture	mrf5@psu.edu 814-865-5408 (University Park)	Genetics of and breeding for stress tolerance and nutritional quality in crop plants.
Geiser, David Professor of Plant Pathology Director, Fusarium Research Center	dgeiser@psu.edu 814-865-9773 (University Park)	Molecular evolutionary genetics of pathogenic and toxigenic fungi.
Gilmour, David Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology	dsg11@psu.edu 814-863-7024 (University Park)	Transcriptional regulation of the hsp70 heat shock gene in Drosophila.
Grozinger, Christina Associate Professor of Entomology	cmg25@psu.edu 814-865-2214 (University Park)	The effect of reproduction on honey bee queen physiology, behavior and pheromone production.
Gu, Ying Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	yug13@psu.edu 814-867-3827 (University Park)	Mechanism of cellulose biosynthesis in higher plants. Genetic modification of plant cell wall to scale-up biofuel production.
Guiltinan, Mark Professor of Plant Molecular Biology, Department of Horticulture	mjg9@psu.edu 814-863-7957 (University Park)	Plant molecular and developmental biology. Starch biosynthesis. Tropical plant biotechnology. Plant-pathogen interactions. Biofuel feedstock production.
Hankey, Pamela "Pam" Professor of Immunology	phc7@psu.edu 814-863-0128 (University Park)	The role of receptor tyrosine kinases in development and disease.
Hanna-Rose, Wendy Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	wxh21@psu.edu 814-865-7904 (University Park)	Developmental genetics of organogenesis and morphogenesis in C. elegans.
Hardison, Ross T. Ming Chu Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	rch8@psu.edu 814-863-0113 (University Park)	Functional genomics of non-coding DNA; regulation of mammalian hemoglobin genes.
Harvill, Eric Associate Professor of Microbiology and Infectious Disease	harvill@psu.edu 814-863-8522 (University Park)	Genetic basis for bacterium-host interactions.
Hedges, S. Blair Professor of Biology	sbh1@psu.edu 814-865-9991 (University Park)	Evolutionary genomics.
Hoover, Kelli Professor of Entomology	kxh25@psu.edu 814-863-6369 (University Park)
Jegla, Timothy Assistant Professor of Biology	tjj3@psu.edu 814-865-1668 (University Park)	We are interested in understanding how ion channels control signaling in the nervous system. We focus on potassium channel-mediated control of firing threshold and ionic mechanisms involved in the generation and processing of sensory potentials. Our research relies on a combination of mouse genetics, electrophysiology, cell biology and compound screening approaches.
Kalia, Vandana Assistant Professor of Veterinary and Biomedical Science	vuk11@psu.edu 814-863-8533 (University Park)	Transcriptional mechanisms that regulate memory CD8 T cell differentiation.
Kang, Seogchan Professor of Plant Pathology	sxk55@psu.edu 814-863-3846 (University Park)	Molecular genetics and genomics of plant-pathogen interactions.
Keiler, Kenneth "Ken" Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	kkeiler@psu.edu 814-863-0787 (University Park)	Temporal and spatial regulation of protein expression in bacterial development.
Lai, Zhi-Chun Professor of Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Chair, Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Cell and Developmental Biology	zcl1@psu.edu 814-863-0479 (University Park)	Signal Transduction, Growth Control, and Cancer Genetics
LaJeunesse, Todd Assistant Professor of Biology	tcl3@psu.edu 814-863-2038 (University Park)	Microbial Ecology and Evolution.
Liu, Aimin Assistant Professor of Biology	axl25@psu.edu 814-865-7043 (University Park)	Biogenesis and function of cilia in mammalian embryonic development.
Liu, Wansheng Associate Professor of Genomics	wul12@psu.edu 814-867-1673 (University Park)	Structural, Functional and Comparative Genomics.
Luscher, Bernhard Professor of Biology, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, and Psychiatry	bxl25@psu.edu 814-865-5549 (University Park)	Genetic analysis of inhibitory synapses in the mammalian brain.
Luthe, Dawn Professor of Plant Stress Biology, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences	dsl14@psu.edu 814-863-3542 (University Park)	Plant responses to the environment.
Ma, Hong Distinguished Professor of Biology	hxm16@psu.edu 814-863-6414 (University Park)	Flower development and its evolution; meiosis and pollen development.
Makova, Kateryna Associate Professor of Biology Director, Center for Medical Genomics	kdm16@psu.edu 814-863-1619 (University Park)	Evolutionary genomics, bioinformatics, human genetics, molecular evolution, population genetics.
Mao, Yingwei Assistant Professor of Biology	yzm1@psu.edu 814-867-4739 (University Park)	Researching the mechanisms that regulate neurogenesis using cellular and mouse models.
Nekrutenko, Anton Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	nekrut@psu.edu 814-865-4752 (University Park)	Evolution of overlapping reading frames in eukaryotic genomes.
Nixon, B. Tracy Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	btn1@psu.edu 814-865-3679 (University Park)	Signal transduction in prokaryotes; functional domains of Rhizobium dct genes.
Omiecinski, Curtis "Curt" Professor of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences H. Thomas and Dorothy Willits Hallowell Chair Co-chair, Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Molecular Toxicology	cjo10@psu.edu 814-863-1625 (University Park)	Molecular genetics of xenobiotic metabolism.
Ordway, Richard Professor of Molecular Neuroscience and Genetics	rwo4@psu.edu 814-863-5693 (University Park)	Cellular mechanisms of synaptic transmission in Drosophila.
Paulson, Robert "Bob" Associate Professor of Veterinary Science Chair, Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Genetics	rfp5@psu.edu 814-863-6306 (University Park)	Genetic and biochemical analysis of hematopoiesis.
Perdew, Gary John T. and Paige S. Smith Professor in Agricultural Sciences	ghp2@psu.edu 814-865-0400 (University Park)	Mechanisms of receptor-mediated carcinogenesis.
Perry, George Assistant Professor of Anthropology	ghp3@psu.edu 814-865-2509 (University Park)	Human and non-human primate evolutionary ecology -- how we have adapted to our variable or changing environments. Research tools used include analyses of genomic-scale data, especially genome sequence data.
Peters, Jeffrey Distinguished Professor of Molecular Toxicology & Carcinogenesis	jmp21@psu.edu 814-863-1387 (University Park)	Roles of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) in the regulation of homeostasis, toxicology, and carcinogenesis.
Reese, Joseph "Joe" Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	jcr8@psu.edu 814-865-1976 (University Park)	Molecular and genetic analysis of UV resistance pathways in eukaryotes.
Reno, Philip Assistant Professor of Anthropology	814-863-7740 (University Park)	Comparative primate and vertebrate evolution, focusing on discovering the genetic and developmental mechanisms that make us human
Richtsmeier, Joan Professsor of Anthropology	jta10@psu.edu 814-863-0562 (University Park)	Analysis of craniofacial phenotypes.
Ritchie, Marylyn Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	mdr23@psu.edu 814-865-6031 (University Park)	Bioinformatics, Computational Genomics, Pharmacogenomics, Genetic Architecture of Complex Human Traits.
Rolls, Melissa Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Director, Center for Cellular Dynamics	mur22@psu.edu 814-867-1395 (University Park)	Subcellular compartmentalization of neurons.
Sarkar, Surojit Assistant Professor of Veterinary and Biomedical Science	sxs1081@psu.edu 814-867-4034 (University Park)	Immunological memory and vaccine immunology
Schaeffer, Stephen Professor of Biology	sws4@psu.edu 814-865-3269 (University Park)	Molecular population genetics and genomics.
Schlegel, Robert Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	ur3@psu.edu 814-865-6974 (University Park)	Amphipath transporters in health and disease.
Schmitt, Anthony "Tony" Associate Professor of Molecular Immunology and Infectious Diseases	aps13@psu.edu 814-863-6781 (University Park)	Assembly and budding of paramyxovirus particles.
Schuster, Stephan Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	scs19@psu.edu 814-863-9278 (University Park)	Genome evolution in host-adapted bacteria.
Shapiro, Beth Associate Professor of Biology	bethshapiro@psu.edu 814-867-0224 (University Park)	Molecular ecology; Structure, demographics and evolution of large mammal populations; Ancient DNA.
Shashikant, Cooduvalli Associate Professor of Molecular and Developmental Biology Co-director, Bioinformatics and Genomics graduate program	css13@psu.edu 814-863-0658 (University Park)	Developmental and evolutionary aspects of regulation of patterning genes.
Shriver, Mark Associate Professor of Biological Anthropology	mds17@psu.edu 814-863-1078 (University Park)	Human population genomics and complex disease mapping.
Thomas, Graham Associate Professor of Biology and of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	gxt5@psu.edu 814-863-0716 (University Park)	Role of the cortical actin cytoskeleton in cell polarity and morphogenesis.
Tu, Chen-Pei David Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	unh@psu.edu 814-863-2096 (University Park)	Gene regulation, structure and function of glutathione S-transferase systems.
Vandenbergh, David Associate Director of the Penn State Institute of the Neurosciences Associate Professor of Biobehavioral Health	djv4@psu.edu 814-863-8430 (University Park)	Complex genetics of drug addiction.
Vogler, George Director, Center for Developmental and Health Genetics Professor of Biobehavioral Health	gpv1@psu.edu 814-865-1717 (University Park)	Quantitative genetics of complex traits.
Wang, Yanming Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	yuw12@psu.edu 814-865-3775 (University Park)	Epigenetic histone modifications in cell differentiation and cancer.
Weiss, Kenneth "Ken" Evan Pugh Professor of Biological Anthropology and Genetics Adjunct Professor of Biology	kmw4@psu.edu 814-865-0989 (University Park)	The evolution of complex traits.
Xiong, Na Associate Professor, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences	nux1@psu.edu 814-863-2933 (University Park)	Molecular mechanisms underlying development of tissue specific gamma/delta T cells.

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Faculty and research