THE
INSTITUTE FOR
CELL
AND
DEVELOPMENTAL
BIOLOGY
THE INSTITUTE AND THE UNIVERSITY
According to a quantitative national study published in 1997 by Johns Hopkins University Press, SUNY Stony Brook ranks second in the nation
among public universities in research productivity per faculty member, with only UC Berkeley in the front and Stony Brook tied for second place
with UC Santa Barbara.
Research at this 46-year-old university has grown more than ten fold in the last 32 years, exceeding $110 million in 2003. The life and biomedical
sciences, which account for almost half of all research funding on the campus, have grown by more than 30% in the last 12 years.
WHAT SETS ICDB APART
A MESSAGE FROM THE
DIRECTOR
T
his is the most exciting of times for
biological and biomedical scientists.
The abundance of opportunity to advance the
frontiers of knowledge parallels the bright
prospect for early translation of discoveries into
diagnostics and therapeutics. Never in the
history of the biomedical sciences has progress in
the acquisition of basic information and its
practical application been so rapid. To note only
one of the most compelling examples, the
mapping and sequencing of the human genome
is complete and the connections between genes
and disease grow clearer every day. Impressive
strides have been made in understanding the
influences and expression of genes in inherited
disorders and in developing new approaches to
treatment of these and other diseases.
The members of the Institute for Cell and
Developmental Biology have chosen to focus on
living things at the level of the cell, with the
objective of understanding how basic processes
function in controlling normal and abnormal
cell growth, as well as cell differentiation.
William J. Lennarz
Director,
Distinguished Professor of
Biochemistry & Cell Biology
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Membership in the Institute is highly selective. Only 47 faculty researchers of 250
potentially eligible faculty have been invited
to participate. Honors received by Institute
members include the National Academy of
Sciences, selection as Howard Hughes
Medical Institute Investigators, Guggenheim
Foundation Fellows, Pew Scholars and
receipt of NIH Merit, Achievement and
Research Career Awards. Research support
for ICDB members has grown by over 43%
in the last thirteen years.
O NE OF THE N ATION ’ S S TRONGEST
M ULTIDISCIPLINARY G ROUPS OF
C OLLABORATING S CIENTISTS
ICDB members represent an unusually
broad spectrum of interests from embryology
to structural biology and neurobiology. As a
consequence, the Institute provides a unique
and successful platform for multidisciplinary
research. Different approaches to formulating and investigating research problems
cross-fertilize, facilitating novel applications
of advanced, highly specialized techniques to
shed new light on important biomedical
questions. Corporate sponsors have access to
these scientific teams as a resource where
their research program approaches can be
explored and new directions discussed. The
Institute was responsible the formation of
three inter-disciplinary laboratories to maximize collaborations among scientists:
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Center for Brain and Spinal Cord
Research. This laboratory, whose
members include biochemists, cell biologists and neurobiologists, seeks to elucidate
the molecular basis of neural function. Its
success in understanding nerve dysfunction
and degeneration will provide a new basis
for developing drugs to treat neurological
disorders.
Center for Developmental Genetics.
Its primary focus is on cell growth and
differentiation. With unusually broad
representation from the Departments of
Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Ecology
and Evolution, Neurobiology and
Pharmacological Sciences, this laboratory
constitutes one of the nation’s strongest
collaborating groups of scientists in this
critical area.
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Center for Yeast Cell and Molecular
Biology. This newly created center will be
housed in a NIH and University funded
integrated laboratory that brings together
seven faculty members from the
Department of Molecular Genetics and
Microbiology and the Department of
Biochemistry and Cell Biology. These
scientists are carrying out research using
yeast, the simplest eukaryote, as a model to
study diverse processes varying from
meiosis to glycoprotein degradation.
PIONEERING DISCOVERIES LEAD TO
PRACTICAL APPROACHES TO
ANSWERING QUESTIONS
Since its inception 13 years ago, Institute
members have made pioneering discoveries
in diverse areas of scientific research
including:
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Developing a biological system, the two
hybrid assay, to detect protein:protein
interactions that is used in drug discovery
by pharmaceutical and biotechnology
companies worldwide and in basic and
applied research in universities.
Discovery of an enzyme in the cytoplasm
that removes carbohydrate chains prior to
digestion of defective glycoproteins.
Discovering a mechanism of platelet aggregation in certain pathologic states. The
monoclonal antibody developed to prevent
this platelet aggregation had sales of $250
million in 1997.
Gaining an understanding of reproductive
biology processes by being the first to
describe the structure and sperm binding
properties of receptors on the surface of sea
urchin and frog eggs. Ultimately, this
knowledge may lead to new methods of
birth control.
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Contributed to the understanding of angiogenesis, a process important to tumor growth, by using the chick embryo to study the role
of proteolytic enzymes and their inhibitors.
Discovery of an enzyme that mediates neuronal death. Inhibition of
this of this enzyme leads to increased survival of injured neurons
and could provide a new therapeutic approach to treating neurological diseases.
Pioneered work on the structure and function of topoisomerase, an
enzyme involved in unwinding DNA, an essential step in DNA
replication. Understanding the causes of mutagenesis can illuminate
the causation of inherited disease and lead to new treatment
approaches using gene therapy.
Development of a drug that functions to destroy cancer cells by
preventing the turn-on of the Warburg effect.
THE GOALS OF THE INSTITUTE ARE:
Create links between the biotechnology, pharmaceutical industry
and venture capital firms and the cell, molecular and developmental
biology expertise at Stony Brook.
Maximize the resources at Stony Brook to carry out state-of-the-art
research.
Develop new research career opportunities for our best graduate
students – the leaders of the future in academic and industrial research.
BENEFITS OF CORPORATE MEMBERSHIPS
Corporate membership in the Institute carries a number of privileges, including:
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Attendance at private consultations developed specifically for Institute corporate members. Tutorials are offered in the following areas:
Oncogenesis
Cell Differentiation
Cell Surface Interactions
Signaling
Receptors
DNA Repair
Early Embryonic and Neonatal
Development
• Cellular Response to Hormonal
and Viral Interactions
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Neurobiology
Synapses Biochemistry
Cholesterol and Atherosclerosis
Cell Cycle and Teleomeres
Glycoproteins
Signaling Events
Adenoviruses
RNA-protein Interactions
Phermone Receptors
An invitation to attend weekly research presentations.
Attendees at the annual Institute Retreat at the Pridwin Hotel on
Shelter Island (at the east end of Long Island). The Retreat includes
16 scientific presentations by various members of the Institute’s
outstanding research faculty. These presentations provide state-ofthe-art insight into some of the major basic and clinical problems
in contemporary biomedical science. As well, the schedule of the
Retreat provides hours of opportunity – in a relaxed, idyllic setting
– for private conversations with both Institute faculty and
outstanding Institute graduate and postdoctoral students.
• Genetic Disorders of Homeostasis and Thrombosis
• Infectious Disease
• Mitochondrical Disease
• DNA Cell Interactions
• Cannabinoid Metabolism
• Immune and Inflammatory
Responses
• Protein Structure
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• Regulation of DNA Replication
and Chromatin Structure
• Cell Surface Interactions
• Differentiation of Erythroid
and Myeloid Cells
• Meiosis
• Antibiotic Resistance
• Cell Cycle Phenomena
Attendance at the annual Stony Brook Symposium in Molecular
Biology, which celebrated its fifteenth anniversary in 2003.
Symposium speakers are selected from an international roster of
distinguished scientist-leaders in their field.
An invitation to attend the annual Institute Lecture where leaders
in their scientific disciplines present theories and ideas that may
challenge conventional scientific thought.
Preprints and reprints of the publications of Institute members,
upon request.
CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:
Sponsorship relationships are an important element of the life of the Institute. They represent both a key service function of the Institute and a
crucial source of funding for its vital training and advisory functions. The Institute’s corporate partners enjoy an advanced view of pathbreaking
new research and the opportunity to interact informally with the Institute’s distinguished scientists.
The membership fee for first-time sponsors is $5,000 for the first year. The Corporate Membership in subsequent years varies depending on the
size of the corporation and the number of corporate scientists participating. Typically, annual fees range from $5,000 to $20,000.
Corporate sponsors also have the extremely valuable asset of access to private consultations with Institute faculty on the Stony Brook campus.
Our faculty of elite researchers has years of experience and seasoned, mature judgment. Faculty expertise includes drug design, as well as experience in the major areas of basic biomedical science that provide solutions to product development problems. All consultations are covered by
full confidentiality agreements and all rights to intellectual property resulting from these consultations remain with the corporate sponsor.
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Brief Resumés of Members of the Institute for Cell and Developmental Biology
Wadie Bahou, M.D.
Professor, Medicine and Program in Genetics. Chief,
Division of Hematology. Associate Program Director,
General Clinical Research Center. Henry Christian
Award for Excellence in Clinical Research. NIH
Review Subcommittee for Small Business Innovation
Research. Established Investigator, American Heart
Association
The research interests of our laboratory focus on
genetic disorders of hemostasis and thrombosis.
Dafna Bar-Sagi, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Molecular Genetics and
Microbiology
Our current work is concerned with the
control mechanisms that normally regulate the
biological activity of Ras proteins and the
perturbation of this regulation during oncogenic transformation.
Jorge Benach, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Infectious Diseases. Professor,
Microbiology. NIH Merit Awardee
Our laboratory studies the interactions of the
fibrinolytic system with Borrelia, and the mechanisms that determine the different outcomes to
infection.
Paul Bingham, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Research is focused on regulations of premRNA splicing subnuclear organization and
the role of chromatin structure in gene regulation.
James B. Bliska, Ph.D.
Professor, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
We study the interaction of bacterial pathogens
with mammalian host cells. We are specifically
interested in identifying the mechanisms used by
bacterial pathogens to subvert normal host cell
responses to infection.
required for maintenance of mitochondrial DNA.
A large number of human diseases result from
errors in synthesis of proteins required for maintenance of mitochondria.
Paul Brehm, Ph.D.
Leading Professor, Neurobiolgy and Behavior
Our research examines the structurefunction relations with the ligand gated receptor
channel superfamily. Combined molecular and
electrophysiological methodologies are being
used to dissect the structural underpinnings of
these functional changes.
Deborah Brown, Ph.D.
Professor, Biochemistry and Cell Biology
We study the structure and function of novel
sphingolipid- and cholesterol-rich membrane
microdomains or rafts, which are important in
intercellular sorting and cell-surface signaling
transduction, using a combination of biophysical and cell biological approaches.
Vitaly Citovsky, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Cell Biology
We study cellular processes in plants to understand how plant cell communicate with each
other. We also examine molecular mechanisms by
which proteins and nucleic acids are transported
into the plant cell nucleus.
Paul Fisher, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor, Pharmacological Sciences Guest Research
Fellow of the Royal Society (UK)
The central objective of this laboratory is to
understand how extrachromosomal proteinaceous structural elements of the cell nucleus
(karyoskeletal elements) act to regulate nuclear
structure and function.
Howard Fleit, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Pathology. Catacosinos Cancer
Award. Alexandrine and Alexander L. Sinsheimer
Fund Scholar
Our laboratory is examining the mechanisms
by which different classes of Fc Receptors for
immunoglobulins on leukocyte plasma
membranes initiate the effector mechanisms
that these cells use during inflammatory
responses.
Michael Frohman, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor, Pharmacological Sciences. Director,
Medical Scientist Training Program. Catacosinos
Scholar
Our laboratory works on how signal transduction triggers subcellular trafficking of
membrane vesicles in regulated exocytosis and
the control of cell morphology. Disease-related
topics include diabetes (glucose transporter
regulation), anaphylaxis (histamine release), and
the response to CNS injury.
Neta Dean, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Martha B. Furie, Ph.D.
We study the regulation of protein glycosylation
and how the addition of carbohydrate modifies
protein function and structure at the cell surface.
A major focus of our research also centers on cell
wall synthesis in the human fungal pathogen,
Candida albicans and the glycoproteins that
mediate host-pathogen interactions during
infection.
Professor, Pathology. Alexandrine and Alexander L.
Sinsheimer Fund Scholar. Aaron Diamond
Foundation Scholar
During inflammation, white blood cells leave
the bloodstream and enter tissues to destroy
invading microbes. Our laboratory studies
mechanisms that regulate the passage of white
blood cells into damaged tissues, particularly in
the context of infectious diseases.
Dale G. Deutsch, Ph.D.
Daniel Bogenhagen, M.D.
Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Bruce Futcher, Ph.D.
Professor, Pharmacological Sciences. Guggenheim
Foundation Fellow. American Cancer Society
Scholar
Our long-term goal is to understand how the
endogenous cannabinoids and their metabolites
affect mood, memory, pain and other physiological processes.
Associate Professor, Microbiology
My laboratory studies the DNA binding proteins
and enzymes encoded in nuclear DNA that are
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Our laboratory is interested in cell cycle control,
particularly with regard to commitment to the
cycle and to the role of cyclin-dependent protein
kinases. Our laboratory is also interested in aging
Brief Resumés of Members of the Institute for Cell and Developmental Biology
and particularly the role played by the shortening
of telomeres.
J. Peter Gergen, Ph.D.
Professor, Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Director of
the Center for Developmental Genetics. American
Cancer Society Faculty Research Award
My laboratory investigates the regulatory activity
of Runt, the founding member of the Runx family
of transcription factors. Runx proteins have vital
roles in regulating gene expression in many
different pathways in animal development and
inappropriate Runx function is implicated in
human diseases such as leukemia and cleidocranial
dysplasia. Runx proteins function both as activators and repressors of gene transcription. Our
research takes advantage of the considerable background knowledge and sophisticated genetic tools
that are available in the Drosophila system to
investigate the in vivo mechanisms of transcriptional regulation by this interesting class of developmental regulators.
fucose and O-glucose and that the O-fucose
modifications play a key role in regulation of
interactions between Notch and its ligands. The
regulation of signal transduction by alterations
in the glycosylation state of a cell surface
receptor provides a new paradigm for the role of
glycosylation in signaling events.
Michael Hayman, Ph.D.
Professor, Microbiology. Catacosinos Professorship for
Cancer Research
Our research is directed towards growth and
differentiation of erythroid and myeloid progenito cells; effects of oncogenes on the growth
and differentiation of hematopoietic cells; signal
transduction pathways, as they relate to cell
transformation and cancer.
Patrick Hearing, Ph.D.
interested in deciphering the role of these
complexes in bacterial survival and pathogenesis.
Eugene Katz, Ph.D.
Professor, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology.
Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences.
Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching
Our laboratory studies the role of the plasma
membrane in the growth and development of
the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium
discoideum. Our approach is to select and characterize mutants resistant to agents that act on
the membrane, such as detergents and polyene
antibiotics.
Maurice Kernan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Neurobiology and Behavior. Pew
Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences
The research in my laboratory focuses in two
areas: adenovirus regulation of cellular proliferation and adenovirus as a vector for gene therapy.
We use Drosophila mutants and molecular
genetics to study the differentiation and function of ciliated sensory neurons; molecular
mechanisms of touch and hearing; polycystins,
sperm storage and sperm competition.
Professor, Neurobiology and Behavior. Director,
Center for Brain and Spinal Cord Research
Bernadette Holdener, Ph.D.
Caroline Kisker, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Neurotrophins (NT) control the survival and
phenotype of neurons throughout the nervous
system. We have discovered a novel protein,
Pincher, that mediates “pinocytic endocytosis”
of NT and its receptor. This process allows for
the prolonged NT signaling over time and
distance that is needed for NT actions in
neurons. Using a combination of molecular,
biochemical and cell biological approaches, we
are dissecting the signaling mechanisms for
NT actions in cultured neurons and neuronal
cell lines.
My laboratory is interested in understanding
how mutations that interfere with protein
folding contribute to osteoporosis, atherosclerosis, and problems in early mammalian embryonic development.
Associate Professor; Pharmacological Sciences. Karl
Ramsauer Award, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Fellowship. PEW Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences
Professor, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
Simon Halegoua, Ph.D.
Robert Haltiwanger, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Our laboratory investigates the structure and
function of two unique forms of protein Oglycosylation, O-fucose, and O-glucose, that
occur exclusively on Epidermal Growth Factorlike (EGF) modules. We have demonstrated
that many of the tandem EGF modules in the
Notch family of receptors are modified with O-
Nancy Hollingsworth, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Cell Biology.
Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences
Our research is directed toward understanding
how homologous chromosomes synapse,
recombine and segregate during meiosis in
yeast. Genes encoding structural and regulatory
components important for chromosome
synapsis are being studied.
Wali Karzai, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Cell Biology.
Pew Scholar in Biomedical Sciences
Our group is interested in studying the biological
functions RNA-protein interactions and translational control of gene expression. We are also
Mutations are the primary cause of hereditary
diseases, as well as cancer, and may also be
involved in aging. Approximately 90% of all
human cancers are ultimately due to DNA
damage. The focus of our research is to understand how the genetic code is maintained by the
universal DNA repair mechanism nucleotide
excision repair. A second area of research focuses
on structure-based drug design against
Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
James B. Konopka, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Microbiology. American Cancer
Society Junior Faculty Research Award
Our lab has a specific interest in the complex
function of the pheromone receptors. The
receptors bind pheromone on the cell surface
and then stimulate a G protein signaling are
being investigated through the analysis of
mutant receptors.
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Brief Resumés of Members of the Institute for Cell and Developmental Biology
Janet Leatherwood, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Molecular Genetics and
Microbiology. Kimmel Scholar Award. FASEB
Junior Investigator Award. Leukemia Society of
America Special Fellow. American Cancer Society
Fellow
Our main interest is how events of the cell cycle
are regulated and coordinated. We are using
fission yeast as a model system to investigate
control of DNA replication by the cell cycle
kinase Cdc2.
William J. Lennarz, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor and Chairman, Biochemistry
and Cell Biology. Director, Institute of Cell and
Developmental Biology. Member, National Academy
of Sciences. Past President, American Society for
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. NIH Merit
Awardee
other GPCRs via heterotrimeric G-proteins to
effectors that control gene expression in development. Using proteomics, DNA microarray, and
model systems, we have discovered new paradigms in Frizzled signaling and how signaling on
the “meso-scale” controls gene expression.
Gail Mandel, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor, Neurobiology and Behavior.
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
We have a long-standing interest in identifying
molecules important in the regulation of
neuronal phenotype. Transcriptional and post
transcriptional mechanisms in neurogenesis,
stem cell differentiation, and tissue regeneration, in mammals and zebrafish, are under
investigation.
Kenneth B. Marcu, Ph.D.
Our objective is to better understand the mechanism of glycoprotein biosynthesis and how newly
synthesized glycoproteins fold to their native state
or are degraded after retrograde export to the
cytoplasm. In addition, we are studying the role of
O-linked oligosaccharide chains on the frog egg in
sperm binding.
Professor, Biochemistry and Cell Biology,
Microbiology, and Pathology. Scholar of Institute of
Advanced Studies (Univ. of Bologna)
Erwin London, Ph.D.
W. Todd Miller, Ph.D.
Professor, Chemistry, Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Associate Professor, Physiology and Biophysics.
Catacisinos Young Investigator Award for Cancer
Research
We are studying the translocation of proteins
across membranes using the translocation of
diphtheria toxin as a model. In other ongoing
projects we are studying the basic folding of
membrane proteins using transmembrane
hydrophobic helices, and the role of cholesterol
in membrane structure and function.
Craig Malbon, Ph.D.
Leading Professor, Pharmacological Sciences.
Member, Corporation of the Marine Biological
Laboratory. Vice-Dean, SOM; NIH Career
Development Award. American Cancer Society
Excellence in Research Award. Program Director,
Institutional National Research Service Awards of
NIDDK. Director, Diabetes & Metabolic Diseases
Research Center
Our primary interest is to understand on a
molecular basis the signaling from Frizzleds and
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Our research focuses on the role of IKK
dependent NF-kappa B signaling cascade in
inflammatory responses and on the mechanisms
and regulation of antibody gene class switching.
The major research goals of our laboratory are:
to understand how tyrosine kinases recognize
their target proteins in cells; to determine how
these enzymes are regulated in normal cells; and
to develop strategies to block the action of oncogenic tyrosine kinases of the Src-family, as well
as on the tyrosine kinase domains of the human
Neu, insulin, and IGF-I receptors.
Aaron Neiman, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Cell Biology
The research interest of my laboratory is in developmentally programmed rearrangements of the
secretory pathway that occur during differentiation.
We are studying the process of spore formation in
the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a
model for this type of rearrangement.
Jeffrey E. Pessin, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacological
Sciences
Our laboratory examines the molecular mechanisms regulating the insulin-stimulation of
glucose uptake through the intracellular trafficking of the GLUT4 glucose transporter
protein. To accomplish these goals, we utilize
cell and molecular biological approaches
including high resolution confocal fluorescent
microscopy, proteomic, transgenic and
knockout mouse technologies.
Joav Prives, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Pharmacological Sciences
Our research is centered on mechanisms that
regulate interactions between cells. We utilize
cell cultures to study the role of transmembrane
signaling in the differentiation of muscle cells.
Nancy Reich, Ph.D.
Professor, Pathology. American Cancer Society Junior
Faculty Research Awardee. Catacosinos Cancer
Award. NIH CDF-1 Study Section Member
We are studying how cells respond to cytokine
hormones resulting in rapid and specific biological changes. Cells also respond to viral infection
with the activation of a distinct transcription
factor that initiates expression of genes involved
in cellular defense of infection. Present work is
directed at elucidating the molecular mechanisms that regulate these response pathways.
Nisson Schechter, Ph.D.
Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
Biochemistry and Cell Biology and Ophthalmology
We study specific proteins that support and
regulate the development and regeneration of
nerves. We showed that the expression of certain
intermediate filament proteins and homeobox
gene products are linked to retinal development
and axonal growth in the goldfish visual
pathway.
Hermann Schindelin, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Our laboratory uses crystallographic and
biochemical methods to study the structure and
Brief Resumés of Members of the Institute for Cell and Developmental Biology
function of enzymes involved in ubiquitin
dependent protein degradation. In a separate
project we are characterizing the neuroreceptor
anchoring protein gephyrin.
and characterize genes affecting structure and
function of the nucleus. This includes genes
coding for proteins involved in gene regulation,
DNA replication and chromatin structure.
Jakob Schmidt, Ph.D.
David G. Thanassi, Ph.D.
Professor, Biochemistry and Cell Biology. NIH Javits
Neuroscience Investigator Award
Assistant Professor, Molecular Genetics and
Microbiology, Center for Infectious Diseases
The focus of our research is on the regulation of
acetylcholine receptor genes in skeletal muscle.
Specifically we are interested in molecular
mechanisms (promoter elements, transcription
factors, and upstream signaling pathways) that
ensure the synapse-specific expression of the
receptor protein in the mature muscle fiber.
Our lab studies the assembly and secretion of
virulence factors by bacterial pathogens. A focus
of our research is the biogenesis of filamentous
surface structures known as pili or fimbriae. Pili
are critical virulence factors that mediate recognition and colonization of host cells.
stimulation of neurons that would lead to reorganization of neuronal connections in the brain
or cell death.
David Williams, Ph.D.
Gerald H. Thomsen, Ph.D.
Steven Smith, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Professor, Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Director,
Center for Structural Biology
We are investigating the molecular and cellular
biology of embryonic development of the
amphibian Xenopus laevis, and its genetically
more tractable cousin Xenopus tropicalis. Our
research seeks to understand how cell fate and
embryonic pattern formation are regulated by
growth factors in the TGF-beta and receptor
tyrosine kinase families. We are also exploring
how ubiquitin ligases regulate TGF-beta signals
and the morphology of cells and tissues in
embryos.
Our research is on the structural basis of
membrane protein function. Current work
focuses on the molecular mechanisms of signal
transduction by G protein-coupled receptors
(rhodopsin and CCR5), receptor tyrosine
kinases (erbB2 and PDGF-β receptors) and
cytokine receptors (EPOR and TPOR). We are
also interested in two viral membrane proteins
that activate membrane receptors: The E5
protein of papillomavirus and the gp55p protein
of Friend spleen focus-forming virus.
Professor, Pharmacological Sciences. NIH Merit
Award
We study the cell biology of lipoprotein receptors, cholesterol transport, and atherosclerosis.
Another focus is on very early events in atherosclerosis development in the aortic wall.
Lonnie Wollmuth, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Neurobiology and Behavior.
A. Sinsheimer Scholars Award. A. von Humbolt
Fellow, International Human Frontier Science
Program Fellow. National Research Scientist Award.
NIH Institutional Grant for Neurobioligy Award
My lab is interested in understanding the molecular mechanism of cell-to-cell signaling in the
brain. We focus primarily on fast synaptic transmission, especially those synapses that use the
excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. Our
studies extend from elucidating the structure of
glutamate receptors to defining how their properties contribute to the versatility of synaptic
transmission and plasticity in vivo.
Styliani-Anna (Stella) E. Tsirka, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Pharmacological Sciences
Rolf Sternglanz, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor, Biochemistry and Cell
Biology. Guggenheim Awardee
Our laboratory uses the budding yeast
Saccharomyces cerevisiae to identify mutants
We investigate the communication, signaling
events and cell-cell interactions between
neurons and microglia, the immunocompetent
cells of the central nervous system. We assess
their interactions after normal or exaggerated
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FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
CONTACT
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Dr. William J. Lennarz, Director
Institute for Cell and Developmental Biology
450 Life Sciences Building
SUNY at Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY 11794-5215
Phone: 631-632-8560
Fax: 631-632-8575
Email: wlennarz@notes.cc.sunysb.edu