Faculty

Eric Alani is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Alani is a member of both the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development and the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology. The Alani lab studies roles for DNA mismatch repair proteins in maintaining genome stability.

Charles ("Chip") Aquadro is the Charles A. Alexander Professor of Biological Sciences, and Professor of Population Genetics in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. He is also a Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow, and is the Director of the Cornell Center for Comparative and Population Genomics.
 

Daniel Barbash is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Barbash is a member of both the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development and the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology. The Barbash lab is interested in understanding the relationship between genomic change and the creation and divergence of species.

Stéphane Bentolila is an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. He is associated with the Hanson lab and is interested in plant organelle gene expression, more specifically RNA editing.

Kristina Blake-Hodek is a lecturer in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, whose focus is Lectures/Lab in Genetics and Genomics (BIOMG 2800/2801) .

Jim Blankenship is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. He has been and continues to be actively engaged in the Biology Curriculum and is the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Biochemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology Programs of Studies.
 

Tony Bretscher is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, and a member of the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology. Dr. Bretscher is a member of both the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development and the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology. The Bretscher lab studies the functional organization and regulation of microfilaments in eucaryotic cells.

Bill Brown is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Brown is a member of the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology. The Brown lab is broadly interested in the role of lipid modifying enzymes in organelle biology.

Andy Clark is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Population Genetics and Nancy and Peter Meinig Family Investigator, and Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Clark is a member of the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development, the Graduate Field of Computation Biology, and the Graduate Field of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. The Clark lab is focused on empirical and analytical problems associated with genetic variation in populations.

Angela Douglas is an adjunct Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and a Professor in the Department of Entomology. She is a member of the Graduate Fields of: Genetics, Genomics & Development, Microbiology; Nutrition; and Entomology. Her core interests are the interactions between animals and beneficial microorganisms, and the application of this research as a biomedical model for human health and novel target for insect pest control.

Scott D. Emr is the Frank H.T. Rhodes Class of 1956 Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Director of the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology. Dr. Emr is a member of the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development, the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, and the Graduate Field of Molecular and Integrative Physiology. The Emr lab studies the regulation of cell signaling and membrane trafficking pathways by phosphoinositide kinases, protein kinases, selective ubiquitin modifications, and vesicle-mediated transport reactions.

Gerald Feigenson is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Feigenson is a member of the Graduate Field of Biophysics. The Feigenson lab studies the fundamental principles of biomembrane behavior.

Cedric Feschotte is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Feschotte is a member of the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development. The Feschotte lab studies mobile genetic elements, such as transposons and endogenous viruses, primarily in the genomes of vertebrates, including humans.

Thomas Fox is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Fox is a member of both the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development and the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology. The Fox lab studied the assembly of mitochondria within eukaryotic cells, but is no longer actively engaged in experimental work.

Chris Fromme is an Associate Professor in the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology and the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Fromme is a member of the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology and the Graduate Field of Biophysics. The Fromme lab studies how proteins and membranes are trafficked within eukaryotic cells.

Maria Garcia is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Garcia is a member of the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics, and Development, the Graduate Field of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, the Graduate Field of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, and the Graduate Field of Pharmacology. The Garcia lab studies the genes and processes that promote early embryonic development.

Michael Goldberg is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Goldberg is a member of the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development and the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular, and Cell Biology. The Goldberg lab studies the molecular mechanisms which ensure accurate chromosome segregation and other chromosome behaviors.

Andrew Grimson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics. Dr. Grimson is a member of the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology and the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development. The Grimson lab focuses on post-transcriptional gene regulation, in particular the identity and function of animal microRNAs and other small RNAs.

Chun Han is an Assistant Professor in the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology and the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Han is a member of the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology.

Maureen R. Hanson is Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics. Dr. Hanson is a member of the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development, the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, and the Graduate Field of Plant Biology. The Hanson lab studies gene expression in plant chloroplasts and mitochondria, as well as pathophysiology of the human illness Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Susan Henry is the Ronald P. Lynch Dean Emerita of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and a Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Henry is a member of the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development, the Graduate Field of Food Science and Technology, and the Graduate Field of Nutrition. The Henry lab studies genetic regulation of lipid metabolism in yeast.

Fenghua Hu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and is a member of the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology. Dr. Hu is a member of the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology. The Hu lab studies the molecular mechanisms of Frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

Tim Huffaker is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Huffaker is a member of the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development, and the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology. The Huffaker lab studies the moecular function of proteins involved in mitotic spindle function in yeast.

Stephen Jesch is a lecturer in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics.  He teaches an upper level course in biochemistry and molecular biology.
 

Ailong Ke is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Ke is a member of the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, the Graduate Field of Biophysics, and the Graduate Field of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. The Ke lab studies the structure and function of RNA molecules.

Amnon Koren is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and a Nancy and Peter Meinig Family Investigator in the Life Sciences. Dr. Koren is a member of the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development. The Koren lab studies the genomics of DNA replication timing and mutagenesis.
 

Hojoong Kwak is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Kwak is a member of the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology. The Kwak lab studies the regulation of gene expression and the genomics of single cells.

Sylvia Lee is an Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Lee is a member of the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development, the Graduate Field of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, and the Graduate Field of Nutrition. The Lee lab studies the conserved molecular pathways that modulate organismal longevity.

Ruth Ley is jointly appointed with the Department of Microbiome Science at Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Tubingen, Germany  
and an Associate Professor in the Cornell Departments of Microbiology and Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Ley is a member of the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development, and the Graduate Field of Microbiology. The Ley lab studies host interactions with the microbiome.

John Lis is the Barbara McClintock Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Lis is a member of the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development, and the Graduate Field of Biomedical Engineering. The Lis lab studies the structure of promoters and genes and the mechanisms of their regulation in living cells.

Kelly Liu is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Liu is a member of the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development and the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology. The Liu lab studies fundamental mechanisms involved in cell-cell signaling.

Yuxin Mao is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Mao is a member of the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology and the Graduate Field of Biophysics. The Mao lab studies the molecular mechanisms regulating membrane trafficking.

Linda Nicholson is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Nicholson is a member of the Graduate Field of Biophysics. The Nicholson lab studies the relationship between protein dynamics and function.

Jeff Pleiss is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Pleiss is a member of the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, and the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development. The Pleiss lab studies the role of pre-mRNA processing as a regulatory control point for eukaryotic gene expression.

Eric Richards is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and a researcher in the Boyce Thompson Institute. The Richards lab studies epigenetics, the study of inherited information superimposed on genetic sequence.

Jeff Roberts is the Robert J. Appel Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Roberts is a member of the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology. The Roberts lab studies biochemical mechanisms controlling gene expression, particularly those which determine the ability of RNA polymerase to transcribe particular genes.

Veerle Rottiers is a Research Scientist in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics.

John Schimenti is the James Law Professor of Genetics with appointments in the Departments of Biomedical Sciences and Molecular Biology & Genetics. He also serves as Director of the Center for Vertebrate Genomics. Dr. Schimenti is a member of the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development, the Graduate Field of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, and the Graduate Field of Molecular and Integrative Physiology. The Schimenti lab studies the mouse as a model to investigate the genetics and mechanisms of meiosis and genome maintenance.

Erich Schwarz is an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. He uses comparative nematode genomics to decipher both parasitic disease and fundamental biology. His current projects include defining vaccine targets in the zoonotic hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum, identifying genes required for male-female mating in Caenorhabditis nematodes, and identifying genes that are conserved between Caenorhabditis and humans, but that are largely or completely uncharacterized ("conserved unknowns").
 

David Shalloway is the Greater Philadelphia Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Shalloway is a member of the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, the Graduate Field of Biophysics, the Graduate Field of Computational Biology, the Graduate Field of Applied Physics, and the Graduate Field of Applied Mathematics. . The Shalloway lab focuses on the development of biochemical, biophysical, and computational modeling to analyze experimental problems in multiple contexts in molecular and cell biology.

Marcos Simoes-Costa is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and a Nancy and Peter Meinig Family Investigator in the Life Sciences. Dr. Simoes-Costa is a member of the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development, and the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology. The Simoes-Costa Lab studies the molecular mechanisms that control cell fate decisions during embryonic development.


 

Marcus Smolka is an Associate Professor in the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology and the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Smolka is a member of the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology and the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development. The Smolka lab studies the mechanisms by which dysfunctions in DNA damage checkpoint kinases lead to genomic instability and, consequently, cancer.

Doina Tumbar is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Tumbar is a member of the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development. The Tumbar lab studies the molecular mechanisms controlling the cell fate of hair follicle stem cells.

Volker Vogt is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. Dr. Vogt is a member of the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology. The Vogt lab studies the assembly of retroviruses, primarily using Rous sarcoma virus as a model system.

Mariana Wolfner is the Goldwin Smith Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics and Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow. Dr. Wolfner is a member of the Graduate Field of Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, the Graduate Field of Genetics, Genomics and Development, and the Graduate Field of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. The Wolfner lab studies the important molecular and gene-level reproductive processes that occur around the time when a sperm fertilizes an egg.