Laura Scott, Ph.D.
Research Professor
Biostatistics
School of Public Health

email: ljst@umich.edu

• What are your research interests?
  I want to understand how a persons sex, genetics and physiology influences both gene expression and degradation to create differences in gene expression between people, and how differences in gene expression influence disease.

• Who/what brought you to science?
  When I graduated from high school wanted to be a doctor, a teacher or an interior decorator. By the end of college I wanted to be a college teacher of a biological science. I went to graduate school so I could teach, but I discovered I really liked research.  I’ve tried many fields throughout my academic career. I get intellectually restless every 7-10 years.  I moved from Chemistry (undergraduate),  to Cell Biology (PhD and postdoc), to Epidemiology (MPH and postdoc) and to Statistical Genetics (postdoc and Professor).  I’m currently headed back towards something that sounds like Statistical Cellular Biology. Interestingly my work as a researcher encompasses all three of the careers I envisioned for myself in high school: I want to improve health via understanding biology, I really enjoy mentoring students and I best like pictures to understand data and develop idea.

• What advice would you give to students who’d like to get more involved in research?
  Try summer research programs, learn math and statistics as they are increasingly important for many biological disciplines, learn the computer language R, cultivate curiosity and perseverance.

• Are there any opportunities for students to engage in your projects, currently or in the future?
  We currently only take graduate students.

• What skills would they need, and what could they expect to learn?
  If we took undergraduate students, they would need skills in R, a strong interest in math or biology, or, ideally, both.

• What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
  Given greater skills than I actually possess, I would like to be a potter with a wood-fired kiln.

The post RNA Faculty Spotlight – Laura Scott, Ph.D., Biostatistics, Public Health appeared first on Center for RNA Biomedicine.

Stephen C.J. Parker, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics
Department of Human Genetics

Contact
Lab website

Research interests

We study the effects of genetic variation on chromatin architecture and transcriptional regulation at single-cell resolution. Our research group uses an integrative approach in the general fields of computational biology and functional genomics. The major goal of the lab is to generate mechanistic knowledge about how disease susceptibility is encoded in the non-coding portion of the genome, with a focus on complex metabolic diseases including diabetes and related traits.

• What is the role of RNA in your research?
  Non-coding genetic variations are the inherited foundation of complex disease predisposition. Most of these influence gene regulation in some nuanced way. Understanding the context-specificity of how these gene regulatory variants work will illuminate the common pathways for complex diseases. Thus, the quantitative questions of when, where, and how much RNAs are transcribed are at the heart of our research program.

• Who/what brought you to science?
  The complex beauty in nature and an insatiable desire to understand some of how it works. Being able to pursue this as a scientist is a true privilege and an incredibly rewarding way to spend your time. I love working with people who share this curiosity.

• What advice would you give to students who would like to get more involved in research?
  Develop grit and be humble. I think those are the most important character traits to being successful in research. And, as a bonus, they are transferrable skills for other aspects of your life.

• Are there any opportunities for students to engage in your projects, currently or in the future?
  Absolutely! We are always looking for diverse trainees to join our team. Our projects span the range of wet lab experiments to programming to computational data integration and analyses.
• What other profession would you enjoy, or what is your favorite hobby?
  Soccer, cycling, and sports car racing.

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Zhonggang Hou, Ph.D.
Research Investigator
Biological Chemistry
Medical School

Yan Zhang lab

CRISPR-Cas is a very diverse adaptive immune system found in bacteria and archaea. It uses a small RNA as guide to find and destroy its target. It has revolutionized the field of genome engineering once adapted as tools for use in Eukaryotes. However, only a very small fraction of CRISPR-Cas systems (<10%) have been adapted as tools so far. I am interested in exploring the diverse CRISPR-Cas systems in nature and adapting those with unique properties (e.g. CRISPR-Cas3) as tools for use in eukaryotic cells for genetic manipulation.

• What is the role of RNA in your research?
  I study CRISPR-Cas, which is an RNA guided adaptive immune system in bacteria and archaea. These systems use small RNAs as guides to find and destroy their targets.

• Who/what brought you to science?
  I am curious about everything unknown. The field of life science with all the fascinating molecular processes happening in various biological systems is the perfect place to satisfy my curiosity.

• What brought you to the University of Michigan?
  The huge and vibrant community of life science research and fantastic core facility support.

• What advice would you give to students who’d like to get more involved in research?
  Be passionate about your research. Don’t be afraid of failures.

• Are there any opportunities for students to engage in your projects, currently or in the future?
  Yes

• • What skills would they need?
    They need to be motivated and we can teach them everything else.

• • What could they expect to learn?
    Our research is quite interdisciplinary. Students will have opportunity to learn molecular biology, mammalian cell culture, genome engineering, bacteriology, bioinformatics or protein biochemistry depending on the specific project they take on.

• What profession other than your own would you enjoy, or what is your favorite hobby? 
  Pilot, astronomer.

The post RNA Faculty Spotlight – Zhonggang Hou, Biological Chemistry appeared first on Center for RNA Biomedicine.

Sami Barmada, M.D., Ph.D.

Website

• What is the role of RNA in your research?
  RNA homeostasis is crucial for neuronal function and health. We study the regulation of RNA and protein homeostasis, and how abnormalities in these processes lead to neurodegenerative diseases.

The image shows two neurons — the one in the bottom left dies, while the one in the top right lives. We’re studying why neurons die in ALS and frontotemporal dementia, but also why some neurons live. 

• Is there a layman image to explain your research?
  I think this .gif above encapsulates much of what we do. Why is the bottom neuron dying? Just as important, what keeps the top neuron alive? At a fundamental level, these are the questions that drive our work.
• Who/what brought you to science?
  When I was in college I began working in a lab, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Then I read an article on prion disease by Stanley Prusiner, and I was hooked.

• What brought you to the University of Michigan?
  The people and the opportunities. This institution really stands out in terms of the collaborative and outstanding faculty, the quality of students and postdocs, and the support for exceptional science.
• What advice would you give to students who’d like to get more involved in research? 
  Depth can be more valuable than breadth. In choosing a research project or lab, look for one in which you can make an impact, rather than just gain experience.
• Are there any opportunities for students to engage in your projects, currently or in the future?
  Yes!
  • What skills would they need?
    Motivation, curiosity, and perseverance.
  • What could they expect to learn? 
    Computational analyses of image-based date, bioinformatics, automation, protein biochemistry, molecular biology, cloning, genome modification, stem cell maintenance and differentiation, primary neuron dissection and culturing, mammalian cell culture, high-content and high-throughput microscopy, drug screening
• What profession other than your own would you enjoy, or what is your favorite hobby? 
  Anything that would give me more time outside — I like to spend my time running, biking, swimming, climbing, skiing, and more.

The post RNA Faculty Spotlight – Sami Barmada, Neurology appeared first on Center for RNA Biomedicine.

Amanda Garner
Associate Professor, Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy
Member of our Executive Committee

Lab Website
Twitter: @ALGchembio

The Garner Laboratory uses chemical biology, medicinal chemistry and molecular and cellular biology approaches to investigate the high-risk/high-reward areas of targeting microRNAs, RNA-protein and protein-protein interactions for probe and drug discovery. These efforts are part of our larger interest in studying mechanisms of translational control, which are dysregulated in many human diseases, yet remain underexplored for therapeutic development.

• Is there a layman image to explain your research?
  We are seeking to identify new RNA-related drug targets for the discovery of new medicines.

• Who/what brought you to science? 
  I am from a very rural area in Western Pennsylvania, St. Marys, Pennsylvania, and never considered a career in science until college. I was fortunate to have a supportive general chemistry professor, Prof. Shaun Murphree at Allegheny College, who demonstrated the impact of chemistry on the world. Following his organic chemistry courses and performing research in his lab, I was hooked!

• What brought you to the University of Michigan?
  I came to Michigan in 2013 to start my independent career as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry in the College of Pharmacy. I was just awarded tenure this year, and I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive and scientifically rigorous environment in which to launch my career.

• What advice would you give to students who’d like to get more involved in research?
  Do not be afraid of reaching out for opportunities and experiencing different areas of research: chemistry, biology, physics. Science today is interdisciplinary, and it is important to find your niche!

• Are there any opportunities for students to engage in your projects, currently or in the future?  
  My lab has always been student-focused and we welcome graduate and undergraduate students interested in interfacing between drug discovery and coding and non-coding RNA biology.

• What skills would they need? What could they expect to learn?
  Our lab is very diverse, working in research ranging from organic synthesis, molecular and cellular biology, natural products discovery and structural biology. Students choose what area of science they are most interested in, and we set up opportunities for them to learn about that area.

• What profession other than your own would you enjoy, or what is your favorite hobby?
  I love cooking! If I were not a scientist, I would most definitely be a chef. Training to become a chef, the dedication and skill required, and starting a new restaurant are very analogous to starting an academic research lab.

The post RNA Faculty Spotlight – Amanda Garner, Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy appeared first on Center for RNA Biomedicine.

Sara Aton, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
College of LSA

Lab Website
Google Scholar profile
ResearchGate profile

Research interests

The functions of sleep are a major unsolved mystery in modern biology. Increasing evidence suggests that sleep is by and for the brain, and our lab is focused on understanding what sleep does for fundamental brain functions such as storage of newly-learned information.

• What is the role of RNA in your research?
  While some of our lab’s work is focused on electrophysiological aspects of sleep and their role in optimizing brain function, more recently we have focused on biochemical changes associated with both learning and subsequent sleep. One important issue is that rates of protein synthesis appear to differ between wake and sleep. Moreover, sleep-dependent protein synthesis appears to be critical for the process of memory consolidation. However, it is unclear which transcripts are translated during sleep, what cell types this synthesis occurs in, the functional consequences of these events, and what aspects of sleep drive them. We have recently begun to address this by profiling ribosome-associated transcripts in a cell type and cell compartment-specific manner, across learning and sleep. We have also found that lncRNAs and microRNAs are affected by brain state, suggesting additional levels of transcript regulation during sleep.

• Who/what brought you to science?
  I wanted a career that would have a lasting impact for mankind. Contributing to the body of human knowledge was for me a clear way to do that. I found that I was really interested in the brain, how it generates our experiences and shapes our perceptions. I have been very pleased with the job security associated with studying both the brain and sleep – it is early days, and we have so much left to learn about both.

• What brought you to the University of Michigan?
  I was at Michigan as an undergraduate, and knew that the research community and resources here were first rate. Coming back to start my own lab made perfect sense. The thing I love most about UM is the fact that there are stellar researchers working in every field you can imagine, and there are almost no barriers for collaboration. First-rate interdisciplinary research can be done in such an environment, and I love learning new things from my colleagues.

• What advice would you give to students who’d like to get more involved in research?
  It seems trite, but follow your bliss. A research career requires hard work, no doubt, but if you are doing what you love, you will have success, happiness, and a real sense of fulfillment.

• Are there any opportunities for students to engage in your projects, currently or in the future?
  Yes

• • What skills would they need?
    Due to the nature of our work, the ability to work with animals is a must. We can teach the rest.

• • What could they expect to learn?
    Our work is fairly interdisciplinary, so openness to learning new things (from cell biology to systems and computational neuroscience) is an asset.

• What profession other than your own would you enjoy, or what is your favorite hobby?
  When I started in college I was a fine art major. I still love to paint, but if I had to find a new career today I would love to be a paleontologist. Every time I fly out west I daydream about going into the desert and digging for fossils.

The post RNA Faculty Spotlight – Sara Aton, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology appeared first on Center for RNA Biomedicine.

What are your research interests?
My research group uses computational and wet lab techniques to study how genes are controlled in human cells. We have a large focus on how human variation can change this control and how this can lead to increased risk for disease.

Who/what brought you to science?
I have always been fascinated by the complex control of the cells in our bodies and how that control was encoded in our DNA. I have also loved working with computers since a young age. Combining both of these interests got me hooked.

What advice would you give to students who would like to get more involved in research?
Take opportunities to do research as early as you can and don’t be afraid to reach out to labs that are doing work that looks interesting to you.

Are there any opportunities for students to engage in your projects, currently or in the future? 
Absolutely. We are always looking for motivated individuals to join our group.

What other profession would you enjoy, or what is your favorite hobby? 

The post RNA Faculty Spotlight – Alan Boyle, Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, and Human Genetics appeared first on Center for RNA Biomedicine.

Analisa DiFeo, Ph.D. 
Associate Professor
Pathology and Ob/Gyn
Michigan Medicine

Twitter
Faculty page
DiFeo Lab
LinkedIn
Google Scholar

Research Interests:
Using a combination of in vitro and in vivo approaches, my lab hopes to better understand the mechanism by which both microRNA’s and the genes they regulate are involved in ovarian tumor biology at the cellular level as well as in disease development and progression.  

• • Who/what brought you to science? 

A combination of scientific curiosity and personal experiences. Curiosity has always defined me. My earliest memories as child are my asking “why?”  I vividly remember the day my sister who was then 3.5 years older than me, came home from the hospital after her sixth surgery for her cleft lip. All I remember myself thinking was: “Why does my sister have this? Why don’t I have it? How did it happen?”  This was probably my first scientific question at the age of four.

• • What brought you to the University of Michigan?

I have always loved to collaborate with people and what really impressed me about University of Michigan was that you could find an expert in almost any field on campus. In order to make transformative discoveries we need to work as a team. I was very eager to come here and collaborate with intelligent and passionate scientists who want to make an impact.

• • What advice would you give to students who’d like to get more involved in research?

Find your passion because when your heart leads, you do your best work. Never hesitate to send an email, ask a question or inquire about a potential position in someone’s lab because as long as you are genuine you will get a genuine response. As a PI, I am always looking for trainees who are truly passionate about science and have that burning desire to tackle the tough problems.

• Are there any opportunities for students to engage in your projects, currently or in the future?  Yes.
  • What skills would they need?
    Students who enter my lab need to be motivated, eager to learn, have general wet lab skills, and potentially have some tissue culture or mouse experience. However, if someone does not have these skills but have a genuine passion, I have a wonderful and patient team that is always eager to teach.

• • What could they expect to learn?  
    Work performed in our lab spans a wide spectrum of areas ranging from bacteria and mice, to humans. Students will learn about molecular biology, mouse/human genetics, cancer biology, mouse models, signaling pathways, miRNA regulation, and development patient-derived models.

• What profession other than your own would you enjoy, or what is your favorite hobby?
  If I were not a biomedical scientist, I would have loved to be a detective or a professional basketball player. Surprisingly, I was going to play college basketball but decided to major in biochemistry!

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Daniel Peltier M.D., Ph.D.
Clinical Lecturer
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

Video profile

My scientific and clinical interests include discovering ways to modulate the immune system to help ameliorate childhood disease, especially high-risk pediatric malignancies. Currently, I am working with Dr. Reddy investigating novel ways RNA molecules impact T cell biology and alloimmunity. One aspect of this work seeks to understand the role long non-coding RNAs play in alloimmunity, the result of which could directly influence the development of therapies to improve bone marrow transplantation for children with high risk malignancies and have broader implications for T-cell biology and other inflammatory disorders.

• Who/what brought you to science?
  Its potential to help others. Curiosity. The thrill of discovering the unknown.

• What brought you to the University of Michigan?
  Its immense resources and collaborative environment.

• What advice would you give to students who’d like to get more involved in research?
  Be curious and seek out all opportunities to gain experience.

• Are there any opportunities for students to engage in your projects, currently or in the future?
  Not currently due to the pandemic, but potentially in the future.

• What skills would they need? Ideally, some bench experience (course work) in biochemistry, cell biology, and immunology (all are not required as much would be learned experientially).

• What could they expect to learn? Immunology, cell biology, biochemistry

• What profession other than your own would you enjoy, or what is your favorite hobby?
  I think being an outdoor hiking/wilderness tour guide would be amazing

The post RNA Faculty Spotlight — Dan Peltier, Pediatric Hematology/Oncology appeared first on Center for RNA Biomedicine.

Sarah Keane, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biophysics, William R. Roush Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Biophysics and Department of Chemistry
College of LSA

https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/keane-lab/
@KeaneLab

The Keane’s lab is interested in understanding how RNA molecules fold and how their three-dimensional structures impact function. RNAs play a number of different regulatory roles in health and disease and my lab is focused on determining how changes in three-dimensional structure impact biological activity. Using NMR spectroscopy, in combination with other structural methods, we aim to determine structures of RNAs that have historically been considered unattainable.

• • What is the role of RNA in your research?
    RNA is everything! My lab primarily focuses on RNA structural biology; however, we are also interested in studying RNA-protein and RNA-small molecule interactions.

• • Who/what brought you to science?
    I’ve always loved science. My parents were instrumental in encouraging me to pursue these interests. I was also really fortunate to have great teachers in middle and high school who inspired me to study Chemistry in college.

• • What brought you to the University of Michigan?
    I was drawn to Michigan in large part due to its vibrant RNA community. I have fantastic colleagues in both Chemistry and Biophysics and enjoy being able to interact with RNA Biomedicine faculty from across campus.

• • What advice would you give to students who would like to get more involved in research?
    Identify areas of research that interest you. Don’t shy away from topics and techniques that you don’t have experience with, research is all about learning. Reach out to faculty whose work interests you to inquire about open positions. Be clear about what you hope to contribute to the lab and what skills you hope to have by the time you leave the lab.

• • Are there any opportunities for students to engage in your projects, currently or in the future?
    YES! I’m always looking for talented undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdocs to join the lab. One of the great perks of being at the University of Michigan is the incredibly talented undergraduate and graduate students here.

• • What skills would they need?
    Most members of my lab have backgrounds in chemistry, biochemistry, or biophysics. I always tell students that they don’t need any specific scientific or experimental knowledge to join the lab – we will teach you how to collect and analyze data. When hiring a new trainee, I look for someone with a positive attitude, who is passionate about learning, and who is willing to push the envelope.

• What other profession would you enjoy, or what is your favorite hobby?
  I love to bake – cakes, cupcakes, cookies. I’m not sure that anyone would pay for my baking, so I don’t think I’d try to make a career jump, but it is one of my favorite things to do with my kids.

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