Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development

Faculty of the Division of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development (GGED) explore the fundamental mechanisms of genetics, evolution, and development using genetic, molecular, biochemical, computational, and genomic approaches. Interests include the basic mechanisms of transcription, RNA processing, and translation, and their control; structure, function, and evolution of gene regulatory networks; origin and evolution of animal signaling and patterning mechanisms in development; replication, structure, dynamics, and evolution of genomes; embryonic pattern formation and morphogenesis, including the control of cell fate; regulatory mechanisms at the genomic level, including sex determination and dosage compensation genetic and genomic diversity and variation within natural and artificial populations. GGD research groups take advantage of a wide variety of organisms to address these issues, including both established model systems (e.g., yeast, nematodes, frult flies, zebrafish), and new genome-enabled emerging models (e.g., sea squirts, sea anemones, frogs, choanoflagellates). The Division is home to the Center for Integrative Genomics and participates in the campus-wide Computational Biology Initiative. It also has close ties with major genome sequencing initiatives including the Drosophilia genome project and numerous animal and fungal genome projects at the nearby DOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI) in Walnut Creek and elsewhere, as well as associated research at the Gump Field Station in Moorea, French Polynesia.

Faculty

The following is an alphabetical list of active MCB faculty members in the division and brief descriptions of their research. Additional faculty lists are available using the following links:

Emeriti and Professors of the Graduate School | Secondary Divisional Affiliates

Georjana Barnes
Judy Chandler Webb Endowed Chair and Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Microtubule cytoskeleton and cell cycle controls

Steven E. Brenner
Professor (Affiliated) of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Computational Genomics

Xavier Darzacq
Associate Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Transcription regulation during cellular differentiation

Michael B. Eisen
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Genomics/Bioinformatics

Hernan G. Garcia
Associate Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Physical biology. Transcriptional regulation. Development of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster

Gian Garriga
Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Developmental neurobiology; molecular genetics

Richard Harland
Senior Associate Dean of Biological Sciences, C.H. Li Distinguished Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Molecular biology of development

Nicole King
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Choanoflagellates, animal origins, and the evolution of host-microbe interactions

Doug Koshland
Richard and Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Chair in the Biological Sciences & Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Mechanisms and principles that mediate desiccation tolerance and the structure, integrity, and evolution of chromosomes

Liana Lareau
Assistant Professor (Affiliated) of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development

Megan Martik
Assistant Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Neural crest in development, disease, evolution, and tissue regeneration

Barbara Meyer
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Sex determination in C. elegans

Craig T. Miller
Associate Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Developmental and evolutionary genetics

Priya Moorjani
Assistant Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Human Population Genetics and Evolutionary Biology

Dipti Nayak
Assistant Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Physiology and evolution of archaea; biochemistry of methanogenesis; genome editing tools for archaeal genetics

Daniel S. Rokhsar
Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Collective phenomena and ordering in condensed matter and biological systems

Peter Sudmant
Assistant Professor (Affiliated) of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Evolutionary and Functional Genomics

Elçin Ünal
Associate Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Molecular basis of cellular rejuvenation, gene regulation during cellular differentiation

Fyodor Urnov
Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Understanding and editing the human epigenome for molecular therapeutic development

Noah Whiteman
Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
We study the genetic basis of biotic interactions, the evolution of immune systems and toxin evolution-resistance mechanisms

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Emeriti and Professors of the Graduate School

Steven Beckendorf
Professor Emeritus of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Molecular biology of development; Global warming: solutions and biological effects; Concentrating solar power.

Thomas Cline
Professor Emeritus of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Sex determination in Drosophila

Jasper Rine
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor and Professor of the Graduate School Division of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Gene regulation; cell biology

Henk Roelink
Professor Emeritus of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Induction in vertebrate development and ES cell differentiation

Kristin Scott
Professor Emerita of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development
Processing gustatory information in the Drosophila brain

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Secondary Divisional Affiliates

The following faculty have a secondary affiliation with the Genetics, Genomics, Evolution, and Development division.

David Bilder
Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology
Genetics of cell and tissue architecture

Michael Botchan
Dean of Biological Sciences Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology
Eukaryote DNA replication and control of S phase

Gloria Brar
Associate Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology
Regulation of meiotic translation, the roles of pervasive short translation products, and the co-option of stress responses for cellular differentiation through meiosis

Abby Dernburg
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology
Chromosome organization and dynamics during meiosis

David G. Drubin
Ernette Comby Chair in Microbiology Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology
Actin and microtubule cytoskeletons in yeast and mammalian cells

Iswar Hariharan
Department Co-Chair and Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology
Mechanisms of control of growth and cell proliferation. Regulation of regenerative growth.

Dirk Hockemeyer
Associate Professor of Cell Biology, Development and Physiology
Telomere biology of human stem cells

Donald Rio
Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology
Molecular genetics; transposable elements; RNA splicing

Robert Tjian
Howard Hughes Medical Institute President and Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology
Eukaryotic molecular biology; biochemistry

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