Post-doctoral Fellow
I completed my PhD in Eric Johnson’s lab at the University of Oregon in 2008. My graduate work focused on developing a technique using molecular biology and high-throughput Illumina Solexa sequencing to quickly and precisely identify genomic alterations. This method can rapidly map mutations associated with a phenotype, as well as help construct genetic and physical maps for any organism. I also studied the cell’s transcriptional and translational response to low oxygen. Specifically, I found that HIF-1 directly up-regulates Heat Shock Factor (Hsf) during hypoxia, which is critical to cell survival during bouts of low oxygen.
In the Dillin lab I study the role Hsf plays in aging and protein homeostasis. It has been show that removal of Hsf has detrimental effects on lifespan and protein aggregation when worms are stressed with proteotoxic loads. I am working on a gain of function Hsf worm strain to elucidate the actual protective mechanism by which Hsf functions.
Further study concentrates on testing the tissue specific necessity of PHA-4. Dietary restriction has been shown to increase lifespan and decrease age-related pathologies. The Dillin lab has shown that PHA-4 is necessary for the longevity phenotype of dietary restriction. I am also looking to identify downstream targets of PHA-4 that are involved in the dietary-dependent lifespan extension.
Publications
- Baird NA, Etter PD, Atwood TS, Currey MC, Shiver AL, Lewis ZA, Selker EU, Cresko WA, Johnson EA. Rapid SNP discovery and genetic mapping using sequenced RAD markers. PLOS One. 2008. Oct 13; 3(10): e3376.
- Baird NA, Turnbull DW, Johnson EA. Induction of the heat shock pathway during hypoxia requires regulation of heat shock factor by hypoxia-inducible factor-1. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2006. Dec 15; 281 (50): 38675-81.