PhD
Professor, Genetics
UNC-Chapel Hill
Cancer Cell Biology Research Program
Area of Interest
We study the behavior of individual cells and try to understand how groups of cells work together to carry out emergent functions. We are especially interested in “irreversible” cell fates such as apoptosis, senescence, and differentiation. How does a given cell convert molecular signals into a permanent decision? How do groups of cells balance these decisions? We use a variety of experimental and computational approaches to investigate these questions including molecular profiling, time-lapse microscopy, computational modeling, and machine learning. Our ultimate goal is to not only understand how cells make decisions under physiological conditions, but to discover how to manipulate these choices to treat disease.
Find publications on Google Scholar
Awards and Honors
- NIH Pathway to Independence Award – NIGMS (K99/R00), 2012
- Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award – NIGMS (F32), 2010-2012
- Visiting Scholar at Duke Center for Systems Biology, 2011
- NHGRI Computational Genomics Graduate Fellowship, 2008-2009
- Computational Molecular Science and Engineering Forum (CoMSEF) Graduate Student Award, 2008
- James Davidson Graduate Travel Scholarship, 2004
- American Society for Microbiology Travel Award, 2004
- President’s Award, American Society for Microbiology, 2003
- Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship, 1997-2001
- University of Florida Honors Program, 1997-1999
