Curriculum Vitae
General Approach
My research is quite cross-disciplinary. The majority of biological
studies have focused on biochemical or genetic understanding of
biological processes, however understanding the relevant physical
processes is also important. Proteins physically do things, and to
understand the biology, we must start to think about proteins as
machines, as well as considering their biochemical properties and
genetic regulation. We will soon know the Human Genome, we already know
the Drosophila and the C. Elegans Genomes, and yet are very far from
understanding how proteins work, and how the exquisitely ordered
structures we observe in cells, embryos, and developed organisms come
about. Cytoskeletal processes such as transport are important in the
creation of this order, and my lab is attempting to develop and apply
physical tools to quantify transport as it occurs in living cells.
Education
- 1983-87 B.A. with honors, University of Chicago,
Physics.
- 1988-95 Ph. D., University of Texas at Austin,
Physics.
- 1995 Physiology Course, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole.
Research Experience
- 1999-2000 Postdoctoral Fellow in Developmental Biology with Dr.
Eric Wieschaus.
- 1995-1999 Postdoctoral Fellow in Molecular Biology with Dr. Steve
Block.
Built dual-beam optical tweezers with nm resolution position
detector.Used tweezers with video-enhanced DIC microscopy to study
transport in Drosophila embryos.Found developmental regulation of
vesicle stalling force, and a mutant, klar, that coordinates motor
activity
- 1988-95 Graduate studies with H.L. Swinney and M. Marder.
Studied fast fracture in PMMA and glass.Developed an electrical
resistive coating technique to measure crack length with high
spatial (0.1 mm) and temporal (0.05 ms) resolution.Discovered a
velocity-dependent instability in fast fracture causing micro-crack
branching, resulting in lower than expected velocity of crack
advance.
- 1984-88 Research with A. Libchaber, University of Chicago.
Studied pattern development in soap froths, and high Rayleigh number
convection in water.Discovered propagating temperature waves in the
boundary layer.
Postdoctoral Research
In order to investigate the in vivo function of molecular motors, I
developed biophysical tools to study microtubule-based cargo transport
in early drosophila embryos. Combining stalling-force measurements with
nanometer-resolution particle tracking and genetic manipulations has
lead to a better understanding of the regulation of bi-directional
transport inside of cells. However, the regulation of this transport is
apparently quite complex, and work in my lab continues to investigate
these and other transport phenomena.
Graduate Research
As a graduate student I studied fast fracture, discovering that
cracks move slower than predicted by theory because of the appearance of
patterns of microcracks (frustrated attempted branching) that appear at
a critical velocity, and dissipate energy.Towards the end of my graduate
degree I became fascinated by cellular function, and started to learn
more about biological organization at the cellular level. I switched to
biophysics as a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton, in the lab of Dr.
Steven Block.
Teaching experience
- 1995-presentTrained/Supervised three undergraduates in our
laboratory at Princeton
- 1997Senior teaching assistant at Princeton, teaching Bio 214, a
biology class for biology majors with 350 students.Gave weekly
review lectures, had office hours, and graded exams.
- 1997One of four lecturers at ‘Youth Leadership 1997’, a
NJ-statewide conference for about 250 high school students.I
lectured on Cloning, and helped students discuss some of the moral
issues associated with biotechnology.
- 1988-95Teaching assistant at the University of Austin,
introductory physics.
- 1993-95T trained/supervised a new graduate student.
Awards
- 1996-NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship.
- 1994University of Texas Graduate Professional Advancement Award.
- 1993University of Texas Graduate Professional Advancement Award.
- 1983-85National Merit Scholarship.
Publications
Go to the
publications button on
the Top of the screen; it is kept up to date.