News & Announcements

Lila M. Gierasch, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, was profiled in The Scientist.

08/04/2017 - 9:45am
photo of Lila Gierasch

The article outlined how she developed into a prominent scientist and expert on protein folding through her undergraduate and graduate school years as well as her personal interests, including working on cars. Read more

Aujan Mehregan MS Thesis Defense

08/03/2017 - 11:45am

Wednesday, August 9, 2017
11:00 am
Integrated Sciences Building, Room 427L
Thesis Title:  Characterization of Calcium Homeostasis Parameters in TRPV3 & CaV3.2 Null Mice
Advisor:  Rafael Fissore

Doug Calenda MS Thesis Defense

08/03/2017 - 11:45am

Thursday, August 10, 2017
12:00 pm
Life Sciences Laboratories, Room N210
Thesis Title:  Partial Craniofacial Cartilage Rescue in Ace Mutants from Compensatory Signaling Permeating from the Developing Ventricle in Zebrafish
Advisor:  Craig Albertson

Serio’s project takes on sexism in science

08/01/2017 - 10:00am
photo of Tricia Serio

New CNS Dean Tricia Serio was profiled in a story in ASBMB Today about Speak Your Story, a project she launched that documents subtle sexism at scientific institutions as a way to begin designing ways to prevent it. The project invites academics to share their experiences with sexist comments or actions and helps increase awareness about the issue. Read more

Albertson’s research looks at surprising source of adaptive variation

08/01/2017 - 9:30am
photo of Craig Albertson

An unspoken frustration for evolutionary biologists over the past 100 years, says Craig Albertson, Biology, is that genetics can only account for a small percentage of variation in the physical traits of organisms. Now he reports experimental results on how another factor, a “bizarre behavior” that is part of early cichlid fish larvae’s developmental environment, influences later variation in their craniofacial bones, in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Read more

Cheung and Wu receive NSF funds for study of plant fertilization and seed production

07/24/2017 - 9:30am

Alice Cheung and Hen-Ming Wu, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, have been awarded $1.35 million from the National Science Foundation’s Division of Integrative and Organismal Systems and Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences to support their work in plant male-female interactions, which lead to fertilization and seed production, and in exploring basic mechanisms in plant signal transduction pathways. Read more

UMass Amherst Molecular Biologist Li-Jun Ma Wins Grant to Outwit Plant Fungal Diseases

07/20/2017 - 9:30am
photo of Li-Jun Ma

Li-Jun Ma, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, has been awarded a five-year, $880,000 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant by the National Science Foundation to fund her research on pathogenic fungi that can cause wilt diseases in more than 100 plants species and pose serious threats to agricultural productivity. The CAREER grant is NSF’s highest award in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of both. Read more

Zoeller discusses research on fetal alcohol syndrome

07/18/2017 - 9:30am

R. Thomas Zoeller, Biology, commented on a discovery that a common blood sugar medication or an extra dose of a thyroid hormone can reverse some signs fetal alcohol syndrome in rats may help scientists find an effective treatment for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in humans. “At this moment, there’s really no pharmaceutical therapy,” Zoeller said. Read more

Anna Ye PhD Dissertation Defense

07/12/2017 - 9:00am
photo of Anna Ye

Wednesday, July 26, 2017
1:00 PM
Integrated Sciences Building, Room 221
Dissertation Title:  Defining molecular pathways that ensure accurate cell division
Advisor:  Tom Maresca

Madelaine Bartlett receives National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant to investigate flower diversity

07/11/2017 - 9:00am
Photo of of brachypodium distachyon flower

Madelaine Bartlett has received a five-year, $837,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant to investigate the developmental processes that create diversity among species of flowering plants. The CAREER grant is NSF’s highest award in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of both. Read more

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