GCDB Faculty

Genome, Cell, and Developmental Biology Training Faculty

Important note to prospective graduate students

Below you will see a list of professors and scientists who are eager to work with you on your Ph.D. research. Please note, however, that core training faculty members Brian Calvi, Roger Innes, and Craig Pikaard are not accepting new students.

Core Training Faculty

Manuel Baizabal

Manuel Baizabal

Assistant Professor, Biology

Research Interests
functional genomics of mammalian brain development; epigenetic control of neurogenesis and neuronal fate specification; evolution of transcriptional regulation in neural stem cells

Stephen Bell

Stephen Bell

Distinguished Professor, Biology

Distinguished Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Research Interests
chromosome organization, gene expression and DNA replication

Volker Brendel

Volker Brendel

Professor, Biology

Professor, Computer Science

Research Interests
genome informatics as related to plant transcriptional control and pre-mRNA splicing and computational infrastructure (cyberinfrastructure) for genome studies

Robert Calderon

Robert Calderon

Assistant Scientist

(he/him/his)

Research Interests
the role(s) of micropeptides in light-mediated seedling development; regulation of chloroplast and mitochondrial metabolism

Brian Calvi

Brian Calvi

Professor, Biology

(he/him/his)

Research Interests
cell cycle control of DNA replication and genome stability

Heather A. Hundley

Heather A. Hundley

Associate Professor, Biology

Sagalowsky Professor of Biology

Director, GCDB Graduate Program

(she/her/hers)

Research Interests
gene regulation in development and disease, effects of tissue-specific gene expression on organismal health and behavior, regulation and function of RNA editing

Roger Innes

Roger Innes

Distinguished Professor, Biology

(he/him/his)

Research Interests
molecular genetics of plant/pathogen interactions

Justin Kumar

Justin Kumar

Professor, Biology

(he/him/his)

Research Interests
Regulation of tissue/organ specification and patterning

Alizée Malnoë

Alizée Malnoë

Associate Professor, Biology

Affiliate, Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

(she/her/hers)

Research Interests
photosynthesis, molecular mechanism of photoprotection, plant response to stress

Scott Michaels

Scott Michaels

Assistant Vice President for Centers and Core Facilities, IU Research

Professor, Biology

(he/him/his)

Research Interests
regulation of chromatin structure and gene expression by epigenetic modifications

Luke Nikolov

Luke Nikolov

Assistant Professor, Biology

(he/him/his)

  • lnikolov@iu.edu
  • Myers Hall 316A

Research Interests
plant development and evolution, transcription factors in floral development, single-cell genomics

Craig Pikaard

Craig Pikaard

Distinguished Professor, Biology/Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Carlos O. Miller Professor, Biology/Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Research Interests
mechanisms of RNA-mediated gene silencing and large-scale epigenetic control

Sidney Shaw

Sidney Shaw

Professor, Biology

Director, IU Light Microscopy Imaging Center (LMIC)

Director, Integrated Freshman Learning Experience (IFLE)

Research Interests
microtubule dynamics and cellular morphogenesis in arabidopsis

Jason Tennessen

Jason Tennessen

Associate Chair for Research and Facilities, Biology

Associate Professor, Biology

(he/him/his)

Research Interests
developmental mechanisms and regulation in eukaryotic systems

W. Dan Tracey

W. Dan Tracey

Professor, Biology

Linda and Jack Gill Chair of Neuroscience

  • dtracey@indiana.edu
  • 812-856-2574
  • Multidisciplinary Science Bldg. II 204

Research Interests
behavior; developmental mechanisms and regulation in eukaryotic systems; eukaryotic cell biology; cytoskeleton and signaling

Lesley Weaver

Lesley Weaver

Assistant Professor, Biology

(she/her/hers)

Research Interests
physiological control of stem cell lineages by inter-organ communication

Andrew Zelhof

Andrew Zelhof

Professor, Biology

Genome, Cell, and Developmental Biology Section Associate Chair, Biology

Director, Drosophila Genomics Resource Center

Research Interests
developmental mechanisms and regulation in eukaryotic systems; eukaryotic cell biology; cytoskeleton and signaling evolution