David Threadgill

David Threadgill is the Department Head of the Department of Nutrition and a Professor at Texas A&M University's College of Agriculture & Life Sciences. His research focuses on using mouse models to study genetic and environmental factors influencing health and disease, particularly in cancer susceptibility, Erbb gene function, and responses to environmental stimuli. He leads international efforts to develop the Collaborative Cross mouse genetic resource for systems biology studies.

• Education:
  • B.S. in Zoology, Texas A&M University (1983)
  • Ph.D. in Genetics, Texas A&M University (1989)
  • Postdoc in Genetics at Case Western Reserve University (1990–1996)

Research Interests: Threadgill’s lab investigates cancer genetics (colorectal and breast cancer), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling in development and disease, and genetic responses to environmental factors like diet and toxins. His work integrates systems genetics approaches using the Collaborative Cross mouse population to study complex traits.

Key Contributions: His research includes developing novel genetic tools, identifying susceptibility genes for ERBB2-driven tumors, and analyzing host genetics in infectious diseases. The lab’s work on mouse models has implications for personalized medicine and environmental risk assessment.

Labs/Teams: Threadgill directs the Threadgill Lab (MouseLab.org), part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, collaborating internationally on systems genetics and translational studies.