Leslie Pick

Leslie Pick is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Entomology at the University of Maryland, College Park, within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Her research focuses on regulatory genes and pathways controlling embryonic development, particularly the evolution of Hox genes and modeling insulin-signaling diseases in Drosophila.

Education:

• B.A. in Psychology/Biology, Wesleyan University (1977)
• Ph.D., Albert Einstein College of Medicine (1986)

Professional Roles:

• Chair, Department of Entomology (2013–present)
• Affiliate Member, Department of Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics (2005–present)
• Program Director, NSF Division of Integrated Organismal Sciences (2012–2013)
• Director, Graduate Program in Molecular & Cell Biology (2004–2008)

Research Interests: Leslie investigates the evolutionary shifts in Hox gene function, from homeotic regulators to segmentation genes in Drosophila, and employs Drosophila models to study insulin-signaling pathway diseases. Her work bridges developmental genetics and molecular evolution.