Susan Mango

Professor Susan Mango is a leading researcher in developmental biology at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, where she serves as Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology since 2019. Her laboratory investigates fundamental questions about how complex organs develop from embryonic cells, with a focus on the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism. She has made significant contributions to understanding transcriptional regulation, chromatin organization, and epigenetic inheritance during development.

• PhD, Princeton University (1984-1990)
• Undergraduate Researcher, MIT (1982-1983)
• Post-doctoral Fellow, University of Wisconsin (1990-1995)

Professor Mango's research spans several interconnected areas of developmental biology. Her laboratory examines how chromosomes are organized in 3D within the cell nucleus and how this organization affects development, with particular focus on heterochromatin formation during embryogenesis. She has pioneered work on pioneer transcription factors, especially PHA-4/FoxA, which determines cell identity in the developing gut. Her research also investigates how environmental conditions experienced by parents can influence embryonic development in subsequent generations, exploring mechanisms of epigenetic inheritance. Her laboratory employs molecular genetics, live imaging, genomics, and innovative chromosome tracing techniques to address these fundamental questions.

Professor Mango's publications reveal a consistent focus on nuclear architecture, transcriptional regulation, and developmental mechanisms using C. elegans. Her recent work has advanced chromosome tracing methodologies, explored translational control of mRNA localization, and investigated how neurons can modulate signaling to offspring. Her research shows a progression from foundational studies on organ development to more complex investigations of nuclear organization and transgenerational inheritance.

• Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Basel and Credit Suisse (2021)
• Elected to the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) (2019)
• NIH NIGMS MERIT Award (2011-2020)
• MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (2009-2013)
• Harland Winfield Mossman Developmental Biologists' Award (2005)

Professor Mango has led a productive research group investigating fundamental developmental processes for over two decades. Her laboratory has been supported by prestigious funding including the MacArthur Fellowship and NIH MERIT Award. She has mentored numerous students and postdoctoral researchers who have gone on to establish independent research careers. Her collaborative approach is evident in her extensive publication record spanning multiple disciplines within developmental biology.

Professor Mango leads the Mango Research Group at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, where her team employs advanced imaging techniques including Chromosome Tracing and multiplex FISH to study nuclear organization during embryogenesis. Her laboratory investigates multiple projects simultaneously including Chromosomes in 3D, Epigenetic Inheritance, Pioneer transcription factors, and The Skin I Live in (focusing on epidermal development).