Allyson F. O'Donnell

Dr. Allyson F. O'Donnell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh. She is affiliated with the Center for Protein Conformational Diseases, the Pittsburgh Center for Evolutionary Biology and Medicine, and professional societies including the American Society for Cell Biology.

• Ph.D., Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University (Canada)
• M.S., Biology, University of New Brunswick (Canada)
• B.S., Biochemistry (Honors), University of New Brunswick (Canada)

Her research focuses on the α-arrestin family of protein trafficking adaptors, their role in GPCR signaling, and their unexpected involvement in endosomal recycling and clathrin-independent endocytosis. She employs Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model organism to define molecular mechanisms before applying findings to mammalian systems. Key areas include ubiquitination, signaling regulators (kinases/phosphatases), and transmembrane cargo recognition.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals trends in yeast protein trafficking, GPCR regulation, and metabolic stress responses. Subfields span ubiquitination motifs, nutrient signaling, and evolutionary conservation between yeast and mammals.

Dr. O'Donnell mentors graduate students and participates in science outreach programs. She teaches advanced biology courses and leads a lab with collaborative projects involving yeast genetics, mammalian tissue culture, and computational modeling of protein interactions.