Cheryl Van Buskirk

Cheryl Van Buskirk is a Professor in the Department of Biology at California State University Northridge. She teaches courses such as BIOL100 (Non-majors Biology), BIOL447/L (FIRE Lab), BIOL360 (Genetics), and graduate seminars. Her research focuses on the cellular basis of sleep need using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as a model organism, particularly stress-induced sleep and its genetic links to the EGF signaling pathway.

• Education: Ph.D. (2000, Princeton University), B.S. (1993, University of Calgary).

Her lab investigates sleep mechanisms in C. elegans, connecting sleep regulation to cellular damage responses and cancer-related pathways. She emphasizes accessible teaching and inclusive research experiences for undergraduates.

• Scientific Awards: Faculty Technology Fellow.