معرفی
Craig Kaplan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. His research focuses on understanding transcriptional control mechanisms in eukaryotes, particularly the role of RNA Polymerase II in gene expression regulation. He investigates how alterations in RNA Pol II activity impact cellular states and disease mechanisms.
Dr. Kaplan earned his Ph.D. in 2003 at Harvard University under Fred Winston, followed by postdoctoral training with Roger Kornberg at Stanford University. After a nine-year tenure as faculty at Texas A&M University, he joined the University of Pittsburgh in 2019. His lab employs model organisms to study transcription initiation, elongation, and co-transcriptional mRNA processing, with a focus on human disease relevance.
Key research themes include RNA Pol II trigger loop dynamics, promoter scanning, and the interplay between transcription and chromatin structure. His work integrates structural biology, biochemistry, and computational methods to uncover mechanisms underlying transcription fidelity and speed.
Recent articles highlight advancements in understanding nucleosome transcription barriers, RNA Pol II inhibition by thiolutin, and epistatic interactions in enzyme active sites. His lab’s findings contribute to both fundamental biology and translational insights into diseases linked to gene expression dysregulation.
Current lab members include postdoctoral associate Anandhakumar Jayamani and graduate students Payal Arora, Bingbing Duan, and Yunye Zhu. The lab collaborates broadly to bridge molecular mechanisms with systems-level biology.
