Heather Wilkins

Heather Wilkins, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Biology in the D’Amour College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Assumption University. She earned her B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University (1995), followed by an M.S. (1999) and Ph.D. (2000) from the University of Maryland, with a dissertation focused on 'Cell death and division in the vertebrate inner ear.'

• B.A., Ohio Wesleyan University, 1995
• M.S., University of Maryland, 1999
• Ph.D., University of Maryland, 2000

Her research intersects molecular biology, cell biology, and neurobiology, with a particular emphasis on apoptosis mechanisms across various biological systems. Her work also extends into hearing research, exploring hair cell dynamics and regeneration in avian models, and cancer biology through the lens of estrogen's influence on drug resistance.

Heather’s publications reveal a focus on growth factor modulation of apoptosis, comparative auditory system studies, and cell proliferation in the inner ear. She has investigated irradiation-induced apoptosis in transgenic mice, hair cell death in canaries, and supporting cell proliferation in vertebrates.

Scientific recognition includes a Faculty Development Grant (2007) for her research on 'Increased Apoptosis and Altered Drug Resistance in Estrogen-treated Colon Cancer Cells.'