Iain Cheeseman

Iain Cheeseman is a Professor of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Member of the Whitehead Institute, where he holds the Margaret and Herman Sokol Chair in Biomedical Research. He became a Member of Whitehead Institute and assistant professor at MIT in 2007, was promoted to full professor in 2018, and became the Herman and Margaret Sokol Professor of Whitehead in 2020. Since 2022, he has served as associate department head for MIT Biology.

Dr. Cheeseman completed his undergraduate training at Duke University and earned his doctorate in molecular and cell biology in 2002 from the University of California, Berkeley, working in the labs of David Drubin and Georjana Barnes. He conducted postdoctoral research at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in San Diego and UC San Diego under Arshad Desai.

The Cheeseman Lab focuses on understanding the molecular machinery involved in chromosome segregation and cell division, with particular emphasis on the kinetochore—a complex structure of over 100 proteins that connects chromosomes to the cellular machinery powering their movement. His research has transformed how scientists view the kinetochore as a molecular machine. Current work explores how cellular processes and their molecular machinery are rewired across different contexts including between cell types, during development, depending on cell state, in disease, and across evolution.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a consistent focus on mitotic regulation, protein variants, and kinetochore function. His work has increasingly examined translational isoforms, alternative splicing, and the precise regulatory mechanisms controlling protein production during cell division. This research has implications for understanding fundamental biological processes and potentially improving cancer therapies.

• Fellow of the American Society for Cell Biology (2023)
• MIT Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Outstanding Mentor - Faculty (2019)
• Keith R. Porter Fellow (2013)
• American Society for Cell Biology Early Career Life Scientist Award (2012)
• R.R. Bensley Award for Cell Biology from the American Association of Anatomists (2011)
• Human Frontiers Science Program Young Investigator Award (2010-2013)
• Searle Scholar Award (2009-2012)
• New Investigator Grant, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (2008-2011)
• Smith Family Award for Excellence in Biomedical Research (2007)

Dr. Cheeseman is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of scientists and increasing diversity in science. He serves on the ASCB's Women in Cell Biology Committee and is a Board Member and Treasurer for ASAPbio, a non-profit promoting innovations in life science communication. His lab employs diverse experimental approaches including cultured human cells and large-scale cell biological studies using optical pooled screening to analyze single-cell traits across millions of cells.