John J. Colicelli

John J. Colicelli is an Assistant Professor of Biological Chemistry at UCLA. He holds administrative roles as Vice Chair of Biological Chemistry and Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs. His research focuses on signal transduction by RAS proteins and tumorigenesis. Colicelli received his B.S. in Chemistry from Rutgers University and completed his Ph.D. under Stephen Goff at Columbia University, followed by postdoctoral training with Michael Wigler at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. He has mentored numerous PhD students and postdoctoral fellows. His teaching spans undergraduates, medical students, and graduate students. Colicelli is an openly gay man but concealed this identity early in his career due to concerns about professional perceptions.

• Education:
• B.S. in Chemistry, Rutgers University
• Ph.D. in Retrovirology, Columbia University
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

Research interests include molecular mechanisms of RAS signaling pathways and their role in cancer. His work bridges biochemical and genetic approaches to understand tumor progression. Colicelli emphasizes the importance of mentorship and has contributed to academic leadership roles at UCLA.