معرفی
Justin Thackeray is a Professor of Biology at Clark University, specializing in genetics and molecular biology. He has been on the faculty since 1996 and has held leadership roles including chair of the Biology Department (2015–2018) and committee memberships such as the Undergraduate Academic Board and Planning and Budget Review. His research focuses on growth factor signaling pathways, particularly phospholipase C-gamma (PLC-γ) in Drosophila melanogaster, with implications for cancer biology. He has pioneered the use of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing and chemical genetic screens to study PLC-γ inhibitors.
Dr. Thackeray earned his Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Leicester (1989), followed by postdoctoral work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Yale University. He is affiliated with the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program and the Health, Science & Society program at Clark. His educational initiatives include integrating undergraduates into research through the Genomics Education Partnership and FlyCURE projects, supported by NIH grants.
His research interests span developmental mechanisms, cell signaling, and the application of genomics in undergraduate education. Notable contributions include identifying novel PLC-γ mutations and elucidating vesicle trafficking roles in developmental pathways. He has published extensively on Drosophila genetics and pedagogical strategies for STEM education.
- Awards: NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship (1989)
- Grants: NIH-funded projects on PLC-γ research
- Advising: Mentor to numerous undergraduate researchers listed in his publications
- Labs/Teams: Collaborates with the FlyCURE and Genomics Education Partnership networks
