معرفی
Lorraine Pillus is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). She has held leadership roles, including Chair of Molecular Biology (2012–2016) and Associate Dean of the Division of Biological Sciences (2016–2019). Her research focuses on chromatin structure, epigenetic regulation, and transcriptional silencing in yeast and human genes. Pillus is renowned for studying histone-modifying enzymes like HATs, HDACs, and methyltransferases, elucidating their roles in chromatin dynamics and DNA repair.
Education: PhD in Molecular Biology with Frank Solomon at MIT; postdoctoral research with Jasper Rine at UC Berkeley, supported by a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship.
Research Interests
- Chromatin regulation and epigenetic processes
- Role of histone acetylation/deacetylation in gene expression
- Transcriptional silencing mechanisms in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
- Interactions between chromatin modifiers and DNA repair pathways
Notable Articles
Recent work explores cell cycle roles of GCN5, yeast aging mechanisms, and the interplay between metabolic activities and heterochromatin. Publications highlight her contributions to understanding chromatin-remodeling complexes like NuA4 and SAGA.
Awards & Honors
- AAAS Fellow (2017)
- American Academy of Microbiology Member (2018)
- Revelle College Faculty Fellow (2020)
- Pew Scholar and NSF New Investigator
Grants & Mentorship
- Directed over 30 PhD and postdoctoral researchers (see alumni list)
- Current lab includes postdocs (Jennifer Chik, Emily Petty) and graduate students (Thomas Liu)
Labs & Teams
Pillus Lab at UCSD focuses on chromatin biology, with collaborations in epigenetics and yeast genetics. The lab hosts interdisciplinary projects combining genetics, biochemistry, and single-cell analysis.
