معرفی
Rita M. Graze is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Auburn University, where she conducts research and teaches in the fields of genetics and genomics. She is affiliated with the College of Sciences and Mathematics and leads the Grazelab research group.
Education:
- Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Florida, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, 2012
- Ph.D., University of California Davis, Genetics, 2007
- B.A., University of Santa Cruz, Biology - Ecology and Evolution, 1998
Her research centers on gene regulation, functional genomics, and evolutionary genetics, with a focus on sex differences in gene expression using Drosophila as a model system. She integrates transgenic techniques, genomic analyses, and bioinformatics to study regulatory variation and its role in phenotypic evolution. Her work explores how sex-specific gene regulation contributes to variability in stress response, immunity, and sexual dimorphism, and how these mechanisms evolve across species.
The analysis of her publications reveals a consistent focus on regulatory variation, allelic imbalance, transcript diversity, and evolutionary divergence in Drosophila. Her work combines high-throughput sequencing, statistical modeling, and comparative genomics to understand the genetic architecture underlying complex traits and the role of sex in shaping gene expression patterns.
Scientific Awards:
- No awards mentioned in the provided text.
Advising and Grants:
While specific students and grant funding are not listed, Dr. Graze leads an active research lab and mentors students in genetics and genomics research. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses, including Genetics (BIOL3000) and Gene Expression and rDNA Lab (BIOL5521/6521), indicating a strong commitment to training the next generation of scientists.
Labs and Teams:
Dr. Graze leads the Grazelab at Auburn University, a research group focused on understanding the role of sex differences in gene regulation in evolution. The lab employs a multidisciplinary approach combining molecular biology, genomics, and computational analysis to study regulatory mechanisms in Drosophila.
