Sean P Ryder

Sean P. Ryder, Ph.D., is Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology at UMass Chan Medical School. In addition to his primary appointment, he holds faculty affiliations with the T.H. Chan School of Medicine (Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biotechnology, NeuroNexus Institute, and RNA Therapeutics Institute) and the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biotechnology, Biophysical Chemical & Computational Biology, Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, MD/PhD Program, Neuroscience, Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program, and Translational Science). He also participates in the university-wide Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology program.

Education:

• B.S. in Biochemistry, University of New Hampshire at Manchester
• Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry, Yale University

Research Focus:

The Ryder laboratory investigates post-transcriptional mechanisms that govern gene expression during development and disease. Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model, the group combines quantitative biochemistry, structural biology, chemical biology, and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome engineering to dissect how RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and maternal mRNAs regulate embryonic polarity, cell-fate specification, and germline development. A second major direction explores how temperature stress alters reproductive success by affecting maternal mRNA stability and translation, providing insight into climate-change–relevant biology.

Scientific Contributions:

• Elucidated RNA-recognition codes for key developmental RBPs (GLD-1, MEX-3, MEX-5, POS-1, OMA-1)
• Developed high-throughput chemical-biology platforms to identify small-molecule modulators of RBP function
• Generated extensive genome-edited C. elegans strains for in vivo dissection of 3′ UTR regulatory elements
• Pioneered integrative methods such as PRIMA and quantitative RNA-protein interactome capture

Laboratory & Collaborations:

The Ryder Lab occupies the 9th floor of the Lazare Research Building and enjoys close collaborations with groups specializing in worm genetics, RNA biochemistry, developmental biology, and biophysics. The team trains graduate students, MD/PhD candidates, and post-doctoral fellows in interdisciplinary approaches to RNA biology.