Shelley Berger

Shelley Berger is the Daniel S. Och University Professor and Director of the Epigenetics Program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts & Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Michigan (1987). Her research focuses on epigenetic regulation, particularly histone modifications and chromatin dynamics, with applications to aging, cancer, and behavior in model systems like yeast, ants, and mammals. Key areas include p53 tumor suppressor regulation, telomeric chromatin in aging, and ant caste behavior. Berger has pioneered studies linking metabolism (e.g., ACSS2) to chromatin function in memory and alcohol-related behaviors. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Medicine, and AAAS Fellow.

• Education: Ph.D., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1987
• Labs/Teams: Epigenetics Program, interdisciplinary collaborations in ant behavior, cancer, and neurodegeneration
• Affiliations: Molecular and Cellular Biology senior editor, Institute of Medicine member

Research explores chromatin’s role in gene expression, with emphasis on histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) affecting transcription, DNA repair, and cell division. Recent work reveals how histone PTMs persist across cell divisions (epigenetic states), influencing development and disease. Berger’s lab investigates epigenetic mechanisms in ant caste differentiation, tumor suppression via p53, and metabolic-epigenetic links in Alzheimer’s and alcohol dependence.