Stephanie S Ceman

Stephanie S Ceman is a Professor at the University of Illinois with multiple appointments across the institution. She holds professorial positions in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Biomedical and Translational Sciences, Neuroscience Program, and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, while also serving as an Affiliate of the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology.

Dr. Ceman's educational background includes:

• B.S. in Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Chicago
• Postdoctoral fellow at Emory University

Her research focuses on neurobiology, protein-nucleic acid interactions, and regulation of gene expression, with particular emphasis on neurological and behavioral disorders. Dr. Ceman investigates the molecular basis of disease, post-translational modifications, and RNA-protein interactions, with MOV10 RNA helicase as a central subject of her research. Her work demonstrates that MOV10 is essential for embryonic development and neuronal branching, functioning as a cofactor for both the microRNA pathway protein AGO2 and Fragile X protein FMRP.

Analysis of Dr. Ceman's publication record shows a consistent research trajectory centered on RNA helicase MOV10 and its critical role in neuronal function. Her recent work explores how MOV10 binds to RNA G-quadruplexes to modulate AGO2 association with MicroRNA Recognition Elements, using engineered mouse lines to investigate MOV10's impact on brain development and behavior. This research bridges molecular neuroscience, RNA biology, and neurological disorder mechanisms.

Dr. Ceman has been recognized for excellence in instruction, as noted in university press releases highlighting award recipients for teaching excellence.

Dr. Ceman actively mentors students and researchers in her laboratory, teaching courses including MCB 474 (Genetic Disorders & Counseling) and MCB 493 (Special Topics in Molecular and Cell Biology). Her research program has produced 44 scholarly outputs, demonstrating sustained productivity in her field.

Her laboratory employs advanced techniques including individual nucleotide Crosslinking Immunoprecipitation (iCLIP) to map MOV10's interactions with neuronal mRNAs. Current research directions include investigating how MOV10 phosphorylation regulates its RNA unwinding activity and how MOV10 influences dendrite development through Dicer1 regulation.