Stephen Rader

Stephen Rader is a Professor at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) in the Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Chemistry. He earned a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) under Dr. David Agard and a B.A. in Biology and Chemistry from Swarthmore College.

• Ph.D., Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco
• B.A., Biology and Chemistry, Swarthmore College

Professor Rader's laboratory investigates the evolution and mechanism of pre-mRNA splicing in the extremophilic red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae, an organism that has retained only 38 introns out of ~2000. His research explores whether these introns are biologically significant or if the organism is approaching complete loss of RNA splicing. Key areas include RNA biochemistry, splicing evolution, transcriptomics, and extremophile biotechnology, leveraging tools from genetics, biochemistry, and biophysics.

As a mentor, Rader has supervised numerous M.Sc. and Ph.D. students in Health Sciences, Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology since 2003. His lab emphasizes teamwork, intellectual rigor, and scientific independence, providing training from undergraduate to postdoctoral levels.

Rader collaborates with institutions such as UBC, Free University Berlin, and University of Manitoba. He is available for media inquiries as an expert in RNA biology and extremophile research.