William Kelly

William Kelly is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Cell & Developmental Biology at Emory University. His research focuses on molecular mechanisms of epigenetic regulation in germ cells using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. He investigates processes like epigenetic erasure, chromatin silencing, and X chromosome inactivation to understand genome stability and germline immortality.

Education:

• B.S., Belmont Abbey College, Belmont, NC (1981)
• M.S., University of Maryland, Baltimore County, MD (1985)
• Ph.D., Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (1993)

Research interests center on conserved epigenetic mechanisms in germ cells, including how chromatin-based silencing operates during development and meiosis. His lab studies imprinting, unpaired DNA silencing, and transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. These mechanisms are critical for maintaining genomic integrity across generations.

Publications span studies of epigenetic regulation, chromatin dynamics, and C. elegans genetics, with a focus on transgenerational effects and germ cell maintenance. No scientific awards are listed here.

His work involves collaborations in molecular genetics and developmental biology, with ongoing projects exploring the interplay between chromatin structure and gene expression in germ cells. The lab actively uses C. elegans as a model to dissect fundamental biological processes.