Jennifer A Benanti is a Professor at UMass Chan Medical School in the Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology within the T.H. Chan School of Medicine. She holds multiple appointments across the institution including in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, Program in Molecular Medicine, Systems Biology, and several graduate programs including Cancer Biology, Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, MD/PhD Program, Millennium MD/PhD Program, Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program, and Systems Computational and Quantitative Biology. B.S. in Biochemistry & Cell Biology from University of California, San Diego (1996) Ph.D. in Molecular & Cellular Biology from University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (2003) Postdoctoral work at University of California, San Francisco (2004-2010) Dr. Benanti's research focuses on understanding how transcription, protein degradation, and phosphorylation integrate to form a robust cell cycle control network. Her lab primarily uses budding yeast as a model system to study how cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) phosphorylate proteins to coordinate cellular processes with division, how stress response pathways interface with the cell cycle regulatory network, and how the ubiquitin-proteasome system controls cell growth and division. Her work has significant implications for understanding cancer biology, as misregulation of the cell cycle is a hallmark of all cancer cells. Analysis of Dr. Benanti's 15 most recent publications reveals a consistent focus on cell cycle regulation through multiple mechanisms. Her work spans from molecular-level studies of phosphorylation codes and transcription factor activation to systems-level understanding of how stress responses rewire the cell cycle. A significant portion of her recent work examines calcineurin signaling in stress response and how it interfaces with CDK regulation, demonstrating her lab's integrative approach to understanding cell cycle control. 2011 Smith Family Award for Excellence in Biomedical Research Dr. Benanti has mentored numerous graduate students through the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, including Mackenzie Flynn (2018-2024), Michelle Conti (2017-2023), Claudine Mapa (2013-2018), and Tyler Doughty (2011-2016). Her lab has received support from prestigious fellowships including a Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation Fellowship and a Pathway to Independence Award from the NIH during her postdoctoral training, suggesting continued NIH funding for her independent research program. She actively recruits rotation students, postdocs, and undergraduate researchers. The Benanti Lab, located at UMass Chan Medical School, consists of postdoctoral associates, research associates, and graduate students working collaboratively on cell cycle regulation projects. Recent lab members include Sujiraporn Pakchuen (Postdoctoral Associate), Linnea Budge (Research Associate), and Aurelia Reynolds (Research Associate). The lab maintains active collaborations with researchers at UMass Chan and beyond, as evidenced by co-author networks including Zhu, Lee, and Fazzio.
