Professional Experience

• James L. Peacock III Distinguished Professor of Biology and Adjunct Professor of Art and Art History
  
• Member of UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, UNC Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, and Biology Department faculty (1999-present)
• Miller Institute Research Fellow with David Weisblat, University of California, Berkeley, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology (1996-1999)
• Postdoctoral fellow with John White (1992-1993) and independent (1993-1996), MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, England
• PhD student with Gary Freeman, University of Texas, Austin (1988-1992)

Professional Service

• Pew Scholars National Advisory Committee (2022-present)
• ASCB Nominating Committee Member (2023), Chair (2020)
• Mentoring to foster diversity, equity and inclusion in the field: C. elegans Community Mentor Match Program (2021-present), ASCB MOSAIC Program (2021-present)
• Caenorhabditis Genetics Center Advisory Board (2016-present)
• MBL Woods Hole summer course faculty: Physiology (2014-2015) and Embryology (2016-present)
• ASCB Webinar presentation/recording: Building Simple Microscopes for Schools: Leveraging Hands-on Activities for Effective Science Engagement (2021)
  
• ASCB Council (2017-2019)
• Invited presenter to US Congressional staffers and interns, Celebrate Life Science Fairs hosted by the Coalition for the Life Sciences and FASEB (2019 and 2023)
  
• ASCB Annual Meeting Program Committee (2009, 2018)
• ASCB Subgroup Meeting Co-organizer, Emerging Model Organisms (2016, 2017, 2018)
• ASCB minisymposium co-chair, Multicellular Interactions, Tissues, and Development (2016)
• ASCB Subgroup Meeting Co-organizer, Cell Biology of Morphogenesis (2014)
• Co-organizer, Santa Cruz Developmental Biology conference (2012)
• External Reviewer, Duke Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Training Program (2011)
• Editorial service: Associate Editor for Cellular Genetics, Genetics (2011-present); Editorial Boards of Developmental Cell (2019-present), Development (1999-present), PLoS One (2011-present); BMC Developmental Biology (2004-2021), Developmental Dynamics (2007-2015), Board of Reviewing Editors, Molecular Biology of the Cell (2005-2015); Faculty Opinions / Faculty of 1000, Morphogenesis and Cell Biology Section Member (2007-present)
• Grant panels: NIH study sections ZRG1 CB-J 02 (2018), DEV1 (2004, 2011, 2015); NCF (2005, 2006); CHHD-C (2006); NSF Developmental Mechanisms Panel (4x)

Education

• PhD 1992, University of Texas, Austin
  
• BS 1988, Union College, Schenectady, New York
  

• Clark & Kessler Award for Excellence in Mentoring, UNC Chapel Hill Carolina Covenant program for scholars from low-income backgrounds (2024)
  
• Chapman Family Teaching Award, UNC Chapel Hill (2018)
  
• Guggenheim Fellow (2007)
• Clare Hall Visiting Fellow, Cambridge University (2007), Elected as Life Member (2008)
  
• Phillip and Ruth Hettleman Prize for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement by Young Faculty at UNC Chapel Hill (2005)
  
• Pew Scholar (2000-2004)
• March of Dimes Basil O'Connor Scholar (2000-2002)
• Miller Institute Research Fellow, University of California, Berkeley (1996-1998)
• Medical Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow (1996)
• Human Frontiers Science Program Postdoctoral Fellow (1994-1996)
• Development Travelling Fellow (1995)
• American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellow (1992-1994)
• Outstanding Dissertation Award, University of Texas (1993)

• 2024    Keynote, European C. elegans Meeting, Utrecht, Netherlands
• 2024    S. Meryl Rose Lectureship, MBL, Woods Hole
  
• 2024    Barbara McClintock Lecture, University of British Columbia
• 2022    Keynote, Gordon Conference: Adhesion Across Scales, From Molecules to Morphogenesis
• 2022    Symposium Speaker, CellBio2022 ASCB/EMBO Annual Meeting
• 2022    Keynote, University of Georgia Developmental Biology Symposium
• 2019    Keynote, Duke University STEAM Forum on the intertwining of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math
• 2016    Keynote, Cell Polarity and Signaling Gordon Research Seminar
• 2016    Blaffer Lecture, MD Anderson Cancer Center
• 2015    Plenary Speaker, International C. elegans Conference, Los Angeles
• 2015    Keynote, Bay Area Worm Meeting, UCSF
• 2014    Keynote, Rocky Mountain Cytoskeleton Meeting, Fort Collins, Colorado
• 2013    Daniel Mazia lecture, Stanford University Hopkins Marine Lab
• 2007    Plenary Lecture, Fourth International Tunicate Meeting, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France
• 2006    Keynote speaker on Polarity, Cell Fate and Morphogenesis, C. elegans Topic Meeting, Madison, Wisconsin

• NIH: R35 GM134838 (2020-2028), R01 GM083071 (2008-2020), R01 GM68966 (2003-2009)
• NSF: IOS 2028860 (2020-2025), IOS 1557432 (2016-2020), IOS 1257320 (2013-2016), IOS 0917726 (2009-2013), IOS 0235658 (2003-2008), MCB 0235654 (2003-2006)
• Lineberger Cancer Center UCRF Innovation Award (2008-2009)
• Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences (2000-2004)
• March of Dimes Basil O'Connor Starter Scholar Award (2000-2002)
  

• Faculty Mentor for UNC's Carolina Covenant program for low-income student scholars 2006-current
• Biology Dept Seminar Committee 1999-current, co-chair 2003-current
• Biology Dept Post-Tenure Review Committee 2024-current
• Biology Dept Microscopy Committee 2003-2024
• Biology Dept Faculty Development Committee 2005-2024
  
• Biology Dept Library Committee 2005-2024
• Biology Dept Teaching Evaluation Committee 2016-2022
• Faculty Advisor, UNC Undergraduate Research Society, 2018-current
• Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology Written Exam Committee 2005, 2006, 2007, 2021, 2022
• Selection committee for UNC Searle & Rita Allen award candidates, 2020
  
• Search committee for Carolina Covenant director, 2019
• University Teaching Awards Committee 2018-2019
  
• Biology Dept Strategic Planning Working Group 2016-2017
• Biology Dept Faculty Search Committees 2004, 2006, 2012, 2013
  
• BBSP admissions committee 2008-2009, 2011-2013, 2015-2017, 2020-2023
• BBSP admissions PPR committee 2024-2025

• Cell Biology, BIOL240H, each Spring
  
• Art & Science: Merging Printmaking and Biology, ARTS409H and BIOL409L, each Fall

Mentor Training and Other Related Training

• Coach Approach Training workshop, 2022
  
• Culturally Aware Mentoring workshop, 2021
• Preventing Harassment and Discrimination: Supervisors with Title IX/Clery module (online training), 2021
  
• Safe Zone: Standard Safe Zone Training workshop, 2020
• UNC Office of Graduate Education Faculty Mentoring Workshop (based on a curriculum developed by CIMER at Univ. of Wisconsin Madison), 2017
  

• Northwestern University Dept of Cell and Developmental Biology, scheduled for Sept 2025
• Cytoskeletal Structure, Dynamics, and Function FASEB Conference, Southbridge, MA, scheduled for July 2025
  
• Society for Developmental Biology, Latin American Society for Developmental Biology, International Society of Developmental Biology joint meeting, Puerto Rico, scheduled for June 2025
• Ohio State University, scheduled for March 2025
• ENFOLD Sci-Art workshop, BWF Research Triangle Park, Dec 2024
  
• Vanderbilt University, scheduled for Sept 2024
  
• European C. elegans Meeting, Utrecht, Netherlands, July 2024 (Keynote speaker)
  
• Stem Cells & Developmental biology program, Utrecht, Netherlands, July 2024
  
• Stanford Frontiers in Biology seminar series, April 2024 (hosted by the Developmental Biology postdocs)
  
• University of British Columbia, April 2024 (Barbara McClintock Lecture)
  
• Toledo CellulArt, Oct 2023 (Scientist/Artist lecture)
  
• UPenn Distinguished Seminar Series, Sept 2023
• UC Santa Barbara MCD Biology, March 2023
• Washington University of St. Louis, Rita Levi-Montalcini Symposium, Jan 2023
  
• CellBio2022 ASCB/EMBO Meeting, Dec 2022 (Symposium speaker)
• University of Georgia Developmental Biology Symposium, Nov 2022 (Keynote speaker)
  
• Gordon Conference, Signaling by Adhesion Receptors, July 2022 (Keynote speaker)
• Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, May 2022
• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, April 2022 (hosted by the FHCRC postdocs)
• High Point University, April 2022
• Visiting Artist series talk, Duke University Department of Art, Art History & Visual Studies, April 2022
  
• University of Kansas Center for Genomics, March 2022
• Bangalore Developmental Biology Club (by Zoom), Oct 2021
  
• iBiology Seminar, scheduled for Nov 2020 / postponed
  
• Yale Cell Biology, March 2020
  
• 2019 Duke STEAM Forum, Sept 2019 (Keynote address)
  
• Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences Annual Conference, Model Systems in Cancer Research, Montreal, June 2019
• University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, March 2019 (hosted by the Cell Biology, Stem Cells & Development grad students)
• Georgetown University, March 2019 (hosted by the Biology grad students)
• George Washington University, March 2019
  
• Indiana University, Oct 2018
  
• Brown University, Oct 2018
• University of Texas, Austin, Aug 2018
  
• Gordon Conference, Cell Polarity Signaling, June 2018
  
• Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, May 2018
• Sloan Kettering, New York, May 2018
  
• MPI CBG Dresden, Germany, April 2018
  
• University of Zurich, Switzerland, April 2018 (hosted by the Molecular Life Sciences grad students)
• EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland, April 2018
• USC, March 2018 (hosted by the Molecular Biology graduate students)
• Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, March 2018
• Oakland University, Jan 2018
  
• Haverford College, Dec 2017
  
• SDB Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, July 2017
  
• Harvard Med School, Genetics Department, June 2017 (hosted by the Genetics grad students)
  
• Stony Brook University, March 2017
  
• UC Santa Cruz, March 2017
• UC Berkeley Dept of Molecular & Cell Biology (hosted by the MCB grad students), March 2017

Full CV
NIH Biosketch