Training Faculty

The 22 training faculty are appointed in one of four Departments (Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Bioengineering, or Human Physiology) and one of five research units (Institute of Molecular Biology, Institute of Neuroscience, Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Oregon Institute of Marine Biology). Each unit provides an interactive environment; they bring together researchers with common interests, run graduate programs, provide administrative support, and host annual retreats. Trainees are exposed to research across the units due to a rich tradition of collaboration, common training activities, the close proximity of most labs, and shared facilities. As such, the program fosters interdisciplinary training that bridges genetics, molecular biology, cell biology, computational biology, neuroscience, regenerative medicine & bioengineering, and evolutionary biology. This breadth complements the focused project-oriented training the students receive in their host labs, producing creative developmental biologists empowered to become leaders of their own research programs.

Kryn Stankunas and Chris Doe co-direct the program and it’s NIH training grant. Danielle Benoit and Dan Grimes currently serve as additional executive committee members.

(1) Developmental neurobiology
(2) Developmental genetics & gene expression
(3) Cellular and molecular dynamics of development (cell polarity / morphogenesis / signaling / chromosome dynamics)
(4) Evolution and development
(5) Vertebrate development & disease models
(6) Molecular, cell, and tissue engineering for regenerative medicine

* As potential co-advisors only