Faculty

Background

I taught for ten years in the Boston Public School system.  Received a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Cornell University in 1992 where I worked with Bill Brown.  I was a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine from 1992 to 1997 with Carolyn Machamer.  Before joining the Biology Department at Ithaca College in 2001, I worked for two years with the Cornell Institute for Biology Teachers.

I am also a faculty member in the Biochemistry program.

Research focus

Cholesterol is an important component of mammalian cell membranes.  The ability of cells to deal with cholesterol has important implications for the treatment of heart disease and infection by certain pathogens.  Impaired cholesterol trafficking plays a role in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's Disease and developmental defects.  We are interested in the mechanisms and routes that cholesterol follows inside cells after its release from LDL particles.  Our research focuses on the role of membrane tubules as a way to move cholesterol-rich membrane domains from one location to another in the cell, and the effects that alterations in cholesterol trafficking have on the processing and activities of proteins.

 If you interested in conducting research in my lab, see details below:

• Student-Faculty Research Options