Directory - Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund

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Year Appointed

Institution

Name

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Kenneth D. Vernick Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Carnegie Institute for Science

Appointed in 1989

Pablo Villar, Ph.D. Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Harvard University

Appointed in 2023

Cells detect and transform specific external stimuli into precise biochemical functions in a process termed signal transduction. Sensory systems are one example of signal transduction. Dr. Pablo Villar will investigate a unique sensory system: octopus chemotactile receptors that mediate contact-dependent aquatic chemosensation. Dr. Villar will use single-cell sequencing, cryo-EM, and physiology to investigate the molecular logic of receptor expression, complex formation, and physiological function in cephalopods. These experiments will be conducted in Dr. Nicholas Bellono’s lab at Harvard University. Villar’s studies will reveal general principles for the evolutionary fine tuning of signal transduction and help connect adaptations in protein structure with octopus behavior.

As a graduate student in Dr. Ricardo Araneda’s lab at the University of Maryland, Villar examined how neuromodulatory brain regions regulate circuits that process sensory information. Specifically, Dr. Villar showed that the basal forebrain activates shortly after the onset of a sensory stimuli, and in a stimulus-specific manner. With this experience in neuroscience and sensory stimuli, Villar will now examine the signal transduction of stimuli at a molecular level in cephalopods.

Luis P. Villarreal Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Stanford University

Appointed in 1976

Jane E. Visvader Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Appointed in 1976

Mohan Viswanathan Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Appointed in 2001

Peter Vize Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Harvard University

Appointed in 1989

Gia K. Voeltz Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Harvard University Medical School

Appointed in 2001

Hannah E. Volkman Jane Coffin Childs - HHMI Fellow

University of Washington

Appointed in 2010

I am interested in how cells recognize and respond to viral pathogens through detection of viral nucleic acids. My research focuses on understanding innate immune pathways involved in cell intrinsic cytosolic DNA detection and coordination of an inducible antiviral response, and how dysregulation of these pathways leads to autoimmune disease.

I grew up on a California farm, surrounded by the natural world, with parents who continually nurtured my interest in it. This experience, coupled with having mentors who allowed me the freedom to follow my interests in their laboratories, have guided my development as a scientist. Freedom to direct my own research has been a tremendous gift, and I am fortunate to be in a truly collaborative research environment. By moving to Seattle I¬† became part of an outstanding research institute, and have also been able to pursue nonacademic interests. I have been on nationally-ranked college and club ultimate frisbee teams,¬† currently help coach the women¬ís ultimate frisbee team at the University of Washington, and compete as a competitive curler. My experiences have created many awesome friendships and helped me develop discipline, determination and leadership skills, while balancing my life as a research scientist.

David A. Vosberg Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Harvard University Medical School

Appointed in 2002

Alina M. Vrabioiu Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Columbia University

Appointed in 2008

Sarah Wacker Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Harvard University

Appointed in 2013

Many bacteria form complex multicellular communities known as biofilms. In these communities, cells are encased in a self-produced matrix that shield bacteria from¬†diverse environmental stresses, antimicrobial agents, and host immune systems.¬†Biofilms impact many arenas,¬†including¬†human health, ecology, and agriculture. Due to the importance and ubiquity of biofilms,¬†there is increased interest in investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation and maintenance of these communities.¬†The soil bacterium¬†Bacillus subtilis¬†forms multicellular communities on the roots of some plants, including tomatoes, resulting in increased plant growth.¬†My research examines how environmental signals are sensed by¬†B. subtilis, initiating the biofilm program.

Albert J Wahba Jane Coffin Childs Fund

New York University

Appointed in 1962

Richard A. Walker Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Duke University

Appointed in 1991

Alexander Wallace Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Yale University

Appointed in 1950

Bonnie A. Wallace Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Harvard University Medical School /
MRC Center, University Medical School, England

Appointed in 1977

Jenelle Wallace, Ph.D. Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

University of California, San Francisco

Appointed in 2021

New experiences elicit novel patterns of neural activity, prompting changes in gene expression that underlie learning. However, most studies of human brain evolution focus on species differences in baseline gene expression. Activity-dependent enhancers that control neuronal gene expression could represent an unexplored substrate for the evolution of human cognitive specializations. To examine the evolution of the activity-regulated genome in the human lineage, I will utilize primary neurons from human and macaque as well as induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons from human and chimpanzee to create cortical circuits in vitro and stimulate activity with physiological paradigms. I will measure coordinated changes in chromatin accessibility and gene expression in single cells to discover human-divergent neuronal activity-regulated elements (hDAREs). A CRISPRi screen will allow me to test hDARES to determine which are human-specific activity-dependent enhancers. To begin to investigate the consequences of evolutionary alterations for brain plasticity, I will model a human-specific deletion of a candidate activity-dependent enhancer regulating a gene with known roles in restricting spine growth in mice. Utilizing in vivo imaging to measure synapse formation during motor learning, I will test the hypothesis that activity-dependent expression of this gene, conserved between mice and chimpanzee, may inhibit learning-induced synapse formation and that the human-specific deletion may relieve this plasticity brake. Combining evolutionary genetics and systems neuroscience approaches will lay the groundwork for exploring this new dimension of human brain evolution.

Michael Wallis Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Johns Hopkins University

Appointed in 1964

Liling Wan Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Rockefeller University

Appointed in 2015

My research interest is to understand the epigenetic mechanisms that drive cancer development. With a focus on a few newly discovered histone posttranslational modifications, I am currently studying their functional roles and mechanisms in cellular differentiation and oncogenesis._x000D_
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I spent my first 18 years in Hainan, a beautiful island located in the South China Sea before I moved to Beijing where I received B.S. degree in Biology from Tsinghua University. Initial exposure to scientific research at Tsinghua got me fascinated about science and promoted me to pursue graduate studies at Princeton University, where, in Dr. Yibin Kangs laboratory, I investigated the genetic causes underlying cancer initiation and metastasis. Appreciating that the interplay between genetic and epigenetic regulations is important in cancer development, I joined the laboratory of Dr. David Allis as a postdoc fellow where I continue studies in cancer research with a different focus on epigenetic causes of cancer. Outside of the lab, I enjoy the outdoors, spending time with family and friends, and trying delicious food.

Jean Y-J. Wang Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Appointed in 1980

Zhiping Wang Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

University of California, San Diego

Appointed in 2009

Current research: ¬†I am interested in dissecting the genetic basis of adult axon regeneration in the model organism C. elegans.

My first sixteen years were spent happily in a small town in southeastern China. I didn¬ít have much experience in biological sciences until I became an biology major at Tsinghua University. In a neuroscience course, a professor introduced to us the fantastic structure of neurons and the intriguing molecular mechanisms underlying how neurons encode external information and learn. From that moment, I was entranced by this field, and chose it as my career path. I came to Michael Ehlers¬ís lab at Duke University to study the molecular mechanisms of long term plasticity in hippocampal neurons. There, I discovered that an unconventional actin motor is a critical LTP-mediating player. Subsequently, I joined Yishi Jin¬ís lab as a postdoctoral researcher to explore the genetic mechanisms of adult axon regeneration in C. elegans. Outside the lab, I am a super soccer fan and love fresh-water fishing. My dreams are to watch a Derby game between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at Camp Nou and to catch a 20-pound large-mouth bass.

Siyuan (Steven) Wang Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Harvard University

Appointed in 2012

My current research in Professor Xiaowei Zhuang‚Äôs lab at Harvard University focuses on the development and application of super-resolution light microscopy techniques to the study of chromatin organization. In particular, I am interested in the spatial organization of DNA in compact chromatin domains during the interphase.

My graduate research, co-advised by Professor Ned Wingreen and Professor Joshua Shaevitz at Princeton University, presented a series of discoveries regarding the physical properties, dynamics, and organization of the bacterial cytoskeleton and cell wall, including: 1) the mechanical contribution of bacterial cytoskeleton to cellular integrity; 2) the motion of bacterial cytoskeleton driven by cell wall synthesis; 3) the chiral organization and growth dynamics of cell wall in rod-shaped bacteria, derived from the spatial pattern of cytoskeleton; and 4) a possible mechanism for different cytoskeleton components to self-organize into distinct spatial patterns. My dissertation won the 2011 Award for Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Research in Biological Physics from American Physical Society.

Yuxiao Wang Jane Coffin Childs - HHMI Fellow

University of California, San Francisco

Appointed in 2014

During mitosis, the position of the spindle determines the size, the relative orientation and the developmental fate of daughter cells. The spindle is positioned by a pulling force generated by cortically localized dynein and exerted on astral microtubules that are connected to the spindle poles. Dynein is anchored to the cell cortex by the protein NuMA and activated to pull on the end of microtubule, the mechanism of which remains unknown. To investigate this, we will first systematically define and characterize the interaction between NuMA and dynein using purified components. Next we will reconstitute the microtubule end capturing and pulling force generation activities of dynein using a microfabricated barrier based system, in which the regulation of dynein by NuMA will be investigated. In addition, we will determine the crystal structure of the complex of NuMA-dynein binding regions to reveal the structural basis for their interactions. Finally, the overall structure of full-length NuMA will be examined using electron microscope and the functional significance of NuMA oligomerization will be determined. Together our proposed study will provide a mechanistic understanding of how dynein is recruited and activated by NuMA to generate cortical pulling force for mitotic spindle positioning.

Chong Wang Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Harvard University

Appointed in 2015

Translation mediates the flow of genetic information encoded in mRNAs to proteins and can be regulated by many factors, contributing an essential part to the cellular gene expression regulation program. To understand how translation are influenced by various factors such as extracellular stimuli, cell metabolic states, subcellular localizations and so on, a method that could reveal the timing, location and level of translation activity on a defined single mRNA transcript in living cells would be invaluable. My research focuses on the development of a fluorescence imaging based method to study translation on a single mRNA transcript in living cells. I am going to use this method to study translation initiation and elongation under different conditions and at different subcellular compartments, such as neuronal dendrites and axons, to obtain previously unavailable information of translation dynamics.

Boyuan Wang Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Appointed in 2016

Pamela J. Ward Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

University of Glasgow, Scotland

Appointed in 1961

Richard L. Ward Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Max-Planck Institute

Appointed in 1969

Gary E. Ward Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

University of California, San Francisco

Appointed in 1985

Richard A.J. Warren Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Appointed in 1964

Joshua J. Warren Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Duke University

Appointed in 2002

Clare M. Waterman-Storer Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Appointed in 1997

Hannah Wayment-Steele, Ph.D. Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Brandeis University

Appointed in 2022

Deep learning methods have revolutionized structural biology by accurately predicting single structures of proteins and protein-protein complexes. However, biological function is rooted in a protein’s ability to sample different conformational substates, and disease-causing point mutations are often due to population changes of these substates. This has sparked immense interest in expanding the capability of algorithms such as AlphaFold2 (AF2) to predict conformational substates. We demonstrate that clustering an input multiple sequence alignment (MSA) by sequence similarity enables AF2 to sample alternate states of known metamorphic proteins, including the circadian rhythm protein KaiB, the transcription factor RfaH, and the spindle checkpoint protein Mad2, and score these states with high confidence. Moreover, we use AF2 to identify a minimal set of two point mutations predicted to switch KaiB between its two states. Finally, we used our clustering method, AF-cluster, to screen for alternate states in protein families without known fold-switching, and identified a putative alternate state for the oxidoreductase DsbE. Similarly to KaiB, DsbE is predicted to switch between a thioredoxin-like fold and a novel fold. This prediction is the subject of ongoing experimental testing. Further development of such bioinformatic methods in tandem with experiments will likely have profound impact on predicting protein energy landscapes, essential for shedding light into biological function.

Stephanie J. Webb Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

University of Edinburgh, Scotland

Appointed in 1994

Michel J. Weber Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Harvard University Medical School

Appointed in 1976

Lawrence D. Weber Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Appointed in 1978

Liang Meng Wee Jane Coffin Childs - Frederic M. Richards Fellow

University of California, Berkeley

Appointed in 2014

Transcription by RNA Polymerase and translation by the Ribosome are two fundamental and important processes that shape cellular identity. Mutations that disrupt these processes can result in disease such as cancer. We strive to understand the underlying mechanisms of transcription and translation using optical tweezer. This single molecule technique allows us to monitor the actions of individual RNA Polymerase and the ribosome in real time that are often scored as averages in bulk measurements. We currently aim to scrutinize the activities of these molecular motors when coupled in the same reaction. The coupling between RNAP polymerase and the ribosome, which occurs in vivo in E. coli., constitutes an additional layer to control gene expression. A deeper understanding of both transcription and translation either alone or coupled will open up new ideas to curb or to cure diseases that stem from a malfunction in these process.

Kevin M. Weeks Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

University of Colorado, Boulder

Appointed in 1992

Andrew Weems Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Appointed in 2018

C. Timothy Wehr Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

University of California, Davis

Appointed in 1969

Hilla Weidberg Jane Coffin Childs - HHMI Fellow

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Appointed in 2012

Martin Weigert Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Appointed in 1966

Ted A. Weinert Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

University of Washington, Seattle

Appointed in 1985

Caleb Weinreb Jane Coffin Childs Fellow

Harvard University Medical School

Appointed in 2020

I study the deep statistical structure of behavior to learn how it is shaped by ongoing brain activity. The purpose of the central nervous system is to coordinate an animal’s actions in space and time. The power of mammalian brains is evident in the variety and expressiveness of their behavior, yet it is precisely these qualities that make the behavior difficult to annotate and record – steps that are prerequisite for modern data analysis. As a consequence, neuroscience has mostly been limited to a narrow set of behaviors and well-defined tasks. This limitation is especially severe for the study of social behavior, in which the spontaneous actions and reactions of two interacting animals created an added level of complexity.

Recently, the advent of new tools in machine learning have made it possible to quantify behavior with much greater precision and richness. My research focuses on creating new tools for behavior measurement and applying them to rodent social behavior, with the specific goal of understanding how social interaction is shaped by the prefrontal cortex.