Welcome to The Department of Biological Sciences!

The department consists of a lot of people: faculty, administrative staff, technical staff, and graduate research/teaching assistants. One strong thing bonding us together is that we are working hard at things we really like, advanced biological education and research.

There is a lot to see on this website, so look around. You can get a very good overview of our research endeavors by visiting the web pages of the individual faculty members and their research labs. If you are a current or prospective undergraduate student, you will find detailed descriptions of our various majors, information about our courses and undergraduate research, and links to interdisciplinary opportunities. If you are looking around for opportunities at the graduate level, peruse the pages describing our doctoral programs in molecular cell biology, biochemistry, and integrative biology and neuroscience, or our highly focused master's program in molecular biology that is exclusively by distance.

If you have questions about any aspects of our department, feel free to e-mail any faculty member or post-doctoral scientist, or any member of our administrative or technical staff. Anyone will be glad to answer your questions or put you in touch with someone who can.

Marie Mardeo Ph.D. Candidate

Marie Maradeo is a Ph.D. candidate in the Molecular Biology program in the lab of Professor Robert Skibbens.  The Skibbens Lab identifies the molecules and processes required for cells to segregate duplicated chromosomes (linear DNA structures) into newly forming cells.  Errors in this process lead to cells with improper chromosome numbers – a hallmark of cancer.  Recently, Marie identified new roles for DNA replication factors in chromosome segregation. 

In this first-authored paper published in PLoS ONE earlier this year, Maradeo and Skibbens reported that Replication Factor C (RFC) complexes, sets of proteins that function both during DNA replication and in DNA repair, also play critical roles in how the products of chromosome replication are identified by the cell.  Identification, termed cohesion, is generated when the cell ‘glues’ together the products of chromosome replication – a process that Marie’s work shows is linked to DNA replication itself.  In fact, there are four different RFC complexes and Marie’s studies provides the first evidence that these play very different and even antagonistic roles that regulate the process of replication-coupled chromosome cohesion.  Cohesion is essential in all cells and thus represents a potential target for future therapies.

In addition to her own PhD studies, Marie has taken on the role of mentor for Anisha Garg, an Emmaus High School student pursuing independent research in the Skibbens lab.  Anisha has won numerous regional and state science competitions and has been a welcome addition to the Skibbens lab.

Marie is currently the recipient of a Nemes Fellowship, awarded each semester to recognize exceptional students who have demonstrated excellence in scholarship, teaching, and service and have made significant progress toward their Ph.D.  The Nemes Fellowship is funded by a gift from Marjorie Nemes.

To find out more about Marie's work, or the Skibbens lab in general, please click here.

Dr. Skibbens’ research is funded by a grant from the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Foundation and the National Institutes for Health.

Site maintained by Maria Brace
Department of Biological Sciences
Lehigh University
©2007