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| Our Institution is based on the premise that scientific leadership requires exceptional individuals with the insight, resources and courage to investigate questions at the limits of our understanding. We make every effort to hire the most creative and skilled researchers but pay relatively little attention to their area of current interest. We then strive to encourage bold ventures by providing significant material and intellectual resources, and trust that each faculty member’s interests will evolve. There is no tenure system at Carnegie. Instead, all faculty are evaluated at five-year intervals. The originality and long-term significance of a research program are emphasized rather than funding level or professional visibility. Communication and collaboration within the department are fostered. A steady flow of new associates, fellows, students and visitors is encouraged. Research groups are kept small (less than 10) to facilitate communication between faculty and lab members and to enable faculty to work at the bench. The success of the Carnegie-style of science is validated by the outstanding accomplishments of both current (see staff) and former Carnegie biologists like A. H. Sturtevant, A. D. Hershey, B. McClintock, S. McKnight, G. Rubin, and A. Fire, just to name a few. |
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| Faculty are able to pursue innovative ideas more quickly than in most research environments. Whereas most researchers would have to write a grant and wait typically for a year or more for support to initiate a new direction, our faculty can start immediately. |
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| The Carnegie-Style motivates use of laboratory space in ways that are not typical of other research institutions. Each research group houses some of their members in shared laboratories located near the main laboratory and, often, the researcher across the bench is from a different research group. A great deal of research activity takes place in shared space so that investigators are part of a department rather than citizens of a single group. The Department is housed in a newly constructed state-of-the-art research building on the Johns Hopkins University campus. |
| Post Doctoral Opportunities |
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| The Department offers two types of postdoctoral training - a typical postdoctoral training and a unique Carnegie Collaborative Fellowship.
The Carnegie Collaborative Fellowship program aims to identify, on a yearly basis, one or two exceptionally creative graduate students who are capable of thinking outside the mainstream and to tailor a postdoctoral experience that will allow them to pursue a research program that exceeds the boundaries of any single laboratory. For example, a fellow might initiate research on a process in the mouse or zebrafish and also address key aspects in a model invertebrate. Fellows will work on their project as simultaneous group members of two Carnegie faculty, who combined, can provide supporting expertise. Our Department already shares space, equipment and research supplies, and has a strong tradition of faculty collaboration. Moreover, for over 30 years we have nurtured independent, interactive young scientists through our Staff Associate program. Consequently, the Collaborative Fellowship provides an intermediate path between a traditional postdoctoral experience and complete independence, but one that will seamlessly fit into the scientific life of the department.
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Postdoctoral applicants should specify Staff Member laboratory and submit their CV, list of publications and names of three references to:
carnegieimpact@ciwemb.edu
Applicants for the Carnegie Collaborative Fellowship should submit their CV, list of publications, names of three references and a short description of their research interests that specifies two Carnegie laboratories suitable for such undertaking to:
carnegiecollaborative@ciwemb.edu
Contact
3520 San Martin Drive
Baltimore, MD 21218 |
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Allan Spradling, Director
Oogenesis; stem cells; Drosophila genomics.
Developed Drosophila transformation and insertional mutagenesis methods; discovered amplification of protein-coding chorion genes; defined one of first eukaryotic replication origins, advanced knowledge of polytene chromosome structure and puffing; characterized germ line cyst formation and role of fusome, molecularly analyzed first stem cell niche.
Alex Bortvin
Analysis of genetic and epigenetic control of mouse embryogenesis and germ cell development. Identification and characterization of genes with key roles in embryonic and germ cell development in mice.
Donald Brown
The control of gene expression in development.
Purified eukaryotic ribosomal RNA and 5S RNA genes from genomic DNA and analyzed their structure including the discovery of pseudogenes, spacer regions, internal promoters, and transcription termination sequences and amplification. Currently studying thyroid hormone control of gene expression in amphibian metamorphosis.
Chen-Ming Fan
Molecular patterning and embryonic induction during mouse early development.
Identified tissue inductions that govern mammalian somite development and signaling pathways that controls these inductive events. Development and physiology of the neuroendocrine hypothalamus.
Steven A. Farber
Biochemistry and genetics of modifiers of lipid metabolism during zebrafish development.
The accessibility and transparency of zebrafish embryos is exploited to study vertebrate physiology. These efforts primarily utilize fluorescent optical reporters to visualize lipid uptake and processing in vivo.
Joseph Gall
Nuclear structure and function.
Described the structure of giant lampbrush chromosomes and ribosomal DNA amplification in amphibian oocytes. Developed the technique of in situ hybridization. Identified specific DNA sequences in heterochromatin and chromosomal telomeres. Currently studying the role of the Cajal body in transcription and RNA processing.
Marnie Halpern
Zebrafish neural development.
Devised new approaches for mutational screening in the zebrafish model. Made inroads into correct development of the central nervous system and asymmetry of the vertebrate brain.
Douglas E. Koshland
Structure, integrity and evolution of chromosomes.
Helped elucidate the molecular mechanism of higher order chromosome folding and its impact on chromosome segregation, recombination, repair and cell cycle transitions.
Yixian Zheng
Mitosis and genome evolution.
Discovered new pathways that coordinate with the cell cycle machinery to regulate mitosis. Biochemically characterized gamma tubulin ring complex, a key protein complex required for microtubule nucleation and spindle assembly. Initiated a collaborative effort with Doug Koshland to study genome evolution in hybrid yeasts.
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