Department of Cell Biology

I am delighted to have this opportunity to work with an outstanding group of faculty, as we make new discoveries at the frontiers of cell biology, developmental biology and neurobiology. We conduct basic biomedical and translational research with an emphasis on the study of diverse aspects of cellular dynamics in health, disease and therapeutic intervention using modern methods in microscopy and imaging. Our research employs multidisciplinary approaches with genetically tractable animal models and human patient cells. We are committed to provide an exemplary level of research training, teaching and mentorship of future scientists and physicians. We continue to establish new partnerships and collaborations across several academic and clinical departments within Emory University, the School of Medicine and several research centers. I look forward to supporting the research and teaching mission of our faculty, and our vision to have a transformative impact on understanding basic science to advance human health.

Shashank Shekhar, PhD, Assistant Professor of Physics, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry at Emory University, was named “Cell Scientist to Watch” by the Journal of Cell Science. The journal conducted an in-depth interview with Dr. Shekhar, highlighting his academic journey and his lab’s latest research.

Read Interview at Journal of Cell Science

David Katz, PhD, was recognized by Emory School of Medicine for his recent membership to the National Wormboard. 

The WormBoard is a representative group of working scientists and educators who use C. elegans or related nematodes as their primary model organism. WormBoard will meet in odd-numbered years at the biennial International C. elegans meeting, and if possible at one of the topic or regional meetings in even-numbered years. Additional business will be conducted by email or teleconference. Since its inception the C. elegans field has relied on the voluntary efforts of community-minded individuals to develop and organize key resources and meetings. As the field enters its second half-century, continued growth necessitates a more formal structure for such efforts. The International C. elegans Board (ICB), a.k.a. WormBoard, was formed in 2015 to advocate for C. elegans research internationally and to foster the continued development of community resources.

Congratulations to the following faculty for being recognized for 2024 Emory School of Medicine Researcher Appreciation Day:

1) Hyojung Choo, PhD, Assistant Professor of Cell Biology; 2) Jie Jiang, PhD, Associate Professor of Cell Biology; 3) Shoichiro Ono, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, seondary faculty in Cell Biology; 4) Zhexing Wen, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, secondary faculty in Cell Biology.

Emory researchers were nominated by their peers and colleagues for their groundbreaking research, development of new technologies, and continued pursuit of novel and innovative ideas. 

Latest Publication:

Hyojung J. Choo, PhD, Assistant Professor in Cell Biology, and collaborators at Georgia Institute of Technology, published a paper, “All-in-one wearable drug efficacy assessment systems for bulbar muscle function using amyotrophic lateral sclerosis animal models,” in Nature Communications, August 2024.

Dr. Choo and collaborators at Georgia Institute of Technology also published a paper, “Automatic Clinical Assessment of Swallowing Behavior and Diagnosis of Silent Aspiration Using Wireless Multimodal Wearable Electronics,” in Advanced Science, July 2024.

Congratulations to Sandra Garraway, PhD, Associate Professor of Cell Biology, who received a grant from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation titled, “Peripheral mechanism of pain after SCI: Role of Nav and TrkB signaling in neuronal hyperexcitability”.

Congratulations to Jie Jiang, PhD, for his promotion to Associate Professor of Cell Biology effective September 1, 2024.

Ms. Betty Bekele, PhD candidate in the Bassell Lab and Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation (MDF) Research Fellow, was featured in MDF Research Fellow Feature, April 2024.

Betty Bekele's scientific journey began in Ethiopia, and her pursuit of a STEM career flourished when she received a full scholarship to Wesleyan University, graduating with a BS degree in Neuroscience. Inspired by research experiences at Wesleyan and as a post-bac at Yale, Betty is now doing thesis research in Gary Bassell’s lab as part of the Emory Graduate Neuroscience Program.

Through her MDF fellowship Betty is investigating mechanisms of excess GABAergic inhibition in a new mouse model of DM1.

Alan Emanuel, PhD, Assistant Professor of Cell Biology, received the Emory-Udall Parkinson's Disease Center Pilot Grant titled, “Tactile Processing in Mouse Models of Parkinson’s Disease”.

The Emory Udall Center administers a pilot grant program to encourage Parkinson's disease research at Emory which includes up to three grants annually for meritorious high-impact projects that generate preliminary data for larger grant applications. The Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory School of Medicine, The Jean and Paul Amos Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Program and Emory College provide financial support for this pilot program. 

Matthew Rowan, PhD, Assistant Professor in Cell Biology, published a paper, “Native-state proteomics of Parvalbumin interneurons identifies unique molecular signatures and vulnerabilities to early Alzheimer’s pathology,” in Nature Communications, April 2024. Congratulations, Dr. Rowan!

GMB student Tori Placentra, a member of the Moberg Lab, won the Genetics Society of America Early Career Poster Award at the 2024 TAGC Annual Conference in Washington DC. Their poster was judged the best among hundreds of Drosophila research posters presented by early-stage graduate students from across the country and globe. Pic attached. 

BCDB student Jordan Goldy (joint Moberg-Corbett) just earned a 10^th percentile score on her F31 submission to NINDS!