MCB TRANSCRIPT
Chairs' Note: Richard Harland and David Raulet
Welcome to another seamless transition from summer research to fall research and teaching! This issue and the next will introduce the nine new faculty members who joined us in 2013-14; we had such a banner year in recruiting, we cannot feature all of them in one issue!
This year we welcome three more new faculty members. Xavier Darzacq is using super-resolution microscopy to probe transcription at the single molecule level, and to investigate nuclear organization; he is joining the Division of Genetics, Genomics and Development and will be located on the fourth floor of LKS. Hernan Garcia is joining the Division of Genetics, Genomics and Development, and will bring his expertise in Physics to bear on quantitative aspects of transcriptional regulation in development; he will occupy the fifth floor of LSA. Stephan Lammel joins the Division of Neurobiology, and will address how neural circuits that use dopamine neurotransmitter control behavior, learning and addiction; his laboratory will be on the first floor of LSA.
We are also undertaking three faculty searches in the 2014-15 academic year. Two are extensions of last year’s searches: one in the area of microbiology, immunology, and/or infectious disease, under the auspices of the Center for Emerging and Neglected Diseases, and the other in cancer biology. The third search is in neuroscience, joint with the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute.
With recent successful hires, the number of faculty is approaching the number our current space can accommodate. As faculty moved into LKS, we assigned more space for essential core facilities, particularly microscopy and flow cytometry. As sophisticated instrumentation becomes increasingly important, we need to continue to fortify and establish core facilities. We have weathered the University’s financial difficulties remarkably well, and are grateful for the University funds and private fundraising that have enabled us to continue to hire new faculty and prosper as a Department.
Robin Meadows has joined us as writer and editor of the Transcript, which will be published once every semester. The next issue will feature more of our new faculty recruits.
