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Biological Sciences Department Keeps Growing |
| By
Rebecca Maggard |
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Mar 6, 2003 |
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| Doctoral student Hong Xiao uses the confocal microscope to look at a parasite as Dr. Patricia Komuniecki observes. |
Many new faces can be seen walking through the halls of the biological sciences department’s home in Bowman-Oddy Laboratories. Since it split from the earth, ecological and environmental sciences department in July 2000, the department of biological sciences has increased its number of students, faculty and research dollars.
According to Dr. Patricia Komuniecki, chair of the department, the number of biology majors has grown significantly, from 392 in 2000 to more than 500 in 2002. The number of graduate students also has more than doubled to 43.
She credits much of this growth to hard work from the department’s 14 faculty members, five of whom are new. Komuniecki says splitting the department enabled them to put like-minded researchers together, helping them find their niche — biomedical research with a focus on cancer.
Among the five new hires, three have come from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation: Dr. Fan Dong, a leukemia researcher; Dr. Deborah Vestal, a molecular cell biologist who studies changes in cell growth and migration in cancer; and Dr. Douglas Leaman, who studies interferon signaling in cancer. The two other recent hires are Dr. Anthony Quinn, a Type I diabetes researcher, and Dr. Brian Ashburner, who focuses on pancreatic and colon cancer. Komuniecki adds that other faculty use a variety of model systems from plants to worms to study parasitic diseases, prostate cancer, myasthenia gravis and viruses.
Along with an increase in faculty and students, the department has enjoyed an increase in research dollars. In 2000, the department was awarded approximately $1.33 million for research. In 2002, the figure was over $1.73 million, including grants from the National Institutes of Health, the American Cancer Society and the Juvenile Diabetes International Foundation.
Another development Komuniecki is proud of is the new Center for Molecular Biology, which was established in 2002. The center’s state-of-the-art instrumentation includes a confocal microscope and an Affymetrix gene chip unit that enables researchers and students to perform advanced genomic screens, microscopic imaging studies and quantitative gene expression analyses. “Our students get the chance to use instruments that many universities only allow faculty to access,” Komuniecki explained. “We want to make sure our students are truly ready to enter the work force when they leave us.”
Komuniecki’s hopes for the future include increasing the number of faculty to at least 20, renovating the department’s teaching home in Bowman-Oddy Laboratories, and expanding into new laboratory facilities near Wolfe Hall. “This is a very exciting time in the biological sciences with major breakthroughs in bioformatics, proteomics and genomics reported almost daily,” Komuniecki said. “We are delighted and proud to have the opportunity to continue to recruit new faculty and students to our new department.”
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