CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT:
Professor Gloria M. Coruzzi

DIRECTOR OF GRADUATE STUDIES, M.S.:
Associate Professor Christine A. Rushlow

DIRECTOR OF GRADUATE STUDIES, PH.D.:
Associate Professor Stephen J. Small

The Department of Biology offers programs leading to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy. The range of advanced courses and programs of research allows students to obtain a broad base of education in the biological sciences while specializing in fields such as genomics and bioinformatics, neurobiology, microbiology, cell biology and cancer, molecular evolution, plant biology, molecular genetics, developmental biology, physiology, immunology, and environmental science. The programs stress the development of quantitative, mechanistic, and integrative skills in preparation for academic, research, or applied careers.

The Center for Comparative Functional Genomics is a highlight of the department’s new growth and development, which draws on the complementary strengths of biology/genomics and bioinformatics at NYU’s Department of Biology and NYU’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. A goal of the Center is to use comparative genomic and bioinformatic approaches to understand how changes in biological regulatory mechanisms have evolved to lead to species diversity. The intellectual platform upon which this vision rests is the pairing of molecular conservation at the genomic level with the dramatic diversity of life.

The Master of Science degree program, designed for full-time and part-time students, provides a comprehensive foundation in modern biological science. Specialized master’s-level tracks in biological sciences, computers in biologic research, and recombinant DNA technology are available. For more information, contact the coordinator of student advisement or consult the Graduate Student Handbook, which is available online (www.nyu.edu/fas/dept/biology/graduate/GSHB.pdf) or from the department.

The M.S. program in biomedical journalism, offered jointly by the Department of Biology and the Department of Journalism, is designed to train journalists with a special background and expertise in biomedical sciences. Specialty training in print, broadcast, and Web journalism is available. Admission to the program must be granted by both departments. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are required from each applicant.

The M.S.-M.B.A. program, offered jointly by the Graduate School of Arts and Science and the Leonard N. Stern School of Business, leads to an M.S. degree in biology (GSAS) and an M.B.A. (Stern). This program meets a need for academic preparation and training of scientist-managers and research directors for the biotechnology and pharmacology industry, academic industrial liaison personnel, investment specialists for the financial sector, and government regulatory personnel. The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and GRE are required for the application process, and each program’s prerequisites must be met.

The Doctor of Philosophy degree program, a full-time course of study, is designed to develop independent research scientists. Students undertake independent research under the guidance of a faculty sponsor and have access to state-of-the-art laboratories, sophisticated instrumentation and advanced computer facilities, and extensive library holdings. Predoctoral colloquia enable students to keep abreast of significant developments in their fields of research, while seminars by distinguished visitors, speaking on a variety of topics, add breadth to the educational programs offered by the department.

A collaborative doctoral track between the Department of Biology and the Program in Environmental Health Sciences is offered in cooperation with the Nelson Institute of Environ-mental Medicine. It is designed for students who wish to obtain a solid foundation in biology while specializing in environmental health. Courses are offered both at the Washington Square campus and at off-campus facilities in Sterling Forest, Tuxedo, New York.

Biotic Resources Integrating Development, Genetics, Evolution, and Systematics (BRIDGES) is a specialized training track in molecular evolution. Students in this track are trained to use molecular approaches to understand the evolution and diversity of plants and animal species and aspects related to the conservation and curation of these biotic resources. The BRIDGES track was developed jointly by faculty at New York University and its affiliated institutions, the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), which curate and study large collections of plant and animal species.

The Developmental Genetics (DG) track offers students a curriculum focused on the use of genetic approaches to understand developmental mechanisms. Students conduct research with investigators working in a variety of genetic systems, including Drosophila, C. elegans, Xenopus, Arabidopsis, mouse, chicken, and zebrafish, and studying diverse developmental processes, such as pattern formation, cell determination, cell lineage, and cell-cell interactions. This track brings together investigators from the Department of Biology and the New York University School of Medicine to provide a comprehensive program focused in developmental genetics.

The graduate program in basic sciences (College of Dentistry) is part of the graduate program of the Department of Biology, Graduate School of Arts and Science, and focuses on oral biology. Students who carry out their research with a faculty member of the College of Dentistry are subject to the degree requirements in the Department of Biology. For further details, see the Oral Biology (College of Dentistry) section of this bulletin.

Faculty

Chiye Aoki, Associate Professor, Neural Science, Biology. Ph.D. 1985 (neuroscience), Rockefeller; B.A. 1978, Barnard College.
The role of postnatal experience in the formation of chemical synapses in the cerebral cortex.

Efrain C. Azmitia, Professor, Biology, Neural Science. Ph.D. 1978 (neuroscience), Rockefeller; M.A. 1973 (anatomy), Cambridge; B.A. 1968 (biology), Washington.
Neuronal development and aging; role of 5-HT, steroids, and protein growth factors; Alzheimer’s disease.

Kenneth Birnbaum, Assistant Professor. Ph.D. 2000, New York; B.A. 1984, Pennsylvania.
Developmental genomics; global analysis of cell types to uncover the gene circuits and unique functions of specialized cells in plants; evolution of specialized cells.

Justin Blau, Assistant Professor, Biology, Neural Science. Ph.D. 1996 (molecular biology), London; B.A. 1991 (natural sciences), Cambridge.
Behavioral genetics; molecular and cellular basis of circadian rhythms in Drosophila.

Richard Bonneau, Assistant Professor, Biology, Computer Science. Ph.D. 2001, Washington (Seattle); B.A. 1966, Florida State.
Computational systems biology; protein structure prediction and its use in proteome annotation; grid computing; biological network reconstruction from genomics data; biological data integration as a foundation for systems-wide analysis of biological systems.

Richard L. Borowsky, Professor. Ph.D. 1969 (biology), M.Phil. 1967 (biology), Yale; B.A. 1964 (biology), Queens College (CUNY).
Population and molecular genetics in animal model systems, with current research on evolution of cave fishes and regressive evolution of eye development; genetic variation at the Xmrk melanoma locus in fishes of the genus Xiphophorus; molecular phylogenetic reconstruction using RAPD techniques.

Suse Broyde, Professor. Ph.D. 1963 (physical chemistry), Polytechnic (Brooklyn); B.S. (chemistry) 1958, City College (CUNY).
Molecular structure, especially conformations of nucleic acids; distortion of normal DNA conformations under the influence of polycyclic aromatic chemical carcinogens; interaction of a carcinogenic agent with DNA as the initiating event of carcinogenesis leading to a somatic mutation that ultimately causes cell transformation; influence of adduct conformation on whether or not a given carcinogen-DNA adduct causes a mutation or replication; elucidation on a molecular level of how the conformation of DNA is altered by a carcinogen.

Francesca Chiaromonte, Associate Professor, Mathematics, Biology. Ph.D. 1996 (statistics), Minnesota; Laurea 1990 (statistical and economic sciences), Rome La Sapienza.
Multivariate analysis and regression; Markov modeling; analysis and modeling of large-scale genomic data.

Gloria M. Coruzzi, Carroll and Milton Petrie Professor of Biology; Chair, Department of Biology. M.S.-Ph.D. 1979 (molecular and cell biology), New York; B.S. 1976 (biology), Fordham.
Plant molecular genetics; molecular, genetic, and transgenic approaches to study of plant metabolism and signal transduction, using the model genetic plant Arabidopsis thaliana; identification of plant genes that regulate the assimilation of inorganic nitrogen into organic form in plants using mutant and molecular approaches.

Rob DeSalle, Distinguished Research Scientist in Residence. Ph.D. 1984 (biology), Washington; B.A. 1976 (biological sciences), Chicago. Associate Curator, American Museum of Natural History.
Entomology.

Claude Desplan, Professor, Biology, Neural Science; Silver Professor. Ph.D. 1983 (biochemistry), Paris VII; Agrégation 1975 (physiology and biochemistry), Ecole Normale Supérieure (Saint Cloud).
Axis determination in the early Drosophila embryo and its evolution in anthropods; embryonic patterning; specification of photoreceptors in the compound eye; patterning of rhodopsin gene expression for color vision.

Patrick Eichenberger, Assistant Professor. Ph.D. 1997 (molecular biology), M.S. 1996 (molecular biology), B.S. 1992 (biochemistry), Geneva.
Comparative and functional genomics of endospore-forming bacteria.

David H. A. Fitch, Associate Professor. Ph.D. 1986 (genetics), Connecticut; B.A. 1980 (biology), Dartmouth College.
Evolution of morphology and development at the genetic and molecular level; developmental genetics of male tail morphogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans; molecular systematics and phylogeny of nematodes related to C. elegans.

Kristin C. Gunsalus, Research Assistant Professor. Ph.D. 1997 (genetics and development), B.A. 1984 (biology/chemistry), Cornell.
Bioinformatics; functional genomics; integration of biological data.

Nikolai Kirov, Clinical Assistant Professor. Ph.D. 1985 (molecular biology), Institute of Molecular Biology (Sofia); B.S. 1979 (biochemistry), Kharkov.
Molecular biology.

Edo Kussell, Assistant Professor. Ph.D. 2002, B.A. 1997, Harvard.
Computational biology: evolution of bacteria, mutational hotspots, phase variation; biological physics: population dynamics, stochastic mechanisms, sensing and information, protein folding.

Fabio Piano, Associate Professor. Ph.D. 1995 (biology), New York; Laurea 1995 (biology), Florence; M.Phil. 1993 (biology), M.S. 1991 (biology), B.S. 1988 (biology), New York.
Functional analysis of the genome; systematic approaches to characterize gene function during embryogenesis in C. elegans; molecular genetics and evolution of embryonic patterning in C. elegans and related nematodes.

Michael Purugganan, Professor. Ph.D. 1993, Georgia; M.A. 1986, Columbia; B.S. 1985, Philippines.
Evolutionary and ecological genomics of plants; plant molecular evolution; evolutionary origins of rice; genomics of flowering time and shoot architecture variation in Arabidopsis; regulatory gene evolution.

Michael R. Rampino, Associate Professor. Ph.D. 1978 (geological sciences), Columbia; B.A. 1968 (geology), Hunter College (CUNY).
Earth and atmospheric sciences; global biogeochemical cycles; planetary science.

Carol Shoshkes Reiss, Professor. Ph.D. 1978 (microbiology), Mt. Sinai Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (CUNY); M.S. 1973 (human genetics), Sarah Lawrence College; B.A. 1972 (biology), Bryn Mawr College.
Viral and cellular immunology; neuroimmunology; disease pathogenesis.

Alexander D. Reyes, Assistant Professor. Ph.D. 1990 (physiology and biophysics), Washington; B.A. 1984 (chemistry), Chicago.
Biophysical basis of information process in single neurons; synaptic interaction of neurons in cortical networks.

Christine A. Rushlow, Associate Professor. Ph.D. 1983 (genetics), B.A. 1977 (biology/chemistry), Connecticut.
Developmental genetics.

Dan H. Sanes, Professor, Neural Science, Biology. Ph.D. 1984 (biology), M.S. 1981 (biology), Princeton; B.S. 1978 (zoology), Massachusetts (Amherst).
Development of synapse function; auditory maturation and plasticity.

David A. Scicchitano, Associate Professor. Ph.D. 1986 (physiology), Pennsylvania State; B.A. 1981 (chemistry), Susquehanna.
Interactions of chemical and physical agents with DNA and processing of the resulting damage by cells; DNA repair heterogeneity that is typified by the preferential removal of DNA damage from active genetic loci; effect of site-specific DNA damage on transcription by a variety of RNA polymerases.

Walter N. Scott, Professor. M.D. 1960, Louisville; B.S. 1956, Western Kentucky.
Physiology of the vertebrate kidney, which is responsible for maintaining water and ion balance of the body; regulation of the transport and permeability of ions and water through epithelial membranes and the modulation of these fluxes by hormones; in particular, intracellular signaling processes involved in these tissue responses.

Robert M. Shapley, Natalie B. Clews Spencer Professor of the Sciences; Professor, Neural Science, Psychology, Biology; Director, Theoretical Neurobiology Program, Center for Neural Science. Ph.D. 1970 (biophysics), Rockefeller; B.A. 1965 (chemistry and physics), Harvard.
Neurophysiology; visual perception; theoretical neuroscience.

Mark L. Siegal, Assistant Professor. Ph.D. 1998, Harvard; B.S. 1993, Brown.
Genomic, genetic, and computational approaches to the evolution of development, with a focus on sexual differentiation in Drosophila.

Stephen J. Small, Professor. Ph.D. 1988 (developmental biology), Cincinnati; B.A. 1973, Thomas More College.
Transcriptional control of body form in early embryogenesis; role of gradients in pattern formation; enhancer mechanisms.

Guenther Stotzky, Professor. Ph.D. 1956 (agronomy-biochemistry), M.S. 1954 (agronomy-microbiology), Ohio State; B.S. 1952 (soil science), California Polytechnic State.
Microbial ecology and environmental microbiology and virology, with emphasis on the role of surfaces in the activity, ecology, and population dynamics of microorganisms, especially in soil; fate, gene transfer, and effects of genetically modified microbes in natural environments; persistence and ecological effects of the insecticidal toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis in soil.

Ignatius Tan, Clinical Assistant Professor; Head of Electron Microscopy Facility. Ph.D. 1997 (cell biology), Fordham; M.S. 1986 (bioengineer), Polytechnic (Brooklyn); B.A. 1981 (biology), St. Thomas.
Implications of gap junctions on cell differentiation and development using the testis as a model; determining gap junction’s role in the formation of specific communication compartments and how gap junctions regulate and support specific spermatogenic cells.

Daniel Tranchina, Professor, Biology, Mathematics, Neural Science. Ph.D. 1981 (neurobiology), Rockefeller; B.A. 1975 (neurobiology), SUNY (Binghamton).
Neurophysiology and biophysics of vision; intracellular and extracellular recording from retinal neurons; neural mechanisms underlying visual perception; mathematical modeling of information processing in the visual system.

William Velhagen Jr., Clinical Assistant Professor. Ph.D. 1995 (zoology), Duke; B.S. 1984 (biology), Philippines.
Development, morphology, and evolution of vertebrates, especially snakes.

Tyler Volk, Associate Professor. Ph.D. 1984 (atmospheric science), M.S. 1982 (applied science), New York; B.S. 1971 (architecture), Michigan.
Role of life in earth’s biogeochemical cycles, past, present, and future; modeling crop growth and development for productivity optimization; patterns of form and function that span a variety of disciplines in the sciences and humanities.

RESEARCH AND TEACHING ASSOCIATES
(affiliates who teach and co-mentor students)

Kenneth M. Cameron, Ph.D. 1996 (biology), North Carolina (Chapel Hill); B.S. 1989 (biology), Rhodes College. Assistant Curator, New York Botanical Garden.
Systematics and evolutionary issues related to Orchidaceae.

Douglas Daly, Ph.D. 1987 (biology/botany), CUNY; B.A. 1977 (botany), Harvard. B. A. Krukoff Curator of Amazonian Botany, New York Botanical Garden.
Systematics and economic botany.

Giuseppe Macino, Professorship 1986 (cell biology), Rome. Professor, Cell Biology, University of Rome, Italy.
Cell biology.

Robert A. Martienssen, Ph.D. 1986 (plant molecular genetics), B.A. 1982 (natural sciences), Cambridge. Professor, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Plant genetics; transposons; development; gene regulation; DNA methylation.

W. Richard McCombie, Ph.D. 1982 (cellular and molecular biology), Michigan (Ann Arbor); B.A. 1977 (biology), Wabash College. Associate Professor, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Genome structure; DNA sequencing; computational molecular biology; Human Genome Project.

Paula M. Mikkelsen, Ph.D. 1994 (biological sciences), Florida Institute of Technology; B.S. 1976 (biological sciences), Bates College. Assistant Curator, Malacology Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History.
Systematics; life histories and phylogeny of marine bivalve mollusks.

Howard C. Rosenbaum, Ph.D. 1999 (biology), M.S. 1993 (biology), Yale; B.A. 1990 (biology), Hamilton College. Conservation Biologist, Wildlife Conservation Society.
Conservation biology.

Dennis W. Stevenson, Ph.D. 1975 (botany), California (Davis); M.S. 1971 (botany), B.S. 1970 (botany), Ohio State. Director, Institute of Systematic Botany and Plant Research Laboratory, New York Botanical Garden.
Botany and phylogenetic systematics.

FACULTY EMERITI

Herndon G. Dowling, Henry I. Hirshfield, Michael Kambysellis, Jyotirmay Mitra, Fleur L. Strand.