Program in Gene Function and Expression
Vision Statement
The Program in Gene Function and Expression (PGFE) at The University of Massachusetts Medical School is an interdisciplinary program that seeks to:
- bring together faculty with diverse research interests who use a variety of scientific approaches to investigate exciting questions relating to gene expression and function.
- offer postdoctoral fellows and graduate students the opportunity to work in a stimulating environment on the leading-edge of modern biological research.
- participate in the quality education and training of its graduate students.
- provide a research atmosphere that is both collegial and collaborative.
- achieve research excellence as a premier research facility in the biomedical sciences.
Overview of the Program
Basic biomedical research holds the promise of yielding important advances in understanding - and ultimately treating - human disease. In the Program in Gene Function and Expression, researchers endeavor to identify and characterize novel genes involved in a diverse number of basic cellular functions including: transcription, chromosome function and assembly, inter- and intra-cellular signaling, cell proliferation and apoptosis. The ultimate goal of this research is to understand the molecular pathways governing normal biological processes, such as immunity, development and aging, as well as the genesis of various diseases including diabetes and cancer.
Towards this goal, PGFE researchers employ a variety of experimental approaches, techniques and model systems. Their expertise ranges from classical genetic, biochemical and molecular biological approaches to bioinformatics, expression profiling, RNA interference, and high-throughput methodologies. They utilize a variety of model organisms including baker's yeast, nematodes, zebrafish and mice. Research is conducted in state-of-the-art laboratories at the UMass Medical School campus in Worcester, Massachusetts, in an environment that is both highly interactive and collaborative.