Getting to Know Marian Walhout, PhD
Date Posted: Monday, February 23, 2026
The Department of Molecular, Cell & Cancer Biology (MCCB) and the UMass Metabolic Network ( MetNet) are proud to welcome Marian Walhout, PhD, Chair of the Department of Systems Biology, for a joint seminar. Dr. Walhout is internationally recognized for her work in systems biology, which has advanced our understanding of metabolic networks using C. elegans as a model organism.
She earned her bachelor’s and PhD degrees from Utrecht University in the Netherlands and completed postdoctoral training with Marc Vidal, PhD, at Harvard Medical School, where she contributed to the first protein interaction, transcriptome, and phenome maps in C. elegans.
Dr. Walhout established her laboratory at UMass Chan in 2003 and, in 2011, co-founded the Program in Systems Biology with her husband, Job Dekker, PhD. The program evolved into the Department of Systems Biology in 2021. Following our MetNet tradition, we asked Marian some science and non-science questions.
Favorite movie(s)
Pulp Fiction & Fargo
Hobbies
Horseback riding (Amy’s fault!)
Share some unique Walhout Lab traditions that have formed throughout the years
Mmmm, I don’t think we have any, that makes me very insecure now...
What do you consider to be your best science-related and non-science habits?
I care.
Hidden talent(s) that most people don’t know you have
Job says all my talents are out in the open, LOL.
What would you be doing if you weren’t a scientist?
Dressage rider, psychiatrist, or vet.
Memorable moments from your research training or as an independent PI?
So many! One of my favorites was Emma figured out vitamin B12 was the answer, so she ran to a vitamin shoppe to buy some, tested it, and showed it in a lab meeting a week or two after the two Cell papers were published. I thought it would take years to figure it out.
Advice for trainees?
Follow your path, don’t let anybody talk you down, believe in yourself, and work very, very, VERY hard.
Perks or challenges to being a scientist couple?
Never a dull moment!