Professor Justin Thackeray is a geneticist whose current research interest lies in understanding mechanisms of growth factor signaling pathway regulation, using the model system Drosophila melanogaster. His main focus has been investigating phospholipase C-gamma (PLC-gamma), which is a key regulator of receptor tyrosine kinases. Activating mutations of this enzyme are commonly found in many human tumors, so his recent work has been aimed at generating activating alleles of PLC-gamma using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, and chemical genetic screens to identify novel PLC-gamma inhibitors. He is also interested in promoting research as a key element of teaching, participating in both the Genomics Education Partnership and FlyCURE projects; both of which involve undergraduates in active genetics research. He has been funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Thackeray received his Ph.D. from the University of Leicester, UK. In 1989 he was awarded a two-year NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship to conduct research focused on Drosophila neurogenetics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the laboratory of Barry Ganetzky. In 1994 he moved to the East Coast to continue his postdoctoral studies at Yale University, in the laboratory of John Carlson, where he transitioned to his current focus on cell signaling. He has been on the faculty at Clark since 1996. He is a participating faculty member in both the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program, as well the Health, Science & Society program.
Dr. Thackeray has served on multiple Clark faculty committees, including Undergraduate Academic Board, Graduate Board (two years as chair), two terms on Planning and Budget Review (one year as chair), as well as three years as Faculty Secretary. He also served as chair of the Biology Department from 2015-2018.
Courses offered:
IDND 015: Pandemic – From Horror to Hope
BIOL 101: Introductory Biology I
BIOL 117: Epidemiology
BIOL 118: Genetics
BIOL 218: Genetics and Disease
BIOL 231: Recombinant DNA
BIOL 236: Biology of Cancer
BIOL 244: Biological Clocks
BCMB 272: Biochemistry II