Brian P. Piasecki (he/him/his)


Headshot of Brian
Phone
920-832-7161
Campus Address
Thomas Steitz Hall of Science
Room 334
Biology
Title
Associate Professor of Biology
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Trained as a molecular and cellular biologist, I am interested in linking basic cellular mechanisms to broader evolutionary and developmentally relevant processes. For example, observations made largely within the past ten years have shown a direct connection between how unicellular organisms swim and how our nervous system functions. My lab studies the ‘hair like’ cellular appendages, called cilia or flagella, responsible for generating these motile- and sensory-specific functions. We are particularly interested in understanding how cilia/flagella function as sensory ‘antennae’ to facilitate cellular communication and to understand how ciliary gene regulation has evolved. Defects in these cellular structures have been implicated in a wide range of human genetic disorders, and this work has  dissecting the molecular basis of conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia, and dyslexia.

Education
B.S., University of North Texas (2000)
M.A., University of Texas at Austin (2003)
Ph.D., University of Minnesota (2008)
Postdoctoral Fellow, The Karolinska Insitute
Years at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ
2011-Present