Member Biography
Claire Walczak, Ph.D.
915 E. 3rd St.
Myers Hall 262
Bloomington, IN 47405
Phone: (812) 855-5919
Research Program Membership
Full member:
Assistant Director of Research, Medical Sciences Program
Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
Adjunct Professor of Anatomy & Cell Biology
Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
Executive Director, IUB-Light Microscopy Imaging Center
Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
Adjunct Professor of Biology
Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
Dr. Walczak's research interests include:
The major goal of mitosis is to distribute the genetic material accurately between the two daughter cells. Defects in meiosis or mitosis lead to aneuploidy, which is a significant cause of birth defects and is a hallmark of tumorigenesis. Despite the cytological description of the mitotic spindle over 100 years ago, we still do not understand how it is assembled or how its activities are spatially and temporally coordinated to facilitate proper segregation of the genetic material. Our lab is interested in the molecular mechanisms that control assembly of the spindle and how the spindle ensures accurate chromosome segregation. Drugs that target the cell division machinery are powerful agents used to treat a number of cancers, and we are working to identify new targets that can be used alone or in combination to develop stronger anti-proliferative agents.
Post-doctoral Fellowship - University of California, San Francisco, CA 1993-1998
Ph.D. - University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 1993
