Anne Casper

SPIRE Fellow, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Duke University
Durham, NC



Hello! My name is Anne Casper, and I joined the SPIRE program in August 2005. I'm originally from Nebraska, and received my B.S. in biology from University of Nebraska - Lincoln (GO BIG RED!). As an undergraduate, my interest in research was sparked by working in the labs of Dr. John Janovy, Jr. and Dr. Larry Harshman. I decided to pursue a Ph.D. in human genetics at the University of Michigan, where I joined the laboratory of Dr. Tom Glover. My dissertation research focused on specific sites in the genome that are prone to breaking under conditions when DNA replication is difficult, called common fragile sites. As common fragile sites are frequently rearranged in tumor cells, further research on their instability may help us understand the chromosomal changes contributing to cancer.

For my postdoctoral research, I joined the laboratory of Dr. Tom Petes at Duke University. Here I'm continuing my research on fragile sites in the genome, but am using yeast as a model organism.

Also, both at Nebraska and Michigan, I had the opportunity to work as a teaching assistant for undergraduate zoology and genetics classes. These teaching experiences have been incredibly rewarding, and I'm looking forward to combining my interests in teaching and research through the SPIRE program.

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