Dr. Mark Van Doren is a Professor of Biology at Johns Hopkins University, where he leads an innovative research program in developmental biology, using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. His lab focuses on uncovering the molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate germ cell formation, migration, and sexual identity, with broad implications for understanding reproductive biology and human health.
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Dr. Van Doren earned his Bachelors from Cornell University, where early research experiences sparked his passion for biological research. He completed his PhD at the University of California, San Diego, where he began working with Drosophila, investigating the biochemistry of BHLH proteins in the context of developmental regulation. He continued his postdoctoral training in the lab of Ruth Lehmann, first at the Whitehead Institute (MIT) and later at the Skirball Institute (NYU Medical Center), where he initiated his long-standing work on germ cell development. His landmark study on HMG-CoA reductase and germ cell migration was published in Nature in 1998.
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In 1999, Dr. Van Doren joined the faculty at Johns Hopkins, where he has continued to advance the field of developmental biology. In addition to his research, he is a dedicated educator and mentor, teaching developmental biology to both undergraduate and graduate students for over a decade.