Molly Megraw

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Full Name: 
Molly Megraw
Real name: 
Molly Megraw
Title: 
Assistant Professor
Phone Number: 
541-737-1118
Education Background: 

2007 Ph.D., Genomics and Computational Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
1999 M.S.E., Mathematical Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
1996 B.S.E, Interdisciplinary Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
1996 B.S., Mathematics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Research Interest/Focus: 

The overall scientific goal of my lab is to understand how small RNAs and Transcription Factors work together in living cells. Our current research focus is on the analysis of over-represented microRNA-Transcription-Factor regulatory structures using Arabidopsis as a model organism. This work includes both computational and wet lab components to elucidate regulatory regions on a genome-wide scale. Both portions of the lab will address questions such as the following: Where are the transcription start sites of protein coding genes and noncoding RNAs? What are the functional cis-regulatory elements in their promoter regions? Can we learn to predict and understand these elements from data by using appropriate computational methods? Can we use these ideas to discover and reliably predict small genetic circuits that are functioning in an organism for a specific purpose (e.g. to generate a "pulse" of a gene as a developmental timing event, or to enforce a particular spatial pattern within a multicellular organism)?

External Publications Link: 
Professional Experience: 
2011-Present: Distinguished Professor of Molecular Toxicology Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
2009 - 2011: Professor of Molecular Toxicology Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
2003 - 2008: Associate Professor of Molecular Toxicology Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
1999 - 2003: Assistant Professor of Molecular Toxicology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO 80262
1996 - 1999: Postdoctoral Researcher in the laboratory of Richard E. Peterson, Department of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706.
1990-1995: Immunology Laboratory Instructor, Department of Biology, California State University, San Bernardino, CA 92407
1988 - 1990: Research Associate, Department of Molecular Biology, City of Hope National Medical Center /Beckman Research Institute, Duarte, CA 91010