Iain Cheeseman

Biography

 Cheeseman did his undergraduate training at Duke University, and his graduate work at the University of California/Berkeley, where he earned a doctorate in 2002. He carried out his postdoctoral work in the lab of Arshad Desai at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in San Diego and the University of California/San Diego.

Research Interest

 His research focuses on the kinetochore, the central player in directing chromosome segregation. The kinetochore is a macromolecular structure composed of more than 100 different proteins that act to connect chromosomes to the microtubule polymers that power their movement, and integrate regulatory signals to ensure the proper timing and fidelity of chromosome segregation. Although the central importance of the kinetochore has long been appreciated, the molecular basis for its many activities remains poorly understood. They use parallel biochemical and cell biological approaches to analyze kinetochore composition, structure, organization, regulation, and how kinetochore proteins function to achieve proper chromosome segregation.