Dr. David Macalpine

Biography

David MacAlpine's laboratory focuses on understanding the molecular architecture of chromosomes and how it regulates fundamental biological processes such as replication and transcription. Utilizing genomic, computational, and biochemical approaches, particularly in the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, his research aims to address how DNA replication and transcription are coordinately regulated at the genomic scale to maintain genomic stability. Notably, MacAlpine’s work investigates the relationship between DNA replication timing and transcriptional activity, revealing a correlation where actively transcribed regions of the genome are replicated early. His systematic characterization of replication dynamics across various cell types seeks to illuminate the chromosomal features that directly regulate DNA replication in metazoans. His recent studies delve into the pre-replication complex (preRC) that initiates replication, exploring the conservation of its components across eukaryotes and their role in origin selection and regulation. MacAlpine holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and has received numerous grants from the National Institutes of Health to further his research in pharmacological sciences and cancer biology.

Research Interests

Experience