Dr. Amy Kiger

Associate Professor

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Biography

Amy Kiger is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of California, San Diego. Her research focuses on cellular remodeling and membrane regulation of dynamic cell organization and shape, particularly in relation to development, immunity, aging, and disease. She investigates the roles of novel membrane trafficking processes and the spatiotemporal regulation of lipids in controlling cell structure. Kiger's laboratory employs genetic and cell biology experiments using Drosophila to link lipid kinase and phosphatase activities with cellular remodeling. She aims to identify conserved mechanisms of membrane regulation in immune and muscle cell functions, providing insights related to human diseases like centronuclear myopathy and Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy. Kiger has pioneered RNA-interference screens in Drosophila to conduct genome-wide analyses of cell morphology and study the regulatory mechanisms of select cellular processes, including autophagy and integrin trafficking. Her work has significant implications for understanding tissue-specific cellular functions and therapeutic strategies for human diseases.

Research Interests

Experience

Associate Professor

— Present

University of California, San Diego • La Jolla, CA

Teaching and conducting research in cellular biology.

Requirements for University of California, San Diego

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:85
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Duolingo
Overall Score
Required:120
Overall
Required:120
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in physical, biological, or earth sciences, mathematics, or engineering. Differential and integral calculus. One year of calculus-based physics with laboratory. One year of chemistry with laboratory.
Application Checklist
  • Statement of Purpose (max 2 pages)
  • Unofficial transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Application fee ($135 domestic / $155 international)
Specialization Notes

Administered by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Curricular groups include Climate-Ocean-Atmosphere (COAP), Geosciences (GEO), and Ocean Biosciences (OBP).