Dr. Lorraine Pillus

Biography

Lorraine Pillus is a distinguished professor whose research focuses on the chromosomal position and local chromatin structure and their profound consequences on gene expression. Her interests include the epigenetic processes that are critical for normal growth and development, with a particular emphasis on transcriptional silencing and its effects on yeast and human genes. Pillus studies how chromatin is regulated through post-translational modifications of core subunits and transcriptional factors, involving enzymes such as histone acetyltransferases (HATs), histone deacetylases (HDACs), and methyltransferases (MTs). Her experimental approaches employ genetic, genomic, and biochemical strategies to understand the functions and mechanisms of chromatin-modifying enzymes, their genomic targeting, and their interactions with transcriptional and DNA repair complexes. She completed her graduate studies with Frank Solomon at MIT and conducted postdoctoral research with Jasper Rine at the University of California, Berkeley. Pillus has received several accolades, including being named a Pew Scholar, a New Young Investigator by the National Science Foundation, and receiving teaching excellence awards from Mortar Board Honor Society and Associated Students. She has taken on various leadership roles, including Chair of Molecular Biology and Associate Dean of the Division. Pillus has been elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Microbiology, and was named a Revelle College Faculty Fellow.

Research Interests

Experience