Dr. Steve Briggs

Biography

Steve Briggs is a distinguished professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He earned his Ph.D. from Michigan State University and has spent a significant portion of his career in industry, including roles as Director at Pioneer/DuPont and President of the Torrey Mesa Research Institute. He also served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Research at Diversa and was a Senior Staff Investigator at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. At UCSD, he has held various leadership positions, including Chair of the Section of Cell & Developmental Biology and Associate Dean of the Division of Biology. Briggs is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Academy of Inventors. His research emphasizes the phenomenon of heterosis, examining how mating between genetically distinct parents can lead to increased vigor in hybrid progeny, particularly in crops like maize. He utilizes advanced techniques such as high-precision peptide mass spectrometry and RNA sequencing to study the molecular differences between inbred and hybrid plants, with a focus on the roles of proteostasis and genetic expression in plant development.

Research Interests

Experience