People

Faculty
Department Bio
Susan J. Baserga's picture Susan J. Baserga
William H. Fleming MD ’57 Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Professor of Genetics, and Professor of Therapeutic Radiology
Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry; Genetics; Therapeutic Radiology
research interests

Ribosome Biogenesis; The Nucleolus; Ribosomopathies; Cancer; Human Disease; Eukaryotic Organisms; RNA Biology; Biochemistry and Structural Biology

Biography

Dr. Baserga has a long-standing interest in fundamental aspects of ribosome biogenesis, the nucleolus, human diseases of making ribosomes (ribosomopathies), and on the impact of ribosome biogenesis on cell growth, cell division and cancer. Her laboratory uses a wide-array of biochemical, genetic, and biophysical techniques to study the process and regulation of ribosome biogenesis, and utilizes model systems including yeast, mammalian cells, zebrafish and frogs (Xenopus tropicalis). 
 
See all of Dr. Baserga’s publications here
Mentorship

Dr. Baserga is committed to the education of the next generation of scientists and takes much pride in preparing them for positions in science-related fields. She has had 9 undergraduate, 15 pre-doctoral and 8 post-doctoral trainees who have been very successful as gauged by their publication records, by their success at garnering post-doctoral and faculty positions, and by their ability to obtain their initial grant funding.  In addition to mentoring and advocating for her laboratory trainees, Dr. Baserga was Associate Director of the Yale MD/PhD program for 11 years, and is now the Program Director for the largest graduate student training grant at Yale University.  In 2014, she won the Charles W. Bohmfalk Prize for teaching the basic science of biochemistry to medical students at the Yale School of Medicine.  And, in 2016, she won the William C. Rose award from the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) for scientific excellence and mentoring.  She has served for 5 years on BRT-A, one of the NIH study sections that reviews pre-doctoral training grants, and has reviewed training grants for 2 more years on Special Emphasis Panels, one of which she chaired.  In 2015, she reviewed NRSA fellowship applications for the NIH, and in 2016 reviewed nationwide Institutional Beckman Scholar Program applications that benefit undergraduates who want to pursue science as a career. 
Education and training

Institution and location Degree Year field of study
Yale College, New Haven, CT B.S., summa cum laude 1980 Biology
Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT M.D., cum laude 1988 Medicine
Yale University, New Haven, CT PH.D. 1988 Human Genetics
Yale University, New Haven, CT Post-doctoral fellowship 1988-1993 Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry
Curriculum vitae

Check out Dr. Baserga’s full curriculum vitae here.

Postdoctoral Fellows
Department Bio
Mason McCool's picture Mason McCool, Ph.D.
Former Ph.D. student, Postdoctoral Associate
Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

Mason is following up on newly discovered regulators of ribosome biogenesis that are additionally implicated in known oncogenic pathways. His work will focus on the molecular mechanisms that connect these pathways to the increased ribosome production often observed in cancer cells.

Link to publications:

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7834-0927

Select honors and awards:

  • Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, F31DE030332, National Institutes of Health (2020-present)
  • Cellular and Molecular Biology Predoctoral Training Grant, NIGMS T32GM007223, National Institutes of Health (2018-2020)
Emily Sutton's picture Emily Sutton, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Associate
Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry

Select honors and awards:

  • Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (F32) NIGMS (2023-Present)
  • 2023 Steitz RNA Fellow
Graduate Students
Department Bio
Ty Brown's picture Ty Brown
Ph.D. Candidate
Genetics
Staff
Department Bio
Sarah Auddino's picture Sarah Auddino
Senior Administrative Assistant
Phone: +1 (203) 785 4857
MEDMBB MB and B

Full time administrative support to the Baserga lab.