David Breslow is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at Yale University. David received an A.B. in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard University and did his graduate work at the University of California, San Francisco in Dr. Jonathan Weissman’s lab. There he developed functional genomic tools for budding yeast and defined the function of Orm family proteins in sphingolipid homeostasis. As a postdoctoral fellow, David worked with Dr. Maxence Nachury at Stanford University, where he used in vitro and CRISPR-based screening approaches to study primary cilia. A central focus of David’s work has been applying new systematic approaches to address fundamental questions in cell biology, with a current emphasis on the regulation and functions of the mammalian primary cilium. David joined the Yale MCDB faculty in January 2017.
Administrative Support:
Susan Brady
Research
The primary cilium is a micron-scale structure protruding from the surface of most cells in the human body. Through functional genomic screening, microscopy, and biochemistry, we are investigating the physiologic roles of primary cilia, the cellular processes that support these functions, and the disease states that result from errors in these processes. Current areas of interest include understanding how the cilium serves as an organizing center for select signaling pathways (e.g. Hedgehog signaling), how cilia are dynamically assembled and disassembled in response to physiologic cues, and how altered ciliary function contributes to neurodevelopmental disorders and cancer. An additional area of interest is in the development and application of new functional genomic screening approaches to study cilia biology.
Honors and Awards
- Award for Excellence in Biomedical Research, Smith Family Foundation
- Child Health Research Award, Charles H. Hood Foundation
- Sloan Research Fellowship in Neuroscience, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
- Dale F. Frey Award for Breakthrough Scientists, Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation
- Connie and Bob Lurie Fellow of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation
- A.B. summa cum laude, Harvard University