Robert T. Wheeler
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
9 Cambridge Center
Cambridge, MA 02142
(617) 258-5232 (phone)
(617) 258-9872 (fax)
E-mail:
Education and Professional Experience:
2000-presentWhitehead InstituteCambridge, MA
Post-doctoral Fellow
Sponsor: Gerald R. Fink, PhD
1994-2000Stanford UniversityStanford, CA
PhD, Department of Developmental Biology
Advisor: Lucy Shapiro, PhD
Thesis Title: “Dynamic Localization of Bacterial Signaling Proteins Controlling
Differentiation and Cell Cycle Progression”
1993-1994University of MunichMunich, Germany
Research Assistant
Advisor: Diethard Tautz, PhD
1989-1993Harvard CollegeCambridge, MA
B. A. Biology, Magna Cum Laude
Honors Thesis Advisor: Daniel G. Jay, PhD
Honors, Fellowships, and Grants:
2006-presentMerck Inc. Investigator Initiated Studies Program Grant
2004-2006Charles A. King Trust Fellowship
2005Keystone Symposium Travel Grant (NIH/NIAID)“Innate Immunity to Pathogens”
2001-2004Burroughs Wellcome Fund Fellowship of the Life Sciences
Research Foundation
1994-1997National Science Foundation Pre-doctoral Fellowship
1993-1994Fulbright Fellowship
1991, 1992Ford Undergraduate Research Grants
Professional Experience:
Invited Speaker:
ThomasJeffersonUniversity, Dept. Microbiology and Immunology, April 2007
StanfordUniversity, Dept. Biological Sciences, March 2007
Northeastern University, Dept. Biology, February 2007
Seminar, Dept. Molecular and Cell Biology, BostonUniversityGoldmanSchool of Dentistry, 2002
Platform Presentations:
Candida and Candidiasis, March 2006
Keystone Symposium “Innate Immunity to Pathogens,” February 2005
International Workshop for Integrated Yeast Sciences, 2004
NE Regional Yeast Meeting, 2003
Poster Presentations:
Keystone Symposium, “Linking Innate with Adaptive Immune Responses,” 2003
Candida and Candidiasis, 2004
Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biology Meeting, 2002
ColdSpringHarbor Symposium “Microbial Pathogenesis & Host Response,” 2005
Peer Reviewer: Molecular Microbiology, Archives of Medical Research, European Cytokine Network
Service and Mentoring:
Whitehead Teacher Partner Program,invited seminar on Fungal Pathogenesis (2006)
Whitehead Board of Associates,invited presentation (2003)
Whitehead Post-doctoral Advisory Group,served (2001-2003)
Whitehead Library Advisory Group,served (2005)
MIT/Whitehead Post-doctoral Career Seminars,organized (2002-2003)
Whitehead High School Student Program, tour guide (2005-2006)
Direct supervisor of technical associate, Diana Kombe (9/2006-present)
Closely supervised PhD student, Joel Moxley (3/2004-1/2007)
Closely supervised an undergraduate, Rishi Puram (1/2005-5/2005)
Supervised several rotation students (both Fink Lab and Shapiro Lab)
Publications:
Johnnidis J.B., Harris M.H., Wheeler R.T., Stehling-Sun S., Lam M.H., Kirak O., Brummelkamp T.R., Fleming M.D. and Camargo F.D. (2008) Regulation of progenitor cell proliferation and granulocyte function by microRNA-223. Nature (in press).
Wheeler R.T., Fink G.R.(2006) A drug-sensitive genetic network masks fungi from the immune system. PLoS Pathog. Apr;2(4):e35. Epub 2006 Apr 28.
Wheeler, R. T., Kupiec, M., Magnelli, P., Abeijon, C. and Fink, G.R. (2003) A Saccharomycescerevisiae mutant with increased virulence.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 100(5):2766-70.
Wheeler, R. T. and Shapiro, L. (1999) Differential localization of two histidine kinases controlling bacterial cell differentiation. Molecular Cell 4, 683-694
Wheeler, R. T., Gober, J. W. and Shapiro, L. (1998) Protein localization during the Caulobacter crescentus cell cycle. Curr. Opin. Microbiol. 6, 636-642.
Wheeler, R. T. and Shapiro, L. (1997) Bacterial Chromosome Segregation: Is There a Mitotic Apparatus? Cell 88, 577-579.
Winzeler, E., Wheeler, R. and Shapiro, L. (1997) Transcriptional analysis of the Caulobacter 4.5S RNA ffs gene and the physiological basis of an ffs mutant with a Ts phenotype. J. Mol. Biol. 272(5), 665-676.