Dr. Geoff E. Stilwell

Education

PhD, University of Wisconsin

Courses

Biol 100 Fundamental Concepts of Biology

Biol 221 Genetics

Biol 450 Advanced Genetics

Biol 460 Biology Senior Seminar​

Research Interests

More than 6 million people suffer from a neurodegenerative disease (ND) for which there is no cure.  The Stilwell Lab uses the powerful genetic model organism Drosophila melanogaster to study the consequences of mutations which cause various NDs, focusing on how mutations in the superoxide dismutase gene cause motor neuron cell death as a model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Mutations in superoxide dismutase were first discovered in the early 1990's and we still do not understand how changes in this one gene cause only certain cells to degenerate. The Stilwell Lab uses genetic engineering to create fly models which replicate many features of the human disease, and uses genetic screening approaches to identify the molecular pathways leading to motor neuron death. Info at gstilwell@ric.edu​. ​