Assistant Professor of Biology F.W. Olin Science Center, Room 2340   1250 N. Dartmouth Ave. Claremont, CA 91711 (909) 607-2670 drewell@hmc.edu

Education & Professional Experience

• B.Sc., Molecular Genetics, King’s College, University of London
• Ph.D., Molecular & Developmental Biology, King’s College, University of Cambridge
• Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Cambridge
• Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Berkeley
• Postdoctoral Fellow, California Institute of Technology
• Assistant Professor, University of Nevada, Reno (2004-2006)

Teaching

• Biology 54: Introductory Laboratory
• Biology 82: Bioethics and Embryology (Integrative Experience Course)
• Biology 113: Molecular Biology
• Biology 122: Cell and Developmental Biology seminar
  
• Biology 164: Genetics seminar
• Chemistry 25: Interdisciplinary Freshman Laboratory

Research Interests and Goals

Cis-regulation of gene networks during embryogenesis in Drosophila.

In the past decade the genomes of many organisms have been completely sequenced. Two striking observations are that these genomes contain significantly fewer genes than originally predicted and that the majority of the DNA sequence contains regions of presently unknown function. It is therefore clear that the vastly increased biological complexity of higher eucaryotes is critically dependent on the tightly directed expression of gene networks during their development. The Drewell lab research interests lie specifically in the role of this presently uncharacterized genomic DNA in epigenetic and cis-regulation of gene expression during embryonic development. Applying genetic manipulations we use model gene networks such as the homeotic complexes in Drosophila to analyze the functional activities of novel regulatory DNA sequences.  Our research also examines the functional activities of epigenetic events such as transcription of non-coding intergenic RNAs and chromatin remodeling.

For more details and information, see Dr. Drewell's personal website.

John Allen

Matt Borok

Sara Goetz

Margie Ho

Esther Hwang

Ginna Kim

Ben Schiller

Diana Tran

Peter Tu

 
Senior Theses

Holly Johnsen ’07:  Evolution of IAB5 enhancer sequence and functionality in Drosophila

Christoph Rau ’07:  Does Functional Conservation Stem from Sequence Conservation?  A Functional and Bioinformatical Analysis of the IAB8 Enhancer in Drosophila

Selected Publications

Akbari OS, Bae E, Johnsen H, Villaluz A, Wong D and Drewell RA. 2008. A novel promoter tethering element regulates enhancer-driven gene expression at the bithorax complex in the Drosophila embryo.  Development 135: 123-131.  [article]

Celniker S and Drewell RA. 2007. Chromatin looping mediates boundary element promoter interactions. Bioessays. 29: 7-10. [article]

Arney KL, Bae E, Olsen CE and Drewell RA. 2006. The human and mouse H19 imprinting control regions harbor an evolutionarily conserved silencer element that functions on transgenes in Drosophila. Development, Genes and Evolution. 216: 811-819. [article]

Akbari OS, Bousum A, Bae E and Drewell RA. 2006. Unraveling cis-regulatory mechanisms at the abdominal-A and Abdominal-B genes in the Drosophila bithorax complex. Developmental Biology. 293: 294-304. [article]

Hagège H, Nasser R, M. Weber, L. Milligan, Aptel N, Jacquet C, Drewell RA, Dandolo L, Surani MA, Cathala G and Forné T. 2006. The 3’ portion of the mouse H19 Imprinting-Control Region is required for proper tissue-specific expression of the Igf2 gene. Cytogenetic & Genome Research. 113: 230-237. [abstract]

Bae E, Calhoun VC, Levine M, Lewis EB, Drewell RA. 2002. Characterization of the intergenic RNA profile at abdominal-A and Abdominal-B in the Drosophila bithorax complex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 99:16847-52. [article]

Drewell RA, Bae E, Burr J and Lewis EB. 2002. Transcription defines the embryonic domains of cis-regulatory activity at the Drosophila bithorax complex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 99:16853-8. [article]

Drewell RA, Arney KL, Arima T, Barton SC, Brenton JD, Surani MA. 2002. Novel conserved elements upstream of the H19 gene are transcribed and act as mesodermal enhancers. Development. 129:1205-13. [article]