Scott Gerber, PhD

Scott Gerber, PhD

Professor of Molecular and Systems Biology
Professor of Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Director, Quantitative Biomedical Sciences

Overview of research interests
Research in my laboratory involves developing and deploying novel biological, analytical and quantitative approaches to understand cellular signaling in normal and disease states using mass spectrometry-based proteomics. We apply these novel methods to uncover signaling dynamics in the cell cycle that are often dysregulated in cancer, as a means to both understand the complex nature of cell division as well as uncover new entry points for therapeutic intervention.

In your opinion, what is the relevance and significance of QBS’s mission and training to scientific advancement in both industry and academia?
As the nature and scope of scientific questions and problems have become larger and more complicated, so too have the answers and solutions. The three pillars of QBS - biostatistics, bioinformatics and epidemiology – feature prominently in modern biomedical research at all levels. By developing proficiency and understanding of all three disciplines, students in our program are better equipped to tackle these complex problems, whether in industry or in academia.

What are the positive aspects of having an interdisciplinary student in your lab?
Our research is by its nature highly interdisciplinary: proteomics has evolved from a combination of analytical chemistry, cell biology, biochemistry, biostatistics and bioinformatics into a field of its own. So to become a fully conversant proteomics researcher requires thinking in different spaces, which can happen for individuals as well as for the group as a whole. For more quantitative students, this often means reaching out to better understand experimental designs, how mass spectrometers collect data, and developing incisive, biomedically relevant hypotheses to test on their own. And conversely, for more biology-oriented trainees, this means getting more quantitative!