UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Research Professor Cheryl Keller has been named the new director of the Genomics Core Facility in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences. Previously the director of the Genomics Research Incubator — a collaboration between Huck and the Eberly College of Science — she steps into a role made available by Craig Praul’s promotion to director of Core Facilities last year.
"Cheryl possesses a wealth of experience in analyzing genomic data for a broad array of research questions and models," said Christina Grozinger, director of the Huck Institutes and Publius Vergilius Maro Professor of Entomology. “Her existing relationships with facility staff and University researchers mean that she has long been a valuable part of the research ecosystem at the Huck, and we are delighted she has agreed to take on the role of the director for the Genomics Core.”
Keller has a long association with Penn State: she obtained her doctoral degree biochemistry, microbiology, and molecular biology from the University in 1999 and has worked in number of postdoctoral and research-related roles for multiple labs, starting out with research utilizing genetic and molecular approaches to gain insight into embryonic muscle development in "Drosophila" before transitioning to neuroscience, where she explored potential mechanisms of GABAA receptor clustering in mice systems using a variety of genetic, molecular and cellular biology methods. She has more than three decades of research experience with dozens of publications and direct involvement with the sequencing of more than 6,000 biological samples.
“I've known Cheryl for about 30 years, and she is exceptionally qualified,” said Praul, who has worked in the core facilities since 2001, and the last nine as the director of the Genomics Core. “I am thrilled that Cheryl is going to be the next director, and I know the transition will be smooth. She will do a great job, and I am looking forward to her taking the core to the next level."
In 2021, Keller led the development of the Genomics Research Incubator (GRI), a collaborative initiative that complements the Genomics Core by providing Penn state researchers with training, expert advice and guidance, and direct access to high-throughput genomic and epigenomic capabilities. With Keller’s transition into her new role, the functions of the GRI will be folded into the existing offerings of the Genomics Core.
“I’m excited and grateful to Huck leadership for this opportunity,” said Keller. “Craig Praul has done an absolutely fantastic job leading genomics research in Huck facilities over the past 24 years, with an excellent record of delivering high-quality data to a large customer base of over 150 labs across the university. The Genomics Core Facility staff are highly skilled experts, and I look forward to supporting them as they continue to generate high-quality data for the Penn State research community.”
Keller received her bachelor's degree in biology from Trenton State College before joining her doctoral program at Penn State. In 2002, she was awarded the Eberly College of Science’s Climate and Diversity Dean’s Faculty Award.