Josefa

M.

Steinhauer

Professor of Biology

Email:

jsteinha@yu.edu

Office Phone:

212-960-5400 x6295

Office Address:

Wilf campus - Belfer Hall
Room#1408

Education:

Postdoctoral fellow, Skirball Institute, NYU Langone Medical Center, 2005-2011

PhD, Columbia University, 2005

BS, Case Western Reserve University, 1999

Josefa Steinhauer CV

Biography:

As students who take my courses often hear me say, lab skills are life skills! I believe lab work is an irreplaceable part of an undergraduate science education, teaching students analytical, bookkeeping, and manual skills to assure success wherever their paths take them. By integrating novel research projects into my courses, I am ensuring that all Biology majors at YU have the opportunity to gain research experience. I also extensively incorporate primary scientific literature into my classes, emphasizing not just WHAT we know but HOW we know it. Students who take my courses often continue as research apprentices in my lab, creating meaningful extracurricular experiences that stay with them long after they have graduated.

Teaching and Research Interests:

The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has served as a model genetic organism for over 100 years, and has earned 7 Nobel prizes! Scientists have used the fly to gain insight into the fundamental genetic, cell biological, and molecular mechanisms at play during the development of an organism. Paradigms discovered in Drosophila have been found to be universally relevant. Although our current understanding is vast, there is still much to be discovered. My lab uses Drosophila to understand phospholipid metabolism in the context of a whole animal. We have uncovered important roles for phospholipid metabolic enzymes in both male and female fertility, as well as in the biology of aging and in neurodegeneration.