Ilya J. Finkelstein

  • Associate Professor
  • Lorene Morrow Kelley Endowed Faculty Fellowship Fund
  • Molecular Biosciences
Profile image of Ilya J. Finkelstein

Contact Information

Biography

Associate Professor (2019- ) Department of Molecular Biosciences,
Livestrong Cancer Institute,
Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology,
Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology,
The University of Texas at Austin

Assistant Professor (2012-2019)
Department of Molecular Biosciences
The University of Texas at Austin

Postdoctoral Fellow (2007-2012)
Columbia University Medical Center (with Eric C. Greene)

Graduate Student (2001-2007)
Stanford University (with Michael D. Fayer)

Research

We develop biophysical tools to understand how molecular machines edit and repair our genomes. Current focus areas include the biology and applications of CRISPR adaptive immunity, mammalian gene editing, and the mechanisms of genome maintenance. Our interdisciplinary research program combines single-molecule biophysics, hihgh-throughput assays and micro-/nano-scale engineering to understand how organisms are able to maintain and edit their genomic integrity. 

Research Areas

  • Molecular Biology or Genetics
  • Statistics, Big Data or Machine Learning

Fields of Interest

  • Structural Biology and Biophysics
  • Biochemistry

Centers and Institutes

  • Center for Systems And Synthetic Biology
  • Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Graduate Programs

Education

  • Stanford University (2001-2007) Ph.D. Chemistry
  • University of California, Berkeley (1997-2001) B.S. Chemistry

Publications

Awards

  • 2015 National Science Foundation CAREER Award
  • 2012 CPRIT Fellow in Cancer Research