James McGehee

James McGehee is continuing his research as a postdoctoral researcher in Angela Stathopoulos’ lab at Caltech, after having received his Ph.D. in the Stathopoulos lab in June 2023. James received a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of California, Davis in 2013 and worked on meiotic chromosome pairing as an undergraduate and junior technician in the lab of Sean Burgess. His graduate work in the Stathopoulos lab focused on understanding how the transcription factor and morphogen Dorsal patterns the Dorsal-Ventral axis of the Drosophila melanogaster embryo using live imaging techniques to measure transcription (MS2/MCP system) coupled with the optogenetic control of Dorsal using blue light inducible degradation (BLID) or light-inducible nuclear export (LEXY), which were added to Dorsal through genomic engineering (CRISPR/Cas9). This system allows the control of protein levels (BLID) or nuclear protein levels (LEXY) using blue light, and the subsequent effect on transcription is observed through live imaging of target gene transcription. In addition to early embryonic patterning, James is also working on live imaging techniques to ask how DNA elements such as enhancers interact with promoters or other enhancers. In his free time James likes to write fiction, watch movies, and play video games. He especially enjoys the fantasy and Sci-fi genres.