Robert Youker

Biography

Dr. Youker earned a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Manhattan College, a master’s degree in Reproductive Biology from Johns Hopkins University, a PhD in Cellular, Molecular, and Developmental Biology from the University of Pittsburgh, and a certificate in Optical Engineering from University of California, Irvine. He has performed postdoctoral research at the Vollum Institute (Portland, Oregon) and the University of Pittsburgh Medical School in the Renal-Electrolyte Division of Internal Medicine (Pittsburgh, PA).

Education

• Ph D, University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh
• MHS, Johns Hopkins University
• BS, Manhattan College

Teaching Interests

Cellular and Molecular Biology<br>Advanced Techniques in Microscopy<br>Principles of Biotechnology<br>Cell Stress Signaling<br>Reproductive Biology

Research Interests

The Youker laboratory studies several cellular processes, including protein folding, protein degradation, and protein trafficking in mammalian cells. Disruption of these essential cellular pathways lead to devastating human diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Cystic Fibrosis. His lab employs quantitative fluorescence microscopic techniques to investigate these protein dynamics at few to single molecule resolution. Currently, his lab investigates the folding, trafficking, and dynamics of CFTR and GPCRs. Students in his lab learn mammalian tissue culture techniques, molecular cloning, and fluorescence microscopy.