The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Simons FoundationÌýand the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have announced that ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Boulder Associate Professor Gia Voeltz is one of 84 HHMI Faculty Scholars, early-career scientists who have great potential to make unique contributions to their field. The scientists represent 43 institutions across the United States. Through the new
Gia Voeltz.
Faculty Scholars Program, the philanthropies will spend about $83 million over five years to support the first cohort of scientists selected to receive grants.
Here, Voeltz — anÌýassociate professor inÌýthe Ìý—Ìýtalks about her work and her life.
Can you tell us a little about your research?
I study how organelles get their shape. Organelles, of which there are many types, are functional structures within cells like organs in a human body. Historically, organelles were thought to be autonomous, free-standing structures in the cell. Our lab has shown that the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), one type of organelle, branches through a cell’s cytoplasm and forms stable contact sites with other types of organelles. The ER can wrap around the other organelles, forming structures like tiny lassoes to divide them.
Our current goal is to identify the proteins that regulate the ER’s ability to form contact sites and discover how they are able to divide other organelles.
What are implications of your research for human health?
Most human viruses traffic in the cell and hide within organelles during their biogenesis. We will test how ER contact sites regulate the path taken by viruses into cells during infection and propagation.Ìý
What do you like to do when you are not involved in academics and research?
I spend most of my free time hanging out with my kids. Boulder is a great place for outdoor activities like hiking and skiing.Ìý
What is the biggest benefit to you of being named a Faculty Scholar?
This award allows me a lot of flexibility to study whatever questions I feel are important, because it does not require that I stick to a single research program.
