Evan Merkhofer

Bio

Evan Merkhofer was named Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs in 2023. In this role, he serves as Chief Academic Officer, providing leadership and direction for academic affairs. Dr. Merkhofer served as Chairperson of the Division of Natural Sciences from 2021-2023. 

Evan Merkhofer graduated from Gettysburg College with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry and molecular biology in 2002. He received a PhD in genetics and molecular biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2010, where he studied the role of transcription factors in breast cancer. He subsequently completed an IRACDA fellowship at the University of California-San Diego. Dr. Merkhofer joined the faculty at the Mount in 2014.

Dr. Merkhofer's research interests involve using model organisms such as budding yeast to investigate the regulation of gene expression, in particular pre-mRNA splicing, and the role of gene expression in normal cellular processes and disease. He is also interested in developing inquiry-based laboratory projects to provide an exciting lab experience to students.

In his free time, Dr. Merkhofer is an avid homebrewer and runner.

Degrees
Gettysburg College - BS - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - PhD - Genetics and Molecular Biology

Courses
Bio 2040 – Genetics
Bio L204 – Genetics Lab

Memberships and Professional Associations
Genomics Education Partnership (GEP)
Science Education Alliance - Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES)
Genetics Society of America (GSA)
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)

Publications

• Lopatto D, Rosenwald AG, et al. Student Attitudes Contribute to the Effectiveness of a Genomics CURE. J Microbiol Biol Educ. 2022 May 16;23(2):e00208-21. doi: 10.1128/jmbe.00208-21.
• Hanauer DI, Graham MJ, et al. Instructional Models for Course-Based Research Experience (CRE) Teaching. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2022 Mar;21(1):ar8. doi: 10.1187/cbe.21-03-0057.
• Jacobs-Sera, D, Abad, LA, Alvey, RM, et al. Genomic Diversity of Bacteriophages infecting Microbacterium spp. PLoS One. 2020 Jun 18;15(6):e0234636. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234636. eCollection 2020.PMID: 32555720
• Lopatto D, Rosenwald, AG, DiAngelo, JR, et al. Facilitating Growth through Frustration: Using Genomics Research in a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience. J Microbiol Biol Educ., 2020 Feb 28; 21(1): 21.1.6. doi: 10.1128/jmbe.v21i1.2005. eCollection 2020.PMID: 32148609
• Hanauer D, Graham M, SEA-PHAGES, Betancur L, Bobrownicki A, Crewsawn S, Garlena R, Jacobs-Sera D, Kaufmann N, Pope W, Russell D, Jacobs W, Sivanathan V, Asai D, Hatfull G. An inclusive Research Education Community (iREC): Impact of the SEA-PHAGES program on research outcomes and student learning. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. 2017. 114 (51) 13531-1353. (contributing author as part of SEA-PHAGES)
• Fleischaker C, Segura-Totten M, SEA-PHAGES 2016 Bioinformatics Workshop, Garlena R, Jacobs-Sera D, Pope W, Russel D, Hatfull G. Genome Sequence of Mycobacterium Phage CrystalP. Genome Announcements. 2017. 5 (28) e00542-17. (contributing author as part of SEA-PHAGES 2016 Bioinformatics workshop)
• Elgin, S., Hauser, C., et al. The GEP: Crowd-Sourcing Big Data Analysis with Undergraduates. Trends in Genetics. February 2017; 33 (2): 81-84.
• Merkhofer, EC, Hu, P, and Johnson, TL (2014). Introduction to Co-transcriptional Splicing. Methods Mol. Bio. 1126:83-96
• Merkhofer, EC and Johnson, TL (2012). U1 snRNA rewrites the "script. Cell. 2012 Jul 6;150(1):9-11.
• Gunderson, FQ, Merkhofer, EC and Johnson, TL (2011). Dynamic histone acetylation is critical for co-transcriptional spliceosome assembly and spliceosomal rearrangements. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. February 1;108(5):2004-9.
• Merkhofer, EC, Cogswell P and Baldwin AS (2010). Her2 activates NF-κB and induces invasion through the canonical pathway involving IKKα. Oncogene. February 25;29(8):1238-48.
• Adli, M, Merkhofer, EC, Cogswell, P and Baldwin, AS (2010). IKK-alpha and IKK-beta each function to regulate NF-kappaB activation in the TNF-Induced/Canonical Pathway. PLoS One. 2010 February 25;5(2):e9428.

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