Our research philosophy is based on curiosity driven science, where we use the simple genetic model organism C. elegans as an in vivo system, combined with the most appropriate technical approaches, to answer specific questions in biomedical science. Using C. elegans, which are small (1 mm), transparent nematodes, we address questions regarding how neurons respond to hypoxic stress, how they regulate responses to that stress in other tissues, and how the regulation of mitochondrial dynamics and quality control plays a fundamental role in brain function, homeostasis, and aging.
Program Faculty
- Christopher Rongo
- Professor
- Department: Department of Genetics
- Graduate Program(s): Cell and Developmental Biology | Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
- Major Research Interest(s): Aging, Apoptosis / autophagy, Gene regulation, Neuroscience, Organelle biology
- Research Techniques: Cell Biology, Fluorescent and super resolution microscopy, Genetics, Imaging, Transcriptomics
- Research Organism(s): C. elegans
- Phone: 1.8484450955
- Email:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - School of Arts and Sciences
- Division of Life Sciences
- Waksman Institute of Microbiology, Room 124
- 190 Frelinghuysen Road
- Piscataway, NJ 08854-8020
- Key Words: C. elegans, mitochondria, neurons, synapses, hypoxia, ischemia, aging, ubiquitination, proteasome, proteostasis, autophagy, mitophagy
- Lab Site URL
- News Items: Five Rutgers Professors Named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science