Miriam Segura-Totten, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

414 Health & Natural Sciences Bldg.
Phone: 706-867-2951
Fax: 706-867-2703

Courses taught:

Cell Biology (BIOL 3240)
Introductory Biology (BIOL 1010)
Cell Biology of the Nucleus (BIOL 4x26 elective)

Educational Background:

AB in Molecular Biology, 1991, Princeton University
PhD in Biochemistry, Cell & Molecular Biology, 2003, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Research

My research, which has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Merck, is focused on understanding the structure and function of vertebrate nuclei, in particular how nuclei assemble and disassemble during cell division. I am also interested in elucidating how mutations in genes that encode for certain nuclear proteins can lead to disease in humans.

I am also currently studying how specific educational interventions affect the development of critical thinking skills in students. In particular, I am investigating (in collaboration with Dr. Nancy Dalman) how reading the primary literature in class impacts student learning and critical thinking.

Selected publications:

Segura-Totten, M. 2012. Initiating Undergraduate Research Through a Task Force. In J. Kinkaid and L. Blockus (Ed.), Undergraduate Research Offices & Programs: Models & Practices (pp. 214-219). Washington, DC: Council on Undergraduate Research.

Segura-Totten, M. 2012. Jim and the forgotten embryos: a case study on stem cell-based therapy. Retrieved August 21, 2012, from http://sciencecases.lib.buffalo.edu/cs/collection/detail.asp?case_id=628&id=628

Tifft K, Segura-Totten M, Lee KK, and Wilson KL. 2006. BAF-Like: A proposed regulator of BAF. Exp Cell Res. 312, 478-87.

Segura-Totten M and Wilson KL. 2004. BAF: roles in chromatin, nuclear structure and retrovirus integration. Trends Cell Biol., 14: 261-6.

Liu J, Lee KK, Segura-Totten M, Neufeld E, Wilson KL, and Gruenbaum Y. 2003. MAN1 and emerin have overlapping function(s) essential for chromosome segregation and cell division in C. elegans. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 100:4598-603.

Segura-Totten M, Kowalski AK, Craigie R, and Wilson KL. 2002. Barrier-to-autointegration factor: major roles in chromatin decondensation and nuclear assembly. J. Cell Biol., 158:475-85.

Segura-Totten M and Wilson KL. 2001. Virology. HIV--breaking the rules for nuclear entry. Science, 294:1016-7.

Personal

I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, so I am fluent in both English and Spanish. I came to the US for college and have since lived in several states on the east coast, and traveled to Latin America and Europe. I welcome all students, especially those wishing to converse in Spanish or learn more about my culture and research, to contact me.