Dr. Jessica Henty-Ridilla, Ph.D.

Jessica Henty-Ridilla is a Central New York native growing up in rural Madison, NY. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from St. Lawrence University (Canton, NY). She earned a Ph.D. at Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN) in Biology studying the involvement of the actin cytoskeleton (specifically actin disassembly) in plant-pathogen interactions. This experience first exposed her to the cytoskeleton, microscopes, and biochemistry. She did her post-doc work at Brandeis University (Waltham, MA) where she learned single-molecule TIRF microscopy, biochemistry, and how to culture mammalian cells (including primary neurons). This experience inspired a deep admiration for actin assembly and several proteins that coordinate dynamics of actin and microtubules. Dr. Henty-Ridilla is currently an Assistant Professor in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Neuroscience and Physiology at SUNY Upstate Medical University (Syracuse, NY). Her laboratory uses advanced microscopy (TIRF, STORM, SoRa) and classic biochemistry to study how actin and microtubule proteins are regulated in normal and neurodegenerative disease states. Her lab is particularly focuses on the role of profilin (and its disease variants) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Research in the lab is funded with grants from NIH, the ALS Association, and a Sinsheimer Scholar Award.

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Bio written by: Dr. Jessica Henty-Ridilla