#BlackInCompBio Seminar Series: Chantell Evans, PhD (Duke)

Chantell received a B.S. in Chemistry from Southern Illinois University and her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Her graduate thesis investigated Ca2+-regulated exocytosis using biochemistry and biophysics. She completed her postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania where she used advanced microscopy and biochemical techniques to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms that regulate mitophagy in primary neurons. Chantell is an inaugural recipient of the Hanna Gray Fellowship from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

"Neurons are post-mitotic, highly-polarized cells that must survive the lifespan of a human. They rely heavily on mitochondria to support local energy demands at distant fusion sites. These demands are supported by the continuous replenishment and maintenance of mitochondria. The complex morphology of neurons poses a unique challenge to maintain the mitochondrial network. A single human neuron is estimated to have two million mitochondria, where many organelles are…