Sandra Schmid, Ph.D.

I am honored and excited to lead Cell Biology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. The Department is housed in brand-new, state-of-the-art facilities, in the midst of a great medical school with outstanding colleagues in the basic and clinical sciences. Building on an already strong foundation, I seek a faculty that can leverage collaborative interactions with our colleagues in biochemistry, biophysics, systems and stem cell biology, and human and mouse genetics to address problems of increasing complexity and physiological/disease relevance.

In the post-genomic era, human phenotypes and disease are rapidly linked to genotypes, but the cellular mechanisms accounting for these linkages remain largely unknown and provide unprecedented opportunities and challenges for the cell biologist. Revealing the mechanisms underlying fundamental cellular processes brings us closer to understanding the mechanisms underlying human disease.

Biomedical Research Building

The paradox of unsurpassed opportunities for research at a time of fiscal austerity means that we have to work together to create the critical mass necessary to accomplish big objectives. These forces work to our advantage, as the complexity of cell biology today requires an interdisciplinary approach beyond the capability of a single lab.

We are creating an interactive and synergistic environment at the level of our faculty, postdoctoral fellows, students and professional staff: one that is both challenging and supportive.

Sandra Schmid, Ph.D.
Chair, Department of Cell Biology