Dannel McCollum, PhD

Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biotechnology and Vice Chair of Faculty Advancement.

Research Focus: The McCollum Lab studies how cells sense mechanical forces through the Hippo pathway.

Scientific Training: Dan McCollum was a Biochemistry major at the University of Illinois, receiving his bachelor's degree in 1987. He studied peroxisomal protein import at the University of California San Diego, earning a Ph.D. in 1993. He was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Cell Biology at Vanderbilt University, where he was awarded an NIH postdoctoral fellowship to study cell division in fission yeast. He became an independent investigator at the Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research in 1996, and joined the faculty at the UMass Chan Medical School 1997. His research focuses on how the dynamic interplay between the cytoskeleton and signaling networks control cell proliferation. 

Office Location: LRB 823
Lab Location: LRB 870 N
Phone: 508-856-8767
   

Mentoring Statement:

My goal as a mentor is to help trainees be successful in their research and to grow as scientists. A big part of this is to find a balance between providing guidance and fostering independence. I have regular meetings with people in my lab, but I also encourage lab members to reach out anytime they have something they would like to discuss. I value input and suggestions on both how the lab is run and all aspects of our scientific research. Few things give me more joy than having someone point out something that I have not thought of. My guidance is tailored to the career stage of each person in my lab.

For new technicians and graduate students, I focus on helping them gain foundational knowledge about the field, technical skills, and the ability to critically evaluate their own data. I try to give new graduate students two projects; one project that is solid and at a stage where I am confident it will work and a second more long term project with the potential to have a high impact on the field. This approach both helps new students be on a fast trajectory towards their first publication, but also positions them to potentially make a major impact in their field. I also work closely with students to help them learn how to write scientific papers and present their research in an effective manner.

For post-doctoral scholars, especially those that have an interest in pursuing a career in in academic research I often discuss strategies for writing and responding to critiques of papers and grants, as well as reviewing research papers.

Finally in terms of lab environment, my goal is to have diverse and collaborative team that enjoys the vibrant exchange of thoughts and ideas that is so critical for a successful research environment