• Maureen Barr
  • Maureen Barr
  • Position: Distinguished Professor
  • Research Focus: Modeling human genetic diseases in C. elegans
  • Click for Lab Website
  • Subset Area: Model Organisms | C. elegans, Genetics of Human Disease | CNS, Genetics of Human Disease | Kidney/Urinary/Digestive, Genetic Mechanisms | Reproduction/Meiosis
  • Phone: (848) 445-1639
  • Address: Life Sciences Bldg. Rutgers University 145 Bevier Road Piscataway, NJ, 08854
  • Office: LSB-324
  • Fax: (732) 445-1147
  • Biography:

    1990  B.A. Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, Biology

    1995  Ph.D. Columbia University, New York, NY, Genetics and Development

    1995-2000 Postdoctoral Fellow, California Institute of Technology/HHMI

    2000-2007 Faculty (tenured), University of Wisconsin-Madison

    2007-2012 Associate Professor, Rutgers Genetics

    2012  Full professor, Rutgers Genetics

  • Research:

    Modeling human genetic diseases in C. elegans. The Barr laboratory is interested two seemingly unrelated questions in biology: the generation of sexual identity and the molecular basis of human genetic diseases of cilia. In particular, we study male mating behavior and ciliary specialization in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. My laboratory currently uses several approaches to study animal physiology and behavior, including dissection of neural circuits, the identification of genes required for nervous system development and function, and in vivo imaging of neuronal protein trafficking. Chemical genetics and electrophysiology are being explored.

  • Publications: SELECT PUBLICATIONSSilva, M., Morsci, N., Nguyen, K.C.Q., Rizvi, A., Rongo, C., Hall, D.H., and Barr, M.M. (2017) “Cell-specific alpha-tubulin isotype regulates ciliary microtubule ultrastructure, intraflagellar transport, and extracellular vesicle biology.” Current Biology 27: 968-980.Wang, J. & Barr, M.M. (2016) Ciliary extracellular vesicles: Txt Msg Organelles. Cell Mol Neurobiol. 36(3):449-57.Wang, J., Kaletski, R., Silva, M., Williams, A., Haas, L.A., Androwski, R.J., Landis, J.N., Patrick, C., Rashid, A., Santiago-Martinez, D., Gravato-Noble, M., Hodgkin, J., Hall, D.H., Murphy, C.T. and Barr, M.M. (2015). “Cell Specific Transcriptional Profiling of Ciliated Extracellular Vesicle Releasing Neurons Reveals Regulators of Behavior and Extracellular Vesicle Biogenesis.” Current Biology 25: 1-7.Warburton-Pitt, S., Silva, M., Nguyen, K.C., Hall, D.H. and Barr, M.M. (2014) The nphp-2 and arl-13 Genetic Modules Interact to Regulate Ciliogenesis and Ciliary Microtubule Patterning in C. elegans. PLOS Genetics. 10(12): e1004866. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004866Wang, J., Silva, M., Haas, L.A., Morsci, N.S., Nguyen, K.C., Hall, D.H., and Barr, M.M. (2014) C. elegans ciliated neurons release extracellular vesicles that function in animal communication. Current Biology 24: 519-25.
  • Publications PubMed: