Dr. Miriam L. Okonkwo

Profile

Tenured-track Associate Professor with 11 years in molecular biology and cell signaling research, specializing in CRISPR-based gene editing and cancer genomics. Secured over $2.4 M in NIH and NSF funding across four competitive grants while maintaining a 4.6/5.0 student evaluation average across undergraduate and graduate courses. Published 28 peer-reviewed articles in journals including Nature Cell Biology and Molecular Cell, with an h-index of 19.

Work Experience

Associate Professor, Department of Molecular BiologyAug 2019 - Present

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Designed and launched a graduate-level CRISPR Applications course enrolling 34 students per semester, achieving a 97% pass rate and a 4.7/5.0 course evaluation score in its first two years.
Secured a $1.1 M NIH R01 grant (2021–2026) to investigate oncogenic KRAS signaling pathways, directing a lab team of 3 postdocs, 5 PhD students, and 2 research technicians.
Published 14 peer-reviewed articles since 2019, including two first-author papers in Molecular Cell with a combined 310+ citations, advancing understanding of tumor suppressor feedback loops.

Assistant Professor, Department of Biological SciencesJul 2014 - Jul 2019

Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

Built a cell-signaling research program from the ground up, recruiting 6 graduate students and obtaining $780 K in NSF CAREER award funding within 18 months of joining the faculty.
Taught Cell Biology (undergraduate, 120 students) and Advanced Molecular Genetics (graduate, 22 students), reducing DFW rates in the undergraduate course from 18% to 9% through redesigned active-learning modules.
Mentored 4 PhD candidates to successful dissertation defenses and 11 undergraduate researchers, 3 of whom earned NSF Graduate Research Fellowships.

Postdoctoral Research FellowSep 2011 - Jun 2014

Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA

Conducted independent research on RNA-binding protein dysregulation in breast cancer, producing 6 publications and a dataset now accessed 400+ times via GEO repository.
Collaborated with a 12-member cross-institutional team on a $500 K NIH R21 pilot grant, delivering all milestones 3 months ahead of schedule.
Presented findings at ASCB Annual Meeting 2013 and Cold Spring Harbor Genome Informatics Conference, receiving the Young Investigator Travel Award in both years.

Education

Ph.D., Molecular and Cell Biology2006 - 2011

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Dissertation: 'PTEN-Loss-Driven Feedback in PI3K/AKT Signaling Networks'; Advisor: Dr. Robert Shen; NSF Graduate Research Fellow

B.S., Biochemistry, summa cum laude2002 - 2006

Howard University, Washington, DC

Undergraduate Thesis Award; Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society

Skills

CRISPR/Cas9 Gene EditingRNA-Seq & Transcriptomic AnalysisGrant Writing (NIH R01, NSF CAREER)Curriculum Design & Active LearningFlow Cytometry & Confocal MicroscopyR / Python for BioinformaticsPeer Review & Scientific PublishingAcademic Advising & PhD MentorshipIRB & IACUC Protocol Management

Links

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/miriamokonkwo-molbio · Google Scholar: scholar.google.com/citations?user=mokonkwo · Lab Website: Okonkwo Lab, University of Michigan