Overview
Craig Lowe is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology. His research interests are in understanding how traits and characteristics of humans, and other vertebrates, are encoded in their genomes. He is especially focused on adaptations and disease susceptibilities that are unique to humans. To address these questions, Craig uses both computational and experimental approaches. Craig's recent research has been on differences in how genes are regulated between species, or between different individuals within a species, and how this causes traits to differ. All students in Craig's lab are exposed to an interdisciplinary environment; current lab members have backgrounds in mathematics, computer science, neuroscience, developmental biology, and genetics. Each year Craig teaches one or two courses on rotating topics of: ancient DNA, ethical issues in genomics, and software development for genetic analyses.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Assistant Professor of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology
·
2018 - Present
Molecular Genetics and Microbiology,
Basic Science Departments
Assistant Professor of Cell Biology
·
2022 - Present
Cell Biology,
Basic Science Departments
Member of the Duke Cancer Institute
·
2019 - Present
Duke Cancer Institute,
Institutes and Centers
Recent Publications
Genome Sequence of a Marine Threespine Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) from Rabbit Slough in the Cook Inlet.
Journal Article G3 (Bethesda) · May 23, 2025 The Threespine Stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, is an emerging model system for understanding the genomic basis of vertebrate adaptation. A strength of the system is that marine populations have repeatedly colonized freshwater environments, serving as ... Full text Link to item CiteComplete sequencing of ape genomes.
Journal Article Nature · May 2025 The most dynamic and repetitive regions of great ape genomes have traditionally been excluded from comparative studies1-3. Consequently, our understanding of the evolution of our species is incomplete. Here we present haplotype-resolved reference genomes a ... Full text Link to item CiteGenome Sequence of a Marine Threespine Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) from Rabbit Slough in the Cook Inlet.
Journal Article bioRxiv · February 8, 2025 The Threespine Stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, is an emerging model system for understanding the genomic basis of vertebrate adaptation. A strength of the system is that marine populations have repeatedly colonized freshwater environments, serving as ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
SCA7 neurodegeneration: Molecular epigenetic basis and therapy
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by University of California - Irvine · 2024 - 2029The Genetic Base of Bone Disease in Mycobacterial Infection
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases · 2023 - 2028Human splicing enhancers in evolution and disease
FellowshipConsultant · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2027View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
University of California, Santa Cruz ·
2010
Ph.D.