Donald Adam Mason

 Dr. Mason is an assistant professor in the Biology Department and has been a Siena College faculty member since 2008.  He completed a PhD in Biology in Dave Goldfarb’s lab at the University of Rochester in 2003.  His thesis involved characterizing the overlapping and distinct cell biological functions the 3 importin alpha paralogs serve during Drosophila development.   
In addition, Dr. Mason conducted 3 years of postdoctoral research in Doug Portman’s lab in the University of Rochester Medical Center, investigating the role of the DM-domain transcription factor DMD-3 in directing male tail morphogenesis in C. elegans.  At Siena he has continued his work identifying cell biological and genetic processes that control male specific morphogenetic events in C. elegans.  Dr. Mason maintains an active research program that incorporates between 6-10 undergraduate students each semester. Dr. Mason teaches General Biology I and II, Writing and Research Skills for Biologists, and is currently creating a new Developmental Genetics course.

My Siena Experience

My Teaching Philosophy

 I think the biggest thing that makes a good teacher is caring deeply about your students.  Everything else (giving clear and engaging lectures, being well-prepared, taking responsibility for your mistakes, providing a challenging and rigorous experience, etc) comes naturally if you care about how your students are progressing and learning.

What I Love About Siena

 I truly love Siena’s students.  I have found my students to be exceptionally dedicated to learning and not afraid to work hard in order to be successful.  In addition, I love working with all my colleagues in the Biology Department (and Siena Faculty).  I am surrounded by excellent teachers and dedicated researchers.  

My Favorite Courses to Teach

Developmental Genetics, General Biology I and II.

My Professional Experience

Current Research

 The development of a single celled fertilized egg into a multicellular adult organism is a spectacularly complex process.  One of the key events that must happen during development is that embryonic structures must be remodeled to generate the final shape of the adult organism.  The process by which this occurs is called morphogenesis (the “birth of shape”).   My research focuses both on characterizing the genetic and cellular changes that happen within embryonic cells during morphogenesis and understanding how these morphogenetic changes are regulated so that they occur at the correct time and in the correct place.  To accomplish this, my research group uses C. elegans, a small nematode that can be found living  freely in the soil.  Specifically, we are work on identifying genetic and cellular processes that direct the morphogenetic events that generate the sexually dimorphic adult male body form.

Articles & Book Reviews

• Evolution of the metazoan-specific importin a gene family
  Journal of Mol. Evol., vol. 68
  2009
• . Drosophila importin a1 performs paralog-specific functions essential for gametogenesis
  Genetics, vol. 178
  2008
• dmd-3, a doublesex-related gene regulated by tra-1, governs sex-specific morphogenesis in C. elegans
  Development, vol. 135
  2008
• Increased nuclear envelope permeability and Pep4p-dependent degradation of nucleoporins during hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death
  FEMS Yeast Res, vol. 5
  2005
• Importin a: a multipurpose nuclear-transport receptor
  Trends in Cell Biology, vol. 14
  2004
• The Drosophila melanogaster importin a3 locus encodes an essential gene required for the development of both larval and adult tissues
  Genetics, vol. 165
  2003
• Drosophila melanogaster importin a1 and a3 can replace importin a2 during spermatogenesis but not oogenesis
  Genetics, vol. 161
  2002

Books & Book Chapters

• Nuclear Transport in Development and Disease.
  
  2009