Regular biography
Iain M. Cheeseman is a Fellow in the Department of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a Herman and Margaret Sokol Professor of Biology and a Core Member of the Whitehead Institute. His research focuses on the molecular machinery that directs core cellular processes, particularly how these processes are modulated and rewired across different physiological contexts. His work examines the proteins that direct chromosome segregation and cell division, including the kinetochore structure. Cheeseman's laboratory investigates transcriptional, translational, and post-translational mechanisms that generate proteomic variability within and across cells, tissues, and physiological states.
Scholar-generated biography
Iain Cheeseman is a cell biologist whose research focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying chromosome segregation during cell division. His work explores the structure and function of the kinetochore, a complex protein structure that attaches chromosomes to spindle microtubules. Cheeseman's studies investigate how kinetochore-microtubule attachments are regulated by phosphorylation events and how centromere identity is maintained through specialized chromatin structures. His research also examines the role of protein complexes such as the KMN network and the CENP-H–I complex in kinetochore assembly and function. Additionally, he has contributed to understanding the regulation of spindle positioning and the molecular basis of quiescence.