Scott Soderling, PhD, has been named chair of the Department of Cell Biology, effective immediately. Dr. Soderling was named interim chair in December 2018. He succeeds Brigid Hogan, PhD, who served as chair of the Department for 16 years.
Dr. Soderling is a professor of Cell Biology and Neurobiology. He also serves as director of the Transgenic Mouse Facility. He previously served as vice chair and director of Graduate Studies for the Department of Cell Biology.
Dr. Soderling received his PhD at the University of Washington and did his postdoctoral work at the Vollum Institute in Portland, OR. Dr. Soderling was recruited to Duke University in 2005. His laboratory uses a suite of novel genome editing, proteomic, optogenetic and animal behavioral approaches to understand how abnormalities of synapses lead to cellular deficits driving behavioral abnormalities associated with disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, and intellectual disability. Dr. Soderling has co-authored two patents on his work and has made a number of seminal contributions to biomedical research in understanding the cellular basis of brain disorders.