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Research Areas:

• Function and homeostasis of lipids
• Role of cardiolipin in mitochondrial and cellular function
• Functions of cardiolipin as physiological modifiers of Barth syndrome
• Regulation of synthesis and function of inositol
• Cellular consequences of inositol depletion
• Therapeutic mechanisms of inositol-depleting drugs

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Mentoring in the Greenberg lab:

The Greenberg lab has successfully mentored 30 students to the completion of the Ph.D. degree. Almost all have gone on to do postdoctoral research, and many are now independent scientists in academia, research institutes, or government regulatory agencies. Mentoring students is a primary focus of my lab and involves the following components:

Achieving independence. Becoming an independent investigator is arguably the most important goal of the PhD program. To this end, I encourage my students to design their own experiments and troubleshoot the problems that inevitably arise. Initially, I help students a great deal in experimental design and suggested experiments, but I expect them to be fully independent by graduation. This goal is facilitated by formal monthly one-on-one meetings as well as informal meetings, in which the student’s creative input increases over time. Students must acquire expertise in cutting-edge approaches and technologies. In addition, I encourage my students to collaborate and interact with other scientists who have complementary expertise and utilize approaches that strongly contribute to the impact of their research.

Weekly lab meetings. During weekly lab meetings, a single individual presents her/his work, and all lab members participate in discussions of the data, generally contributing helpful and often innovative suggestions. Scientific criticism is delivered in a supportive environment. Presenters meet with me two days before lab meeting to review PowerPoint presentations. This meeting serves as an instructional tool for giving scientific presentations, a skill that is absolutely essential for a successful scientist.

Dissertation committee meetings. It is our department’s policy, with which I strongly agree, that Ph.D. students meet at least annually with their dissertation committees. These meetings are exceptionally useful in ensuring that students are on track, and in providing advice from committee members with diverse expertise. While students can thus obtain scientific advice and support, they are expected to achieve independence in the design and execution of experiments, and most important, in creatively guiding their research.

Participation in department and university initiatives. I encourage student participation in departmental seminar programs and in the university-wide program Lipids@Wayne (http://lipids.wayne.edu), of which I am a founder and co-organizer. These provide opportunities to present their work at the annual Lipids@Wayne Symposium and the Graduate Student and Postdoc Research Symposia on the main campus and School of Medicine.

Presentations at scientific conferences. I encourage and support student presentations at meetings, university symposia, and national and international conferences, which gives them the opportunity to both present their work and gain visibility in the scientific community. It also exposes them to the most cutting-edge research relevant to their interests. I expect them to prepare their formal talks in advance, and I observe and critique their practice sessions in the context of our lab meetings. In this way, each student has the opportunity to develop her/his presentation, while other lab members contribute and learn from the experience.

Publishing papers and developing writing skills. I expect my students to carry out research resulting in high quality first-author papers published in respected peer-reviewed journals. Writing is an essential component of research. To train my students in scientific writing, I provide opportunities for them to write invited review articles, and I require them to write their research manuscripts, although I play a major role in editing them. This always entails many drafts and an enormous input of energy in editing and discussion, but it is essential for the development of scientific writing skills.

Grant-writing skills. My training in grant-writing skills has several components. First, I believe in encouraging students and postdocs to obtain predoctoral grants. This is obviously beneficial to the lab, but it is greatly important to the student, as it enhances independence and provides an opportunity to learn to write a grant application. Second, I ask that students review and critique my own grant applications. In this manner, they can learn first-hand what is involved in the process. Third, I support student participation in grant writing seminars and workshops.

Responsible Conduct in Research. We have an obligation to the scientific community, to society, and to ourselves to adhere to the professional and ethical standards in research. I currently teach Bio 6700, Responsible Conduct of Research, the goal of which is to explore the norms of ethical scientific behavior, standards of rigor and reproducibility in experimentation, the value and process of peer review, and the impact of research on society. I believe this course is an essential component of the education of my students.

Mentorship commitment. Mentoring of graduate students in the laboratory and watching students become confident, independent, and accomplished scientists requires an awesome commitment. I respect the uniqueness of each student and realize that each must find her/his own way of working. In addition to the training approaches described above, I consider my commitment to my graduate students to be lifelong. Former students and postdocs who are now independent scientists continue to call me for advice, and I am proud to help.

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Education:

B.A.	Biology	Reed College
M.S.	Microbiology	Loyola University
Ph.D.	Genetics	Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Postdoc	Molecular Biology	Harvard University

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Awards:

AAAS Fellow Inductee	2022
WSU Academy of Scholars Inductee	2018
Weizmann Institute of Science Belkin Faculty Fellowship	2016-2017
WSU OVPR Faculty Postdoc Award	2014
WSU Board of Governors Distinguished Faculty Fellowship	2012-2013
WSU College of Science Teaching Award	2004
WSU Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award	2004
Neufeld Memorial Research Award, U.S. Israel Binational Science Foundation	2002
Dozor Fellowship, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel	2000-2001
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Fellowship	2000-2001
WSU Career Development Chair	1995-1996

*Click here to read Dr. Greenberg’s interview with Avanti Polar Lipids as part of their ‘Conversations with Lipid Leader’ series!