The Division of Biological Sciences is pleased to welcome R. Keith Slotkin to its faculty as an associate professor.

Slotkin is one of two new faculty hires with joint positions at MU and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis. The other hire is Bing Yang, who is joining the faculty of the Division of Plant Sciences.

“We are excited that the collaboration between the Danforth Center and MU continues to result in outstanding hires,” said John C. Walker, Curators’ Distinguished Professor and director of the MU Division of Biological Sciences. “Dr. Slotkin is an outstanding scientist, scholar, teacher and mentor who will add substantially to our joint venture for many decades to come.”

The Slotkin laboratory is an up and coming leader in epigenetics, a field where researchers aim to understand how plant cells determine which regions of their DNA should be active or repressed. They are committed to the idea that a deep understanding of how plants function on the cellular level will result in agricultural advances that enhance the environment, improve the lives of farmers, and benefit consumers. The Slotkin laboratory will be housed at the Danforth Center’s Creve Coeur facilities.

“The Danforth Center is a truly dynamic atmosphere to further push my research. I am excited to combine and connect the strengths of the Danforth Center with the outstanding colleagues and breadth of MU,” Slotkin said.

Prior to joining the Danforth Center and MU, Slotkin served as an associate professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Director of the Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center at The Ohio State University. He is the recipient of an NSF CAREER Award.