Robert Spitale

Background

About Robert Spitale

Dr. Spitale is a chemical biologist with extensive training in genomics and cell biology. During graduate training in the laboratory of Joseph Wedekind, PhD, at University of Rochester and his postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford with Howard Chang, MD, PhD, he studied the mechanisms used by RNA to enhance the rate of chemical reactions, bind metabolites, form into complex structures, and interact with chromatin to control gene expression. He has extensive expertise in the genomic and cellular methods used to interrogate key regulators of large-scale transcriptional programs; these methods have been highly fruitful for studies of embryonic stem cell maintenance, tumor formation, development, and brain cell biology. Dr. Spitale is an inherently collaborative, interdisciplinary scientist. He has a strong track record of success with working on risky, potentially high-impact projects. He has received numerous prestigious awards, including a W.M. Keck grant, a Pew Biomedical Scholar award, the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, and the Ono Pharmaceuticals Breakthrough Science Initiative Award.