Rate My Professor John Postlethwaite

John Postlethwait is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biology at the University of Oregon, where he joined the faculty in 1970. He holds a B.A. from Purdue University and a Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University. As a research-active faculty member in the Institute of Neuroscience and an associate member of the Institute of Molecular Biology, Postlethwait has dedicated his career to advancing knowledge in developmental genetics and the evolution of developmental mechanisms. His research encompasses genetic regulation of animal development, including nervous system development, mechanisms of sex determination, the evolutionary origins of novel morphologies, and vertebrate genome evolution. Specializing in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model organism, he has pioneered molecular genetic approaches that illuminate genome evolution, developmental neurobiology, molecular genetics, genomics, and evolutionary developmental biology.

Postlethwait's contributions include creating genetic maps of the zebrafish genome and participating in the zebrafish genome sequencing project, establishing conserved synteny with mammalian genomes. Notable publications feature 'Vertebrate genome evolution and the zebrafish gene map' (Nature Genetics, 1998), 'A comparative map of the zebrafish genome' (Genome Research, 1998), 'Preservation of duplicate genes by complementary, degenerative mutations' (Genetics, 2000), 'The zebrafish reference genome sequence and its relationship to the human genome' (Nature, 2013), and the chapter 'The Zebrafish Genome' (Methods in Cell Biology, 1999). With over 650 publications and more than 53,600 citations on Google Scholar, his work has shaped vertebrate genomics and developmental biology. Awards include the George W. Beadle Award from the Genetics Society of America (2015) for outstanding contributions to genetics, the Humboldt Research Award (2009), the University of Oregon Outstanding Career Award (2016), and the Medical Research Foundation Discovery Award. He has served on University of Oregon committees and zebrafish working groups, and a biology scholarship bears his name.