Rate My Professor Stuart Macdonald

His principal research interest lies in understanding the genetic basis of complex, polygenic trait variation, with a focus on Drosophila melanogaster. Employing systems genetics approaches that integrate experimental and computational tools, his laboratory uncovers pathways, genes, and variants contributing to traits such as responses to toxin exposure, including heavy metals, chemotherapeutics, and xenobiotics, as well as lifespan and behavior. A key resource developed by his group is the Drosophila Synthetic Population Resource (DSPR), comprising 1,600 inbred strains enabling high-resolution QTL mapping. Selected publications include "Genome-wide transcript profiles in aging and calorically restricted Drosophila melanogaster" (Pletcher et al., 2002, Current Biology), "Genetic dissection of a model complex trait using the Drosophila Synthetic Population Resource" (King et al., 2012, Genome Research), "Structural variants exhibit widespread allelic heterogeneity and shape variation in complex traits" (Chakraborty et al., 2019, Nature Communications), and recent works on copper stress responses and gene expression changes during aging (Everman & Macdonald, 2024; Hanson & Macdonald, 2025, G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics).