Niall G. Howlett, PhD
PI, MARC U*STAR
University of Rhode Island
Professor, Cell and Molecular Biology
Dr. Niall G. Howlett is a Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Rhode Island (URI). He received his Ph.D. in Biological and Molecular Sciences from Oxford Brookes University and performed postdoctoral research at Harvard School of Public Health, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and the University of Michigan. Dr. Howlett’s research program is focused on the eukaryotic DNA damage response and the molecular etiology of hereditary cancer susceptibility syndromes associated with defective DNA repair and genome instability. The Howlett research group is particularly focused on the molecular pathogenesis of Fanconi anemia (FA), is a rare genetic disease characterized by congenital defects, increased risk for bone marrow failure and cancer, and premature mortality. Therapeutic options for FA are extremely limited. The Howlett group has made numerous important contributions to the field of FA research culminating in several high impact publications, including publications in Science, Molecular Cell, Blood, and Nucleic Acids Research. Over the course of his independent research career, Dr. Howlett has received funding from multiple federal and private sources including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Defense, the Leukemia Research Foundation, the American Society of Hematology, and the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund. Dr. Howlett is also PI of the URI Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research (U*STAR) program. The MARC U*STAR program is a National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)-funded T34 undergraduate research training program for underrepresented students.