Kraig T. Kumfer
4th year medical student
Cellular & Molecular Biology
8th year of MSTP

EDUCATION

• B.S. 2002, Brandeis University
  Biology, Biochemistry and Philosophy
• M.S. 2002, Brandeis University
  Molecular and Cell Biology

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

• Brandeis University, Rosenthiel Center, 2000-02
  Advisor - Michael Welte, PhD, Department of Biology
  Project - Study of the regulation of motor proteins
• Indiana University School of Medicine, Summer 1997 & Summer 1998
  Advisor - Keith March, PhD
  Project - Observed cardiologists in a clinical setting and studied possible ways to stimulate the growth of new blood vessles

The attainment of a defined axis of polarity is a necessary prerequisite for a cell to execute diverse functions, such as directed motility, the generation of daughter cells with different differentiated states and for the morphogenesis of ensembles of cells into organs. I have begun using a combination of reverse genetics, cell biology and microscopy techniques to elucidate the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity in the C. elegans embryo.

PRESENTATIONS

• Poster: 41st Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology, Dec. 8-12, 2001. Kraig Kumfer and Michael A. Welte. A Genetic Screen for Regulators of Microtubule-Based Organelle Transport. (MAW presented)
• Poster: 43rd Annual Drosophila Research Conference, April 10-14, 2002. Kraig Kumfer and Michael A. Welte. A Genetic Screen for Regulators of Microtubule-Based Organelle Transport. (KK presented)

ABSTRACTS

• Abstract: Dickson TJ, Gurudutt V, Nguyen AQ, Kumfer K, Maxted W, Brown J, Mahomed Y, Sharp T, Aufiero TX, Fineberg N, March KL. (1999). Establishment of a clinically correlated human pericardial fluid bank: evaluation of intrapericardial diagnostic potential. Clinical Cardiology 22, I40-2.