Dr. Bev Koller has been promoted to Professor with permanent tenure in the Department of Genetics, effective March 29, 2024.
Dr. Koller received her BS in Biology/Physiology from University of Ottawa in 1980 and her PhD in Pathobiology from University of Minnesota in 1985. She worked as a Research Associate in Laboratory Medicine at University of Minnesota (1985-1987) and at University of Wisconsin (1987-1988). Dr. Koller came to UNC Chapel Hill as a postdoctoral fellow in Pathology in the laboratory of Dr. Oliver Smithies in 1988 and was appointed Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine in 1990. She was promoted to Research Associate Professor in the Department of Genetics in 2001 followed by a transfer to the tenure track and granting of tenure as an Associate Professor in September 2005. She was also promoted to Research Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine in 2002. Dr. Koller gained expertise in development of mouse models of human diseases by gene targeting while collaborating with Dr. Smithies and has made significant contributions not only to the creation of mouse models but to our understanding of complex human disease processes, including cancer, respiratory diseases, hypertension, and behavioral defects. She has become a world-leading expert in creating “humanized” mice by replacing endogenous mouse genes with their orthogonal human genes.