Research Interests
Key words: systems biology, signal transduction, cell fate decisions, cell cycle
We study the behavior of individual cells and try to understand how groups of cells work together to carry out emergent functions. We are especially interested in “irreversible” cell fates such as apoptosis, senescence, and differentiation. How does a given cell convert molecular signals into a permanent decision? How do groups of cells balance these decisions? We use a variety of experimental and computational approaches to investigate these questions including molecular profiling, time-lapse microscopy, computational modeling, and machine learning. Our ultimate goal is to not only understand how cells make decisions under physiological conditions, but to discover how to manipulate these choices to treat disease.
Mentor Training:
- Faculty Mentoring Workshop for Biomedical Researchers
- REI Racial Equity Workshop Phase 1
Training Program Affiliations:
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
- Biostatistics
- Genetics and Molecular Biology
Publications
Opportunities
Graduate Students
We are accepting BBSP rotation students. If you are interested in doing a rotation in the lab, please send Jeremy an email and arrange a time to come by and discuss a potential rotation project.
Postdoctoral Positions
We are interested in attracting candidates with a strong background in molecular biology, experience with human cell culture and affinity to theory and computation. Experience with fluorescence microscopy and genome editing is a plus. In addition we are looking for candidates with a background in math, physics, or other quantitative disciplines who are interested in applying theory to systems-level questions in biology. To apply, e-mail a cover letter, CV and a list of three references to Jeremy.
Jeremy Purvis in UNC Genetics News
April 23, 2023
Department of Genetics Publications for April 9th – 22nd, 2023
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 15 papers during April 9th – 22nd, 2023.
March 27, 2023
Genetics Hosts Wake Tech Community College (WTCC) START Program Students
On March 24, the department hosted a group of eight students who participate in the WTCC STEM Academic and Research Training (START) Program.
March 5, 2023
Dr. Jeremy Purvis Awarded NSF Grant
Jeremy Purvis, PhD (Associate Professor, Genetics and Computational Medicine) has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation for his project titled “Toward a revised model of the cell cycle that captures reversible and irreversible arrest”.
February 16, 2023
How to Heal a Broken Heart – PhD candidate Jamshaid Shahir is Advancing Stem Cell Research
PhD candidate Jamshaid Shahir in the Jeremy Purvis lab shares about his research on how to heal a broken heart, a path that is positioning him for a role in the sciences at the frontier of his discipline and for a career in computational biology.
January 4, 2023
GMB Student Sonja Mihailovic Selected for 2023 Nucleate Activator Program
Sonja Mihailovic, GMB graduate student in the laboratories of Drs. Adriana Beltran and Jeremy Purvis (both Associate Professors in Genetics), has been selected as part of the 2023 RTP cohort in the Nucleate Activator program for next-generation bioentrepreneurs.
January 2, 2023
SOM ECBR Grant Awarded to Drs. Jeremy Purvis and Christoph Rau
Jeremy Purvis, PhD (Associate Professor) and Christoph Rau, PhD (Assistant Professor) received an Emerging Challenges in Biomedical Research (ECBR) award from UNC School of Medicine for their project titled “Identifying the role of local cell-type neighborhoods on catecholamine-induced focal necrosis”.
October 10, 2022
Department of Genetics Publications for September 25th – October 8th, 2022
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 10 papers during September 25th – October 8th, 2022.
September 12, 2022
Department of Genetics Publications for August 28th – September 10th, 2022
Department of Genetics faculty, postdocs, students and collaborators published 11 papers during August 28th – September 10th, 2022.
September 6, 2022
Jeremy Purvis, PhD, Receives Administrative Equipment Supplement from NIGMS
Dr. Jeremy Purvis (Associate Professor, Genetics) has been awarded an Administrative Equipment Supplement from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) for his existing grant titled “Computational models of the human cell cycle to reveal disease mechanism and inform treatment”.
August 29, 2022
Jeremy Purvis, PhD, Awarded Boost funding from SOM Dean’s Office
Dr. Jeremy Purvis (Associate Professor, Department of Genetics) was awarded Boost funding from the UNC School of Medicine (SOM) Dean’s Office for his project “Modeling and Targeting the Cell Cycle for Breast Cancer”.
