Dr. Alexis (Alex) Stutzman is a postdoctoral research scientist in the Marlin Lab. She began her scientific career at the University of Chicago, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with a specialization in Cellular & Molecular Biology. As an undergraduate, Alex studied basic mechanisms of eukaryotic transcription in human cell lines, a non-canonical role for a general transcription factor in C. elegans, and the pathogenesis of laminopathies, a class of genetic diseases caused by mutations to the nuclear envelope protein Lamin A/C, in mouse cardiomyocytes.

With a strong foundation in nuclear biology, Alex transitioned to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she earned a PhD in Genetics & Molecular Biology and identified epigenetic determinants of genome architecture under the guidance of Dan McKay and Jill Dowen.

She is a fierce advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in scientific spaces and co-founded the organization Black In Genetics, a non-profit that promotes diversity in the genetics field by providing community and support to Black-identifying genetics professionals and trainees.

Outside of science, Alex can likely be found with her nose deep in a fantasy novel, on her Peloton, or at the park with her dog, Rosie. Ask her about Game of Thrones or growing up in a small Amish community in Northern Indiana if you want to learn more.