DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY Dr. Carmen Hernandez Retires College of Arts and Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY
Dr. Carmen Hernandez Retires
Using painstaking classical genetic techniques, Dr. Hernandez created a genetic deficiency, i.e., a
chromosome missing a large piece of DNA encompassing several dozen genes. Dr. Hernandez
then used this genetic deficiency to screen for a knockout mutation in the muscle gene. “Carmen
came to my lab with a strong background in Drosophila genetics and she played a key role in
designing and conducting the genetic screens that turned out to be immensely valuable to our
research”, says Dr. Vigoreaux. He went on to add “The mutations she generated have been
featured in ten published articles from our lab and we are nowhere near realizing their full
potential. The mutant fly stocks have been requested by now fewer than 25 other laboratories,
not all interested in muscle, an indication that her research will have broad and ever-lasting
impact in cellular and genetics research.” After completing her PhD, Dr. Hernandez remained in
the Biology Department where she rose to the rank of Senior Lecturer.
Dr. Hernandez and her BCOR 101 Genetics Course Teaching Assistants
From left to right: Heather Axen, Madhurima Saha, Dr. Hernandez
and Samya Chakravorty