Dan Klionsky University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA

Cell biologist Daniel J. Klionsky, Ph.D., is the Alexander G. Ruthven Professor of Life Sciences at the University of Michigan. Dr. Klionsky holds joint appointments as a faculty member at the Life Sciences Institute, where his lab is located, and in the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Working primarily with baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), Dr. Klionsky’s research focuses on the cellular process known as macroautophagy/autophagy, which literally means “self-eating.” Autophagy is the process by which cells break down cellular components to survive stress conditions such as starvation. The failure of autophagy plays a role in cancer, neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson and Alzheimer diseases, and other areas of human health. Using biochemistry and molecular genetics, Dr. Klionsky’s lab has been asking questions about the individual molecules involved in the transport of proteins and cellular signaling related to autophagy. Answering these questions could help guide new therapeutic applications to treat or prevent certain diseases. Since the journal’s founding in 2005, Dr. Klionsky has also served as the editor-in-chief of Autophagy.