Amybeth Cohen, Ph.D.

Professor and Chair of Biological Science

Office: MH-301A, Lab: DBH-171

Phone: 657-278-2178

Email: acohen@fullerton.edu 

Dr. Cohen earned a B.A. in Biology at Skidmore College and a Ph.D. in Botany at the University of California, Riverside, where she studied drought- and ABA-induced gene expression in tomato. Dr. Cohen then trained as a post-doctoral researcher at The Scripps Research Institute, studying nuclear-chloroplast interactions in the unicellular green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. She joined the faculty at CSUF in 1997, as she was interested in promoting undergraduate student success. In addition to teaching and research, Dr. Cohen was the director of the NIH-funded MARC Program (2004- 2023), which helped underrepresented students interested a STEM career achieve a Ph.D. in the Life Sciences.

Research Interests

The Cohen lab investigates the regulation of photosynthetic gene expression in the unicellular green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and is developing a nutritionally enhanced strain of Chlamydomonas for use as fish food in aquaculture.

Fun Facts

Dr. Cohen worked for two years as a research technician at the Dana Faber Cancer Institute in Boston before moving to California in 1987 to start her PhD. She enjoys outdoor activities, gardening, and cooking.

Publications

Lam, C., Arce, L., Jimenez, W., and Cohen A. Calcium regulates the accumulation of the psbA RNA-binding proteins and D1 in the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii red-light signaling pathway. In preparation.

Thompson, L. S., Pate, N., Sanchez, Y., Sandquist, D. R. and Cohen, A. Establishing the genetic diversity of the endangered shrub, Eriastrum densifolium ssp. Sanctorum (EDS) using isozyme markers. In preparation.

Franklin, H. A., Stapp, P. and Cohen, A. 2010. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) identification of blood meals confirms host sharing by flea vectors of plague. Journal of Vector Ecology. 35: 1-9.

Alizadeh, D. and Cohen, A. 2010. Red light and calmodulin regulate the expression of the psbA binding protein genes rb38 and rb60 in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Plant Cell Physiology. 51: 312–322.

Barnes, D., Cohen, A., Bruick, R., Kantardjief, K., Fowler, S., Efuet, E. and Mayfield, S. P. 2004. Identification and characterization of a novel RNA binding protein that associates with the 5’-untranslated region of the chloroplast psbAmRNA. Biochemistry. 43: 8541-8550.

Cohen, A., Yohn, C.B., Mayfield, S.P. 2001. Loss of D2 synthesis affects translation initiation of the psbA mRNA Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. J. Plant Physiol. 158: 1069-1075.