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United States

USD 195 /hr

Molecular & Cancer Biologist | Epigenetics Researcher | SBIR/STTR Grant Specialist | 25+ yrs of research experience

Profile Summary

I’m a scientist at heart—someone fascinated by how genes are controlled, how epigenetic changes alter biology, and how those changes can lead to cancer and other diseases. My background spans molecular biology, cancer biology, and epigenetics, with training and research positions at the University of Illinois, University of Oregon, Johns Hopkins, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Over the years, I’ve also gained strong experience in writing and obtaining SBIR/STTR grants, serving as PI or co-PI on a variety of NIH, NSF, and FDA-funded projects. These grants have supported innovations in epigenetic drug discovery, environmental health literacy, advanced imaging agents, and cell-based toxicity assays. I enjoy collaborations that bring together basic biology, cutting-edge technology, and creative problem-solving. Whether it’s developing new molecular assays or building tools to fight disease, I’m motivated by science that makes a real-world impact. I operate a full-service molecular biology laboratory supporting molecular cloning, cell line development, assay development, epigenetic studies, and translational research. The lab includes a complete mammalian cell culture facility and is complemented by access to advanced core facilities for microscopy, sequencing, flow cytometry, and specialized analytics. I also maintain access to vivarium resources for preclinical testing. This infrastructure enables rapid, end-to-end development—from early molecular studies to functional cell-based assays and in vivo proof-of-concept experiments.

Subject Matter Expertise

• ☆ Biochemistry
• ☆ Molecular Biology
• ☆ Genetics
• ☆ Epigenetics
• ☆ Biotechnology & Bioengineering
• ☆ Bioinformatics
• ☆ Protein/Enzyme Engineering
• ☆ Cancer Research
• ☆ Cancer Biology
• ☆ Medical Writing

Services

• Writing
• Research
• Consulting
• Data & AI
• Product Development

Writing Technical Writing, Copywriting

Research User Research, Feasibility Study, Fact Checking, Gap Analysis, Scientific and Technical Research, Systematic Literature Review

Consulting Scientific and Technical Consulting

Data & AI Statistical Analysis, Data Visualization, Data Processing, Data Insights

Product Development Concept Development

Work Experience

Chief Science Officer

TheraFluor Inc.

December 2024 - Present

Chief Scientific Officer

Nzumbe, Inc.

2017 - 2025

Vice President, Research & Development

TheraFluor Inc.

2019 - December 2024

Director of Research

Nzumbe Epigenetics

2013 - 2017

Senior Research Associate

University of Oregon

2009 - 2014

Consultant

Mind Over Data

2005 - 2009

Director and Founder

Mind Over Data XT

2003 - 2005

Assistant Member

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

2001 - 2003

Instructor

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

2000 - 2001

Education

Postdoctoral Fellow (The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center)

Johns Hopkins Medicine

1996 - 2000

PhD (Molecular Biology)

University of Oregon

September 1990 - December 1996

BS (Animal Sciences)

University of Illinois

August 1986 - May 1990

Certifications

• Certification details not provided.

Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLE

(2020). LSD1 prevents aberrant heterochromatin formation in Neurospora crassa . Nucleic acids research.

William K. Storck, Sabrina Z. Abdulla, Michael R. Rountree, Vincent T. Bicocca, Eric U. Selker(2020). A Light-Inducible Strain for Genome-Wide Histone Turnover Profiling in Neurospora crassa . Genetics. 215. (3). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 569--578. Genetics Society of America

Andrew D. Klocko, Miki Uesaka, Tereza Ormsby, Michael R. Rountree, Elizabeth T. Wiles, Keyur K. Adhvaryu, Shinji Honda, Eric U. Selker(2019). Nucleosome Positioning by an Evolutionarily Conserved Chromatin Remodeler Prevents Aberrant DNA Methylation in Neurospora . Genetics. 211. (2). Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Localization.LocalizedHtmlString 563--578. Genetics Society of America

(2018). Rapid Response and Slow Recovery of the H3K4me3 Epigenomic Marker in the Liver after Light-mediated Phase Advances of the Circadian Clock . Journal of biological rhythms.

Wiedmeier JE, Ohlrich A, Chu A, Rountree MR, Turker MS(2017). Induction of the long noncoding RNA NBR2 from the bidirectional BRCA1 promoter under hypoxic conditions . Mutation research.

Honda S, Bicocca VT, Gessaman JD, Rountree MR, Yokoyama A, Yu EY, Selker JM, Selker EU(2016). Dual chromatin recognition by the histone deacetylase complex HCHC is required for proper DNA methylation in Neurospora crassa . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

Klocko AD, Rountree MR, Grisafi PL, Hays SM, Adhvaryu KK, Selker EU(2015). Neurospora importin α is required for normal heterochromatic formation and DNA methylation . PLoS genetics.

Jamieson K, Rountree MR, Lewis ZA, Stajich JE, Selker EU(2013). Regional control of histone H3 lysine 27 methylation in Neurospora . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

Smith KM, Dobosy JR, Reifsnyder JE, Rountree MR, Anderson DC, Green GR, Selker EU(2010). H2B- and H3-specific histone deacetylases are required for DNA methylation in Neurospora crassa . Genetics.

Rountree MR, Selker EU(2010). DNA methylation and the formation of heterochromatin in Neurospora crassa . Heredity.

Reese BE, Bachman KE, Baylin SB, Rountree MR(2003). The methyl-CpG binding protein MBD1 interacts with the p150 subunit of chromatin assembly factor 1 . Molecular and Cellular Biology.

Selker EU, Freitag M, Kothe GO, Margolin BS, Rountree MR, Allis CD, Tamaru H(2002). Induction and maintenance of nonsymmetrical DNA methylation in Neurospora . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

Galm O, Rountree MR, Bachman KE, Jair KW, Baylin SB, Herman JG(2002). Enzymatic regional methylation assay: a novel method to quantify regional CpG methylation density . Genome research.

Bachman KE, Rountree MR, Baylin SB(2001). Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b are transcriptional repressors that exhibit unique localization properties to heterochromatin . The Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Rountree MR, Bachman KE, Herman JG, Baylin SB(2001). DNA methylation, chromatin inheritance, and cancer . Oncogene.

Baylin SB, Esteller M, Rountree MR, Bachman KE, Schuebel K, Herman JG(2001). Aberrant patterns of DNA methylation, chromatin formation and gene expression in cancer . Human molecular genetics.

Rountree MR, Bachman KE, Baylin SB(2000). DNMT1 binds HDAC2 and a new co-repressor, DMAP1, to form a complex at replication foci . Nature genetics.

Rountree MR, Selker EU(1997). DNA methylation inhibits elongation but not initiation of transcription in Neurospora crassa . Genes & development.

Cambareri EB, Foss HM, Rountree MR, Selker EU, Kinsey JA(1996). Epigenetic control of a transposon-inactivated gene in Neurospora is dependent on DNA methylation . Genetics.

Miao VP, Rountree MR, Selker EU(1995). Ectopic integration of transforming DNA is rare among neurospora transformants selected for gene replacement . Genetics.

Miao VP, Singer MJ, Rountree MR, Selker EU(1994). A targeted-replacement system for identification of signals for de novo methylation in Neurospora crassa . Molecular and cellular biology.

BOOK CHAPTER

(2008). Genome Defense: The Neurospora Paradigm. Epigenomics.