Biology Faculty and Staff
Lisa Lambert, Ph.D.
lambert@chatham.edu
Professor of Biology and Program Director, MS Biology
Hometown : Fort Mitchell, KY
Joined Chatham : 1985
Academic Areas of Interest
molecular evolution of iron transport proteins, transferrins, ferric binding proteins, antimicrobial peptides, co-evolution of proteins, bioinformatics
Personal Areas of Interest
Bridge, computer games, reading (science fiction and mysteries)
Biography
My BS (Biology, magna cum laude) is from Furman University (1980) and my PhD (genetics) is from Indiana University, Bloomington (1985). At Chatham, I have served as department chair (Biology), division chair (Natural Sciences), and associate dean (Academic Affairs). My research focuses on the evolution of the genes involved in iron homeostasis using primarily a bioinformatics approach (phylogenetics, protein modeling, etc.) I have served as a panel reviewer for the NSF and NIH, as an external reviewer for several colleges, and as an ad hoc reviewer for a number of journals including BMC Genomics and the Journal of Molecular Evolution. Over the years I've offered over 20 different courses including genetics, biostatistics, bioinformatics, research methods, and developmental biology. I have supervised 12 thesis students and over 65 undergraduate tutorial students. I am married to Dr. Michael Lambert of the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, and we have two children, two cats, and one rabbit.
Education
- B.S. Biology, Furman University (Greenville, SC), 1980 (magna cum laude)
- Ph.D., Indiana University (Bloomington, IN), 1985
Publications
- Evidence of Fe3+ interaction with the plug domain of the outer membrane transferrin receptor protein of Neisseria gonorrhoeae: Implications for Fe transport. (2012) Metallomics 4:361-372 Banerjee, S; Siburt, CJP; Mistry, S; Noto, JM; DeArmond, P; Fitzgerald, MC; Lambert, LA; Cornelissen, CN; Crumbliss, AL
- Molecular evolution of the transferrin family and associated receptors. Biochim. BioPhys. Acta. (2012) 1820:244-255. Lambert, LA.
- Molecular evolution and selection pressure in alpha-class carbonic anhydrase family members. Biochim. BioPhys. Acta. (2011) 1814(12):1854–1861. McDevitt ME; Lambert LA.
- The structure and evolution of the murine inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase: A member of the transferrin superfamily. (2010) Protein Science: 19(9): 1616-1626. Eckenroth BE, Mason AB, McDevitt ME, Lambert LA, Everse SJ.
- Molecular evolution and characterization of hepcidin gene products in vertebrates. (2008) Gene: 415(1-2): 40-48. Hilton KM; Lambert LA
- A novel murine protein with no effect on iron homeostasis is homologous to transferrin and is the putative inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase (2007) Biochemical Journal 406(1): 85-95. Wang F, Lothrop AP, James NG, Griffiths TA, Lambert LA, et al.
- Molecular evolution of hemojuvelin and the repulsive guidance molecule (RGM) family. (2007) Journal of Molecular Evolution Jul;65(1):68-81. Camus, LM; Lambert, LA.
- Molecular evolution of the transferrin receptor/glutamate carboxypeptidase II family. (2007) Journal of Molecular Evolution 64(1):113-28. Lambert, LA; Mitchell, SL.
- Evolution of the transferrin family: Conservation of residues associated with iron and anion binding. (2005) Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B 142(2):129-41. Lambert, L; Perri, H; Halbrooks, PJ; Mason, AB.
- Evolution of duplications in the transferrin family of proteins. (2005) Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part B.140(1):11-25. Lambert, LA; Perri, H; Meehan, T.
- Disease Detective: A game simulation of a food poisoning investigation. (1989) American Biology Teacher 51(7): 429-432. (EDPRESS Award winner) Lambert, LA.
Awards
- Project Bedrock Digital Scholar Mentor (HHMI-funded BioQuest initiative) 2002
- NSF CCLI grant (co-PI) - The Fluorescence Spectrometer in the Undergraduate Chemistry and Biology Curriculum (1999)
- 1989 EDPRESS Award National Winner, best “How To Do It” article
- Project Kaleidoscope, Faculty for the 21st Century, Class of 1995
- NSF Supplementary Grant for Small College Investigators (1990)
- Phi Beta Kappa (1980)
- Rhodes Scholarship District Finalist (1979)
Organizations
Presentations
- Babacanec C, Lambert LA. 2008. “Bioinformatics Approach to the Identification of Potential Sites of Interaction between HFE and TFR2.” Poster presentation: Symposium on Metals in Biological Systems, Duquesne University , December 2008.
- Williams, KR, Lambert LA. 2007. “Evolutionary Conservation of Parvovirus VP2 and Transferrin Receptor 1 Residues.” Poster presentation: ABASM Regional Conference, November 2007.
- Haslego-Hilton K, Lambert LA. 2006. “Evolution of hepcidin: an antimicrobial peptide.” Poster presentation: ABASM Regional Conference, November 2006.
- Perri H, Johnson M, Lambert LA. 2004. “Patterns of amino acid conservation in clostridial neurotoxins.” Poster presentation: ABASM Regional Conference, November 2004.