Randall J. Roper, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Biology

Randall Roper received a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2001 and worked as a postdoc at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine from 2001 until 2006. His primary area of research concerns genetic, cellular and molecular abnormalities associated with early development in Down syndrome and the effects of Trisomy 21 on the neural crest.

Trisomy 21 occurs in about one in 750 live births and causes a constellation of phenotypes known as Down syndrome. The goal of Roper’s research is to understand the role of specific genes and developmental processes that lead to particular Down syndrome phenotypes. The long-term goal is to apply this knowledge to prevent or alleviate Down syndrome traits that may otherwise lead to physical and mental abnormalities and illness.

Roper intends to continue investigating how trisomy affects neural crest and leads to alterations in the craniofacial skeleton of individuals with Down syndrome and hopes to understand more about the genetic basis for the phenotypic variability in individuals with Trisomy 21.

Roper’s most recent publications include:
Roper, RJ, Reeves, RH. Understanding the basis for Down syndrome phenotypes. PLoS Genet. 2006 Mar;2(3):e50.

Roper, RJ, Baxter, LL, Saran, NG, Klinedinst, DK, Beachy, PA, Reeves, RH. Defective cerebellar response to mitogenic Hedgehog signaling in Down syndrome mice.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Jan 31;103(5):1452-6. Epub 2006 Jan 23.

Roper, RJ, St John, HK, Philip, J, Lawler, A, Reeves, RH. Perinatal loss of Ts65Dn Down syndrome mice. Genetics. 2006 Jan;172(1):437-43. Epub 2005 Sep 19.