About Michael A Goldman

I did my undergraduate work in Biology at the University of Rochester, and obtained a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology at Purdue University in 1981. Turning to human genetics, I completed two fellowships in Medical Genetics, one at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, the other at the University of Washington in Seattle. I joined the faculty at San Francisco State University in 1988, where I am currently Professor and Former Chair of the Department of Biology. Currently I serve the Chair of the University Academic Senate. I have taught general genetics and evolution for biology majors, developmental biology for Cell & Molecular Biology majors, and an interdisciplinary course on the ethical issues in science and technology. My research is in chromatin structure and the regulation of gene expression during mammalian development. Of special interest is the relationship between chromosome structural elements called nuclear matrix attachment regions (MARs) as boundaries of functional chromatin domains, studied through molecular methods and bioinformatics. I see the public understanding of science as a key need if science and society are to thrive. I speak to professional and general groups whenever possible, and I’ve talked about various issues like stem cell biology for TV and radio call-in audiences. I have written Op-Ed pieces or letters for the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Sacramento Bee, the San Francisco Chronicle and the New York Times, as well as a variety of technical articles, including those appearing in Science and Nature Genetics. I have been Associate Editor for Chromosome Research and a contributing editor to Bio-IT World. I think the public learns much about science and bioethics from fiction, and I review novels addressing various aspects of genetic science and its implications, in venues like Nature, Science, Nature Genetics and the San Francisco Chronicle.