Professor Patrick DiMario Named Department of Biological Sciences Interim Chair
June 05, 2024
The LSU Department of Biological Sciences proudly announces the appointment of Patrick DiMario, PhD, as the new Interim Chair, effective July 1.
DiMario brings 34 years of dedicated service to the department. He served on the Institute for Advanced Materials (IAM) Executive Committee and led the Shared Instrumentation Facility (SIF) Advisory Committee. His contributions to education have been recognized with the prestigious National Academies Education Fellowship in Life Sciences, the LSU Tiger Athletic Association Faculty Teaching Award, and he received the inaugural 2018 Tiger Athletic Foundation & LSU Discover Undergraduate Research Mentor Award.
As a distinguished cell biologist, DiMario focuses on the molecular and cellular dynamics of eukaryotic cell nuclei. His research specifically targets the nucleolus, the nuclear compartment responsible for ribosomal subunit assembly. Using Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) as a model, he investigates nucleolar stress—disruptions in ribosome biogenesis that lead to apoptosis or autophagy—and the ribosomopathies, a group of human diseases resulting from such disruptions.
Though he will take a break from teaching during the 2024-2025 academic year, Dr. DiMario remains committed to his research while assuming his new duties.
"I think many people including myself have great ideas of what they can accomplish as chair, but I think in reality the chair is limited in the budget available to the department," said DiMario. "I think the chair's responsibility is to make sure things progress smoothly throughout the academic year. That includes new faculty hires, handling and advocating budgets, faculty evaluations, etc."
He has been collaborating closely with the current Department Chair, Evanna Gleason, PhD, to gain insights and prepare for his new role.
"I am amazed at the size and the breadth of this department," said DiMario. "It is incredibly big, so having knowledge of all aspects of what this department does is critical. I think the chair is a full-time job, and I think I can handle it for a year."
The next election for Department Chair will be in the spring of 2025.