overview

• Elizabeth Ables received her B.S. degree from St. Andrews College in Laurinburg, NC, and M.S. degree from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where she developed a passion for developmental biology and undergraduate teaching. In 2007, she received her Ph.D. in Molecular Physiology and Developmental Biology from Vanderbilt University. Elizabeth received extensive training in the cis-regulatory control of gene expression and its impact on mammalian physiology, providing the foundation for her long-term research goal of elucidating the gene regulatory networks that control cellular specialization. To complement her existing strengths in microscopy and gene expression analyses, and to develop her work in a model system more amenable to undergraduate research, Elizabeth pursued post-doctoral work in the lab of Dr. Daniela Drummond-Barbosa at Johns Hopkins University. Combining her knowledge of physiology and development, and her interest in stem cells, Elizabeth's studies culminated in the discovery that the steroid hormone ecdysone, well-known for its role in the control of developmental timing in insects, directly modulated Drosophila germline stem cell activity. She began a faculty position at East Carolina University (ECU) in 2013 and is now Associate Professor in the Department of Biology. She leads a diverse team of undergraduate and graduate researchers who study the molecular mechanisms by which germline stem cells balance proliferation and differentiation. Over the last ten years, the Ables Lab has received more than $1.5 million in support of their research, including funds from the March of Dimes (Basil O'Connor Research Scholar Award) and the National Institutes of Health (Academic Research Enhancement Awards). Elizabeth also continues to use her research in stem cell biology as a teaching tool and her lab as an active mentoring environment for undergraduate education. She currently serves as Program Lead for the MARC@ECU Biomedical Scholars Program, a $1.2 million grant program from the National Institutes of Health that supports the training and mentorship of undergraduate researchers from underserved communities. In recognition of her leadership, scholarship, and effective teaching in and outside of the classroom, Elizabeth is the recipient of numerous awards, including the UNC Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award (2023), the ECU Five-Year Achievement in Research &; Creative Activity Award (2022), the ECU Honors College Faculty Mentor Award (2021), the Provost's Scholar-Teacher Award (2020), the Dean's Early Career Award (2018), the Board of Governors Distinguished Professor for Teaching Award (2018), and the ECU Distinguished Faculty Mentor Award (2017). In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys spending time outdoors, particularly bicycling, kayaking, and hiking with her family.