Steven Fenster

Dr. Steven Fenster is an associate professor in the Department of Biology and Toxicology and joined the faculty in 2005. He is a graduate of the University of California at San Diego (1991) and earned his doctorate in Cell Biology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (2000). His dissertation research resulted in the discovery and characterization of a novel brain protein called Piccolo now shown to be critical for nervous system development. As a post-doctoral research fellow in the Department of Developmental Neurobiology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, he utilized genetic mouse models to study autism and pediatric brain cancer. His current research continues to focus on brain-specific proteins involved in neuronal signaling. Prior to entering graduate school, he worked as a research technician at The Agouron Institute in La Jolla, California where he worked on pre-clinical approaches targeted against HIV. He has also served as adjunct professor at Birmingham-Southern College and as a visiting professor at The College of Wooster.  He currently serves as Director of the Ashland University Choose Ohio First Scholarship program.

Courses Taught: Cell Biology (BIO424), Genetics (BIO 303), Molecular Biology (BIO 428), and Human Biology (BIO100)