About C. Andrew Frank, PhD
What is your hometown?
Omaha, Nebraska
When did you join the University of Iowa faculty?
February 2010
How/when did you become interested in science and medicine?
I have been interested in mathematics and science since I was a kid. That evolved into an interest in biology in college, genetics in graduate school, and neuroscience as a postdoctoral fellow.
What interested you to pursue a career in scientific research?
Undergraduate research showed me how exciting work in the lab could be.
Is there a teacher or mentor who helped shape your career?
There are many. Gian Garriga (graduate advisor at UC Berkeley) and Grae Davis (postdoctoral advisor at UCSF) deserve special mention.
How or why did you choose the University of Iowa?
When I was conducting a job search, The University of Iowa stood out because it has a large collection of energetic, interactive faculty who are interested in seeing their colleagues succeed.
The University of Iowa's faculty members are united to provide exceptional patient care while advancing innovations in research and medical education. How does your work help translate new discoveries into patient-centered care and education?
I study how synapses and synaptic circuits regulate their levels of activity. Ultimately, this fundamental question could have implications for neurological disorders in which synapse stability is lost, such as epilepsy or migraine.
What kinds of professional opportunities or advantages does being a faculty member at an academic medical center provide?
For basic researchers like me, it opens up the possibility of translational collaborations or interactions with clinical faculty. This is an important step in moving basic findings forward.
Please describe your professional interests.
I am a neuroscientist and a geneticist. I study how synapses maintain stable levels of function, and I use the fruit fly as a model organism because I want to understand the problem on a molecular and genetic level.
Insect synapses share some striking similarities with their human counterparts. In the long run, I hope my work in my field leads to discoveries that give us a better understanding of mammalian neural function.
What led to your interest in synapse function?
As a graduate student, I took genetic approaches to study how neurons are formed. Eventually I became interested in how neurons function. I had a great opportunity to augment my graduate training by studying with Grae Davis at UCSF. He has a longstanding interest in synapse formation and function.
How does working in a collaborative and comprehensive academic medical center benefit your work?
It offers an opportunity to look at my work from new and possibly translational angles. This will expand my avenues of exploration in the future.
What are some of your outside interests?
Spending time with my family ― I have two children, a daughter (5) and a son (1). My wife, Sarah, is an economist who teaches some classes at UI's College of Business.
My parents live in Omaha and Sarah's live in South Bend. It is nice being close to extended family; they were quite far away when we were living in California.
Do you have an insight or philosophy that guides you in your professional work?
I have many. One is: luck helps, but it is never the whole story. Another: fruit flies don't lie.
If you could change one thing about the world (or the world of medicine), what would it be?
Scientific and medical research is a great investment for everyone. I wish there were more funds and political foresight to finance great ideas.
What is the biggest change you've experienced in your field since you were a student?
In biology, over the last 5-10 years there have been remarkable advances in high-throughput DNA sequence analysis and genome science.
What one piece of advice would you give to today's students?
Don't be afraid to try as many things as you can. If you can focus on improving your weaknesses, your education will be more valuable in the long run.
What do you see as "the future" of medicine?
Rapidly moving research findings to therapeutic solutions. Again, research is a great investment for everyone.
In what ways are you engaged with the greater Iowa public (i.e., population-based research, mentoring high school students, sharing your leadership/expertise with organizations or causes, speaking engagements off campus, etc.)?
I have only been in Iowa one year. As my own research program gains steam, I hope to explore new ways to be involved with the greater public. My family and I have enjoyed finding a new community of friends in Iowa City. It is a welcoming place.