Andrea J. Berman

  • Associate Professor
  • RNA biology

Contact

Office: (412) 624-2200
Lab: (412) 624-2204
A323 Langley Hall
4249 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

General Interests

My research focuses on understanding how non-coding RNA directs gene expression. My current research goals are to understand how RNA conformational change within ribonucleoprotein complexes regulates translation. To do this, we utilize complementary biochemical, structural and computational techniques.

E-mail Lab

Berman, A.J.*, Blagden, S.

Berman, A.J.*, Blagden, S.*, Chettle, J., Roux, P.P.*, Thoreen, C.C.* Controversies around LARP1 function. (2020). RNA Biology. doi.org/10.1080/15476286.2020.1733787.  

Cassidy, K.C.*, Lahr, R.M.*, Kaminsky, J.C.†, M

Cassidy, K.C.*, Lahr, R.M.*, Kaminsky, J.C.†, Mack S., Fonseca, B.D., Das, S.R., Berman, A.J.‡, Durrant, J.D‡. (2019). Capturing the Mechanism Underlying TOP mRNA Binding to LARP1. Structure. 27, 771-81 e5.

Al-Ashtal, H.A., Rubottom, C.M., Leeper, T.C.,

Al-Ashtal, H.A., Rubottom, C.M., Leeper, T.C., Berman, A.J. (2019). The LARP1 La-Module recognizes both ends of TOP mRNAs. RNA Biology. doi: 10.1080/15476286.2019.1669404.

Lahr, R.M., Fonseca, B.D., Ciotti, G.E.†, Al-As

Lahr, R.M., Fonseca, B.D., Ciotti, G.E.†, Al-Ashtal, H.A., Jia, J-J., Niklaus, M.R., Blagden, S.P., Alain, T., Berman, A.J.‡ (2017). LARP1 binds the mRNA cap, blocking eIF4F assembly on TOP mRNAs. eLife. 6: e24146.
Dr. Berman received her Ph.D. in 2007 with Tom Steitz at Yale University, performed her postdoctoral studies with Tom Cech at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and joined the Department in 2012.