Lina Dahlberg , PhD

I am an Professor of Biology here at Western Washington University. I grew up in Madison, Wisconsin in an academic household (two professor parents) and I attended Madison West High School. After high school, I was a Rotary Exchange student in the Czech Republic, where I learned calculus, Czech culture, and at least one sentences that does not use any vowels. Until I went to college, I was a dedicated ballet dancer, and I dabbled in Ultimate Frisbee and ceramics. I went to Haverford College for my undergraduate education, where I majored in Biology (senior thesis in the Fairman laboratory), while captaining the Ultimate team (senior year) and taking as many medieval history and early English literature courses as I could. During the summers, I came back to Madison and played more Ultimate, took courses in Danish language and culture, and worked in the Raines laboratory on RNAse A variants. Upon graduation, I moved to Aarhus, Denmark as a Fulbright student in the Nissen laboratory. In Aarhus, I worked on X-ray crystallographic studies of tRNAs:translation elongation factor complexes, mostly in Danish. I recently returned from a third stay in Denmark, sponsored by the American Scandinavian Foundation, Fulbright Denmark, and NovoNordisk Foundation. I worked in the laboratory of Lars Ellgaard, investigating the biological consequences of reduced ER-associated degradation in mammalian and nematode cells. I also earned top marks in my Danish Proficiency (PD3) exam!

I received my PhD in Biochemistry in 2008 from the University of Washington in Seattle (Kimelman laboratory). In my time outside of the lab, I played Ultimate with VIVA, explored the north Cascades, and met my partner. Just before I started as a post-doctoral researcher in Boston, I taught Biology 205 at Western Washington University. I was accepted as a TEACRS (Training in Education and Critical Research Skills) post-doctoral fellow at Tufts University (Juo Laboratory), which gave me training in both research and pedagogy. The TEACRS program also afforded me the opportunity to learn about and work on social justice issues in science.

Currently, I am interested exploring ways to make science classrooms and departments more welcoming through student-centered learning practices, and by bringing more STEM faculty and students into conversations surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion. I feel that this is especially important given the privileges that come with being a white, cis-gendered woman in science. As part of this work, I served as the first Community Ambassador for the Biology department and I work with Dr. Regina Barber DeGraaff and Dr. Robin Kodner to run the Inclusion and Social Mindfulness in STEM workshops. My sister works on similar issues at the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), and I love introducing students to the great work that is being done at NASEM in the field of science policy.

My laboratory uses the nematode C. elegans as a model to study pathways for protein quality control. In 2020-21, I was on sabbatical in Copenhagen, Denmark, where I continued this research in the Ellgaard Laboratory. I returned for the Fall of 2024 to continue these studies as part of an ongoing collaboration. I also do research in Biology education, and have had two funded projects: in one, I study how independent and collaborative research experiences influence student learning during laboratory coursework; the other is an ongoing multi-disciplinary investigation into introductory laboratories, in collaboration with researchers in the Physics and Chemistry departments. In my spare time, I still play some Ultimate in the Bellingham local leagues and I do a lot of Pilates and hiking with my family. I have two kids who love riding their bikes and taking walks in the neighborhood.

Cell Biology

Biochemistry

Ubiquitin, Ubiquitin-mediated degradation, ER-associated degradation

Biology Education and Learning during laboratory courses

2001  B.S., Biology-Haverford College, Haverford, PA

2008 Ph. D., Biochemistry-University of Washington, Seattle, WA

2009-2013  Post-doctoral Research-Tufts University, Boston, MA

2001-2, Fulbright Student, Aarhus, Denmark

2018, Peter J. Elich Award for Excellence in Teaching, WWU

2021, Fulbright Scholar, Copenhagen, Denmark

• Hulsey-Vincent, H.* Cameron, E.* Dahlberg, CL., Galati, D. 2024 Spectral Scanning and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM) Enable Separation and Characterization of C. elegans Autofluorescence in the Cuticle and Gut. Biology Open. DOI: 10.1242/bio.060613
• Dahlberg, L, Raciti, D, Yook, K. 2024 microPublication Biology: An introduction to Publishing and Teaching with a Small-Format, Peer-Reviewed Journal. Journal of Undergraduate Neurobiology Education. DOI: https://doi.org/10.59390/AUIV7625
• Hulsey-Vincent, H., Alvinez, N,. Witus, S,. Kowalski, JR., Dahlberg, CL. 2023. A Fiji process for quantifying fluorescent puncta in linear cellular structures. microPublication Biology. DOI: https://10.17912/micropub.biology.001003  
• Hulsey-Vincent, H., Athanasopoulos, A,. McGehee, A., Kowalski, JR., Dahlberg, CL. 2023. A Fiji protocol for analyzing puncta is a robust tool for measuring GLR-1::GFP accumulation in the ventral nerve cord of C. elegans. microPublication Biology. DOI:https://10.17912/micropub.biology.001004
• Hulsey-Vincent, H., McClain, M., Buckley, M., Kowalski, JR., Dahlberg, CL. 2023. Comparison and agreement between two image analysis tools for quantifying GFP::SNB-1 puncta in fshr-1 mutants of C. elegans. microPublication Biology. DOI: https://10.17912/micropub.biology.001005
• Dahlberg CL, Zeminick AT, Jones SC, Webster AJ, Raymond E,. Sandelin K, Hessami N, Kowalczyk T, Weber MG 2022. Diversifying and humanizing scientist role models through constructing slide deck on researchers' research and life experiences CourseSource. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2022.1
• Wiggins, B, Lily, L, Sefi-Cyr, H, Dahlberg, C. Repetition is Important to Students and Their Understanding During Laboratory Courses that Include Research. JMBE 2021. DOI: 10.1128/jmbe.00158-21
• Dahlberg CL,  Zeminick AT, Jones SC, Webster AJ, Raymond E,. Sandelin K, Hessami N, Kowalczyk T, Weber MG 2022. Diversifying and humanizing scientist role models through constructing slide deck on researchers' research and life experiences CourseSource. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2022.1
• Wiggins, B, Lily, L, Sefi-Cyr, H, Dahlberg, C. Repetition is Important to Students and Their Understanding During Laboratory Courses that Include Research. JMBE 2021. DOI: 10.1128/jmbe.00158-21
• Dahlberg, CL.,Grove, C.; Ismail, S.; Hulsey-Vincent, H. Student Annotations of Published Data as a Collaboration between an Online Laboratory Course and the C. elegans Database, WormBase. JMBE. 2021. DOI: 10.1128/jmbe.v22i1.2331
• Rodal, A., Dahlberg, CL. Improving mentorship for diverse scientists. 2020 https://www.ascb.org/publications-columns/career-navigator/improving-mentorship-for-diverse-scientists/
• Dahlberg CL., Why I believe that white faculty need to practice self-reflection 2020 https://www.ascb.org/publications-columns/diversity-matters/why-i-believe-that-white-faculty-need-to-practice-self-reflection/
• King-Smith, C., Lund Dahlberg, C. & Riggs, B. Obtaining a faculty position at a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI). BMC Proc 15, 3 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12919-021-00207-6
• Dahlberg, C.(.L), King-Smith, C. & Riggs, B. Building a laboratory at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI). BMC Proc 15, 2 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12919-021-00208-5
• Oswald M, Hulsey-Vincent H, Dahlberg C. Mutations in two ERAD E3 ubiquitin ligase enzymes reduce spontaneous reversal frequency in Caenorhabditis elegans. 2020. MicroPubl Biol. 2020 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000329
• Oswald M, Hulsey-Vincent H, Dahlberg C. Individual point mutations in two ERAD E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes do not affect Caenorhabditis elegans spontaneous reversal frequency. MicroPubl Biol. 2020. DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000328
• Hodul, M, Ganji, R, Dahlberg, CL, Raman, M, Juo P. 2019 The WD40-repeat protein WDR-48 promotes the stability of the deubiquitinating enzyme USP-46 by inhibiting its ubiquitination and degradation Journal of Biological Chemistry; DOI: 10.1074/jbc.RA120.014590
• Meneely, P, Dahlberg, CL, Rose, J. 2019 Working with Worms: Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism. Current Protocols.19 (1)  https://doi.org/10.1002/cpet.35
• Lee SR, Dahlberg CL, Wiggins BL. A Short Laboratory Module to Help Infuse Metacognition during an Authentic Research Experience. 2019. CourseSource. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24918/cs.2019.20
• Dahlberg, CL, Wiggins BL, Lee SR, Lily L, Jordt H, Johnson T, Leaf D. 2018 A Short, Course-based Research Module provides Metacognitive Benefits in the Form of More Sophisticated Problem Solving. Journal of College Science Teaching. 48(4)
• Zocher E, Ruth N, and Dahlberg, CL. 2018 Dominant-negative VPS-4 disrupts ODR-10::GFP distribution but has limited effects on chemotaxis” microPublication Biology. DOI: 10.17912/GNYW-V322 **
• Dahlberg, CL and Groat-Carmona, AM. 2018. CRISPR In and Out of the Classroom. The CRISPR Journal. 1(2) DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2018.0007
• Hodul M, Dahlberg CL, and Juo P. 2017 Function of the deubiquitinating enzyme USP46 in the nervous system and its regulation by WD40-repeat proteins. Frontiers in Synaptic Neuroscience. DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2017.00016
• Moss BJ, Park L, Dahlberg CL, Juo, P. 2016. The CaM kinase CMK-1 mediates a negative feedback mechanism coupling the C. elegans glutamate receptor GLR-1 with its own transcription. PLoS Genetics 12 (7):e1006180 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006180
• Little,, W, Robblee, JP, Dahlberg, CL, Kokona, B, Fairman, R. 2015 Effect of Helix Length on the Stability of the Lac Repressor Antiparallel Coiled Coil, 2015. Biopolymers Peptide Science. DOI: 10.1002/bip.22676
• Dahlberg CL, Juo, P. 2014. The WD40 repeat-containing proteins, WDR-20 and WDR-48 bind and activate the deubiquitinating enzyme USP-46 to promote the abundance of glutamate receptors in the ventral nerve cord of C. elegans. Journal of Biological Chemistry 289 (6):3444-56 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M113.507541
• Kowalski, JR, Dahlberg CL, Juo, P. 2011. The deubiquitinating enzyme USP-46 negatively regulates the degradation of glutamate receptors to control their abundance in the ventral nerve cord of Caenorhabditis elegans. Journal of Neuroscience. 31(4):1341-54 DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4765-10.2011
• Dahlberg CL, Nguyen EV, Goodlett DR, Kimelman D. 2009. Interactions between casein kinase 1 and two substrates from disparate pathways reveal mechanisms for substrate-kinase specificity. PLoS ONE. 4(3):e4766 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0004766
• Sampietro, J, Dahlberg, CL, Cho, US, Hinds, TR, Kimelman, D, Xu, W.  2006. Crystal structure of a b-catenin/BCL9/Tcf4 complex. Molecular Cell. 24:293-300 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2006.09.001
• Parmeggiani, A, Krab, IM, Watanabe, T, Nielsen, RC, Dahlberg, CL, Nyborg J, Nissen P. 2006. Enacyloxin IIa pinpoints a binding pocket of elongation factor Tu for development of novel antibiotics.  Journal of Biological Chemistry 281:2893-900 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M505951200
• Dickson, KA, Dahlberg, CL, Raines, RT. 2003 Compensating effects on the cytotoxicity of ribonuclease A variants. Archives Biochemistry and Biophysics. 415:172-7.