Beloit
College


Biology Faculty - Dr. Demetrius Gravis
Beloit College >> Academic Majors >> Biology Major >> Biology Department >> Biology Faculty >> D. Gravis

Demetrius (Micho) Gravis, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Biology
Beloit College
700 College St.
Beloit, WI 53511 USA

Office Phone: 608-363-2367
FAX: 608-363-2052
Email: gravisd@beloit.edu

E-mail: gravisd@beloit.edu

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Education

  • Ph.D., Immunology, University of Iowa
  • B.A., Biology (Molecular Biology), Western State College of Colorado

Professional Experience

Currently Teaching

Fall 2008
  • BIOL110: Human Biology
  • BIOL237: Cell Biology


Courses Previously Taught at Beloit

  • BIOL237: Cell Biology
  • BIOL265: Immunology
  • BIOL345: Molecular Biology 

Courses previously taught at Western State College of Colorado:

  • BIOL 120: Science, Skepticism, and Society
  • BIOL 150: Biological Principles
  • BIOL 150: Biological Principles Lab
  • BIOL 310: Cell Biology
  • BIOL 313: Cell and Genetics Lab
  • BIOL371: Anatomy and Physiology I Lab
  • BIOL372: Anatomy and Physiology II Lab
  • BIOL 420: Molecular Biology
  • BIOL 420: Molecular Biology Lab
  • CHEM 472: Biochemistry II
  • CHEM 472: Biochemistry II Lab
  • BIOL 497: Immunology
  • BIOL 495: Senior Seminar "Programmed Cell Death and Apoptosis"
  • BIOL 495: Senior Seminar "Signaling Pain and Pleasure"

Research Interests

  • Immunology
  • Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • My research interests generally involve biochemical, molecular, and cellular studies of eukaryotic signal transduction and gene expression pathways as they relate to immune cell activation; cancer and cell cycle regulation; cell growth, cell death, and cellular stress responses; and metazoan development. I am principally interested in the regulation of transcription by receptor signaling pathways involving calcium and cAMP second messengers, tyrosine and serine protein kinases (especially MAP Kinases and Protein Kinase C), and G proteins (e.g. Ras). Many of my studies focus on the transcription factor CREB and its coactivator CBP (a histone acetyltransferase). Some of my research objectives are determine how different cells respond to different stimuli by: mapping the cell signaling pathways that activate CREB in response to different stimuli, identifying which genes CREB turns on or off in particular cells, determining how CREB target genes are affected by chromatin modifications. Additionally, I maintain an interest in evolutionarily conserved mechanisms of innate and adaptive immunity, particulary cooperative signaling between Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs), the Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor (TNFR) family, and the B cell and T cell antigen receptors.
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