Tim Townes, PhD

Tim M. Townes (b.1951), Professor and Chairman of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, received his BS degree in 1973, an M.S. degree in Zoology in 1975, and a Ph.D. degree in Microbiology in 1980 from the University of Tennessee. After completing his graduate studies, he joined Dr. Jerry Lingrel’s group at the University of Cincinnati, where he studied globin gene expression in goats and transgenic mice. He joined the UAB faculty in 1984. His research is supported by grants from NIH.

The major interest of his laboratory is the regulation of gene expression during development. They study the human hemoglobin genes as a model system and translate their understanding of basic mechanisms of globin gene regulation into strategies to correct hemoglobinopathies such as beta-thalassemia and sickle cell disease.

Dr Townes’ work focuses on the following 4 areas:

(1) Globin gene switching during development

(2) Locus Control Region regulation of chromatin structure and gene expression

(3) Genetic modifiers of sickle cell disease severity and

(4) Genetic therapies to correct beta-thalassemia and sickle cell disease.