Faculty Spotlight: Melanie Carless

By Gabriela Maldonado

Melanie Carless is an associate professor in the Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology (NDRB). Her laboratory specializes in identifying genetic and epigenetic factors associated with complex diseases such as diabetes. “I am continuing to work on identifying such signatures associated with obesity and energy expenditure in Hispanic children,” she said. “Because science and technology are advancing so rapidly, my lab can sequence entire genomes in a matter of days.” These genome sequences allow Carless and her laboratory to see all the genes present in an organism.

Carless’ research is focused on understanding what genetic and epigenetic factors might contribute to disease risk and be leveraged as potential innovative therapies. She is currently developing a novel method to identify hydroxymethylation signatures in single cells or cell types. This method offers a unique opportunity to understand psychiatric, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.

Originally from Australia’s Gold Coast, Carless earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Griffith University in South East Queensland. She completed her postdoctoral studies at the Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Florida and at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio. In 2019, Carless joined UTSA.

Carless enjoys working in a university environment. “I enjoy the freedom of being able to do the research that I am interested in,” she said, adding that the academic environment allows her to serve as a mentor and share her research vision with students who are excited to learn.

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“It is a wonderful experience to see your students mature and develop a research vision of their own.”

As a part of NDRB, Carless enjoys the collegiality and collaborative atmosphere, and she serves on several university committees. “I am proud that my peers are supportive of others, open to new ideas and working together to achieve a common goal,” she said.

When Carless is not in the laboratory, she loves to spend time with her kids—her family is currently watching all of the Avengers movies in order. In her spare time, she enjoys practicing Krav Maga and teaching taekwondo.