Molly Duman Scheel, PhD

Bio

Dr. Molly Duman-Scheel serves as the Navari Family Professor in the Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics at the Indiana University School of Medicine–South Bend. She is a biomedical genetics scientist and educator whose work has advanced the field of mosquito genetics and developmental biology.

Dr. Duman-Scheel earned her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) from the University of Notre Dame and went on to complete her Ph.D. in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology at the University of Chicago, where she studied comparative arthropod neurodevelopmental genetics. She then conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Chicago at the Ben May Institute for Cancer Research, where she studied the coordination of the cell cycle and cell differentiation during Drosophila neural development.

In 2002, she accepted a position as Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at Albion College. Both natives of South Bend, she and her husband were thrilled when an opportunity arose to return home to South Bend, moving with their two then young sons so that she could accept a position as an Assistant Professor at the IU School of Medicine–South Bend in 2007. She rose through the ranks and is now the Navari Family Professor. She also holds adjunct appointments at her alma mater in the Department of Biological Sciences and the Eck Institute for Global Health at the University of Notre Dame.

Dr. Duman Scheel’s research focuses on the developmental genetics of vector mosquitoes, with the goal of creating innovative tools to combat mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika, West Nile, dengue, and malaria. Her lab was among the first to conduct targeted genetic knockdown studies of mosquito neural development. More recently, her team has pioneered the development of species-specific yeast RNAi insecticides, a promising approach for environmentally responsible mosquito control. She has recently extended this RNAi research to the control of other vector insects and urban pests. Her lab has also developed yeast RNAi strains targeting agricultural pests in an effort to promote food sustainability.

She has received numerous grants for her work, including support from the NIH, USAID, USDA, the Department of Defense, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Her research has been widely published in peer-reviewed journals and has contributed to global health initiatives aimed at reducing the burden of mosquito-borne illnesses. She has worked extensively with the Indiana University

Technology office to patent and commercialize her work with the goal of promoting human health and well-being.

In addition to her research, Dr. Duman-Scheel is actively involved in faculty development and mentoring. She is working with the Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases, where she is collaborating with Chicago mosquito control districts that are testing her RNAi yeast technology. She has also worked extensively with the American Committee on Medical Entomology to advocate for the role of medical entomology in public health. Outside of work, she enjoys being with her family and friends, spending time at Lake Michigan, canoeing on the St. Joesph River, cross-country skiing, painting, yoga, and gardening.