Carolyn M. Teschke PhD

Dr. Carolyn M. Teschke is a Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Connecticut, and holds a joint appointment in the Department of Chemistry. Dr. Teschke received her BS in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Her PhD in Biochemistry is from Washington State University and, following post-doctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she joined the faculty at the University of Connecticut in 1994. She has been a Visiting Professor at the Institute for Structural Biology in Grenoble, France, and at the Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology at the University of Leeds, UK, where she conducted research. Dr. Teschke’s research is focused on understanding the folding of viral proteins and how these proteins then assemble with high fidelity into complex structures that form viruses. She also investigates the process by which proteins essential for host cell colonization are secreted by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis. In her research, Dr. Teschke uses a broad array of approaches, ranging from genetics to biophysics.

Dr. Carolyn research program has been funded through the National Institutes of Health, Institute of General Medical Sciences, since 1995 and has resulted in over 45 publications. Dr. Teschke’s undergraduate teaching is concentrated in biochemistry, techniques in biochemistry, and in virology. She trained many undergraduate researchers, including two University Scholars. At the graduate level, she teaches classes emphasizing modern and classic techniques of modern biology and biochemistry, and has mentored many Master’s and PhD students. Dr. Teschke strives to be an excellent role model and mentor for her students, especially in encouraging young women to choose science careers. In light of this, she has served on committees whose mission was to increase diversity at the University and attended the Bryn Mawr HERS Summer Institute for leadership training for academic women.