Instructor Ph.D. in Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Phone: 773-508-3736 E-mail: amilton3@luc.edu

ABOUT

Dr. Milton earned her B.S. and M.S. in Molecular Biology from Chicago State University. There, she performed her undergraduate and graduate research in the field plant molecular genetics. Plants respond to abiotic stresses such as temperature, drought, and salinity by expressing a number of genes that allow plants to thrive in less optimal conditions. Dr. Milton’s research focused on the genes and molecular mechanisms involved in plant response to abiotic stresses, in particular low-temperature stress. This work identified transcriptional elements that differentially regulated cold-induced genes between tolerant and susceptible species, and further characterized divergence of promoters through population genetic studies using DNA sequencing.

Dr. Milton went on to earn her Ph.D. in Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). At UIC, she performed her graduate research in the field of developmental genetics and molecular biology. Here, Dr. Milton studied developmental genetics in C. elegans, focusing on transcriptional mechanisms that regulate a class of transcription factors, T-Box factors, that are essential for the development of all multicellular organisms. Dr. Milton’s research focused on the genetic regulation and function of a C. elegans T-box gene essential for muscle cell fate specification and adaptation in olfactory neurons. Dr. Milton’s work identified novel upstream and downstream transcriptional regulators, and cis-acting and posttranslational elements important for tissue-specific function and established their importance for viability during embryonic and post-embryonic development.

Dr. Milton’s teaching experience began at UIC where she taught Microbiology and Genetics Laboratories. Dr. Milton joined Loyola in 2021 and has since taught several courses in Genetics (Lecture and Lab) and General Biology (Lecture and Lab). Dr. Milton also participates in the mentorship program Loyola University Chicago Empowering Sisterhood (LUCES) as a faculty mentor, as part of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion.