About Josh

Click for Josh’s complete CV (PDF – 109kb)

Josh has disappeared in front of a crowded theater (twice), compelled celebrities to tie his shoes¹, was once the epitome of freckled cuteness², and rode a killer whale into battle³. He also co-founded The Finch & Pea blog with Mike White. That was in his spare time.

He currently runs The Finch & Pea Group, Ltd - a life sciences and communication consulting firm that helps venture capitalists understand life sciences research investment opportunities, facilitates communication between researchers and other areas of expertise, and provides science writing/editing services for technical and general audiences.

Previously, Josh was a Career Development Fellow at the Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK in the laboratory of Jernej Ule researching the regulation of splicing by RNA binding proteins.

He earned a PhD in molecular cell biology from Washington University in St. Louis, where he studied classical genetics, quantitative genetics, and evolutionary biology in the laboratory of Barak Cohen.

He received a BS from Duke University, where he majored in biology with a concentration in genetics and minors in chemistry and history.

He is patiently tolerated by a saintly and brilliant wife. He is regularly and deservedly mocked by his older daughter, The Frogger. His younger daughter, Punkface MacGruder, thinks he looks funny. She is very perceptive.

NOTES
1. David Copperfield. He also assisted in the disappearing.
2. National modeling of Bob Evans hats on place mats. You may have eaten pancakes on his face.
3. Shamu, when they still did things like that. “Battle” should be defined very broadly in this instance.

PUBLICATIONS
Witten JT and J Ule. 2011. Understanding splicing regulation through RNA splicing maps. Trends in Genetics; March; 27(3-2): 89–97. doi: 10.1016/j.tig.2010.12.001

Witten JT, CT Chen, BA Cohen.  2007. Complex genetic changes in strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae derived by selection in the laboratory. Genetics 177: 449-456. doi: 10.1534/genetics.107.077859

Tollervey JR, Z Wang, T Hortobágyi, M Kayikci, JT Witten, K Zarnack, TA Clark, AC Schweitzer, G Rot, T Curk, B Zupan, B Rogelj, CE Shaw, J Ule 2011. Analysis of alternative splicing associated with aging and neurodegeneration in the human brain. Genome Research; 21: 1572-1582. doi: 10.1101/gr.122226.111

Staloch LJ, JK Divine, JT Witten, TC Simon.  2005. C/EBP and Cdx family factors regulate liver fatty acid binding protein transgene expression in the small intestinal epithelium.  Biochem Biophys Acta 1731(3):168-178. doi: 10.1016/j.bbaexp.2005.08.014

Klopfer PH, J Huang, K Gruene, G Willis, J Gorski, S Patel, G Ramsey, N Cunningham, S Linquist, S Magaw, J Witten.  2002.  The state of ethology.  Animal Behavior Society Newsletter 47(3): 4-5.