Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease (GRHD)
Mailing Address
Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease (GRHD)
2121 Euclid Avenue, SR 259
Cleveland, OH 44115
Campus Location
2351 Euclid Avenue
Science and Research Building, Room 259
Phone: 216-687-2516
Fax: 216-687-5549
d.jackel@csuohio.edu
Dr. Aaron Severson
In all organisms, accurate transmission of the genome during cell division is essential to prevent genetic instability. This is especially true during meiosis, the process that reduces genome copy number, or ploidy, from two in diploid germline stem cells to one in each haploid gamete. Defects in meiosis affect all cells of an embryo and profoundly impact health: it is estimated that over 30% of human zygotes have abnormal chromosomal content at conception, and such aneuploidies are the leading known cause of miscarriages and birth defects. The best known viable aneuploidy, trisomy 21, causes Down syndrome. I use Caenorhabditis elegans to study how gametes inherit exactly one copy of every chromosome. Because the process of meiosis is widely conserved among eukaryotes, the meiotic mechanisms we identify in the lowly worm are relevant to understanding gametogenesis in humans.
Undergraduate Researcher, 2024-Present
Volunteer, 2023-Present
PhD Rotation Student, 2023-Present
PhD Student, 2017-Present
Previous Members
Undergraduate Researcher, 2023-24
Undergraduate Researcher, 2023-24
Undergraduate Honors Student, 2023-24. Subsequently attended Medical School at NEOMED.
Undergraduate Honors Student, 2022-23. Subsequently attended MS-Anesthesia program at CWRU.
Undergraduate Honors Student, 2022-23. Subsequently attended MS-PA program at Baldwin-Wallace.
Undergraduate Researcher, 2022-23. Subsequently interned at Dermatology, Surgery & Cosmetics of NE OH
Undergraduate Researcher, 2019. Subsequently received MS in Math from CSU.
Swetha Joswala
PhD Student, 2014-20. Subsequently worked as Scientist I at Tessera Therapeutics, Somerville, MA
MS Student, 2016-20. Subsequently worked as a Lab Technologist at Fulgent Genetics, Temple City, CA
MS Student, 2017-2020. Subsequently worked as a Research Technologist at the Lerner Research Institute
Undergraduate Researcher, 2017-19. Subsequently attended Podiatry School.
Undergraduate Researcher, 2019. Subsequently worked as ASCP Med Tech at SW General Medical Center in Middleburg Heights, OH
Undergraduate Researcher, McNair Scholar, 2017-18. Subsequently worked as a Patient Service Specialist at the Cleveland Clinic.
Undergraduate Researcher, 2018. Subsequently, Algae & Zooplankton Taxonomist, Beachwood, OH
College Credit Plus Researcher, 2018. Subsequently received BS-Pharmaceutical Sci from CSU.
NIH/NIDDK STEP-UP High School Scholar, Summer 2018. Subsequently attended Columbia University.
High School Student, Summer 2018. Subsequently attended NJIT/Rutgers Med School
PhD Rotation Student, 2017
PhD Rotation Student, 2016-17
Postbac Researcher, 2016-17. Subsequently attended MS Program in Biotechnology at Columbia University.
PhD Student, 2015-17
MS Student, 2012-16
Undergraduate Researcher, 2014-15. Subsequently attended Medical School at St. George's University.
MS Student, 2015-16
Postbacalaureate Researcher, 2013-14. Subsequently attended Vet School at Ohio State University
Undergraduate Researcher, 2013-14. Subsequently attended Podiatry School at Kent State University
Undergraduate Researcher, 2013-15
MS Student, 2012-14
Research Articles
Turpin, C.G.S., D. Sloan, M. LaFores, L. Uehlein-Klebanow, D. Mitchell, A.F. Severson, and J.N. Bembenek. 2023. Securin regulates the spatiotemporal dynamics of separase. bioRxiv 2023.12.12.571338. Turpin - 2023 - bioRxiv.pdf
Farboud, B., A.F. Severson, and B.J. Meyer. 2019. Strategies for efficient genome editing using CRISPRCas9. Genetics 211: 431-457. Farboud - 2018 - Genetics.pdf
Hernandez, M.R., M.B. Davis, J. Jiang, E.A. Brouhard, A.F. Severson, and G. Csankovszki. 2018. Condensin I protects meiotic cohesin from WAPL-1 mediated removal. PLoS Genetics 14: e1007382. Hernandez - 2018 - PLoS Genet.pdf
Severson, A.F., and B.J. Meyer. 2014. Divergent kleisin subunits of cohesin specify mechanisms to tether and release meiotic chromosomes. eLife 10.7554/eLife.03467. Severson - 2014 - eLife.pdf
Schvarzstein, M., Pattabiraman, D., Libuda, D.E., Ramadugu, A., Tam, A., Martinez-Perez, E., Roelens, B., Zawadzki, K.A., Yokoo, R., Rosu, S., Severson, A.F., Meyer, B.J., Nabeshima, K., and A.M. Villeneuve. 2014. DNA helicase HIM-6/BLM both promotes MutSĪ³-dependent crossovers and antagonizes MutSĪ³-independent inter-homolog associations during Caenorhabditis elegans meiosis. Genetics, pii: genetics.114.161513. Schvarzstein - 2014 - Genetics.pdf
Severson, A.F., L. Ling, V. van Zuylen, and B.J. Meyer. 2009. The axial element protein HTP-3 promotes cohesin loading and meiotic axis assembly in C. elegans to implement the meiotic program of chromosome segregation. Genes Dev. 23:1763-1778. Severson - 2009 - Genes Dev.pdf
Chan, R.C.*, Severson, A.F.*, and B.J. Meyer. 2004. Condensin restructures chromosomes in preparation for meiotic divisions. J. Cell Biol. 167:613-625. Chan - 2004 - J Cell Biol.pdf
* co-first author paper
Severson, A.F., and B. Bowerman. 2003. Myosin and the PAR proteins polarize microfilament-dependent forces that shape and position mitotic spindles in C. elegans. J. Cell Biol. 161:21-26. Severson - 2003 - J Cell Biol.pdf
Severson, A.F., D.L. Baillie, and B. Bowerman. 2002. A Formin Homology protein and a Profilin are required for cytokinesis and Arp2/3-independent assembly of cortical microfilaments in C. elegans. Current Biol. 12:2066-2075. Severson - 2002 - Current Biol.pdf
Hamill, D.R., A.F. Severson, J.C. Carter, and B. Bowerman. 2002. Centrosome maturation and mitotic spindle assembly in C. elegans require SPD-5, a protein with multiple coiled-coil domains. Dev. Cell 3:673-684. Hamill- 2002 - Dev Cell.pdf
Severson, A.F., D.R. Hamill, J.C. Carter, J. Schumacher, and B. Bowerman. 2000. The Aurora-related Kinase AIR-2 recruits ZEN-4/CeMKLP1 to the mitotic spindle at metaphase and is required for cytokinesis. Curr. Biol. 10:1162-1171. Severson - 2000 - Current Biol.pdf
Swan, K.A., A.F. Severson, J.C. Carter, P.R. Martin, H. Schnabel, R. Schnabel, and B. Bowerman. 1998. cyk-1: a C. elegans FH gene required for a late step in embryonic cytokinesis. J. Cell Sci. 111:2017-2027. Swan - 1998 - J Cell Sci.pdf
Invited Review Articles and Book Chapters
Severson, A.F. 2016. Analysis of meiotic sister chromatid cohesion in Caenorhabditis elegans. Methods Mol. Biol. 1515:65-95. Severson - 2016 - MiMB.pdf
Severson, A.F., G. von Dassow, and B. Bowerman. 2016. Oocyte meiotic spindle assembly and function. Curr. Top. Dev. Biol. 116:65-98. Severson et al - 2016 - CTDB.pdf
Wood, A.J.*, A.F. Severson*, and B.J. Meyer. 2010. Condensin and cohesin complexity: the expanding repertoire of functions. Nat. Rev. Genet. 11:391-404. Wood - 2010 - Nat Rev Genet.pdf
* co-first author paper
Severson, A.F. and B. Bowerman. 2002. Cytokinesis: closing in on the central spindle. Dev. Cell 2:4-6. Severson - 2002 - Dev Cell.pdf
Bowerman, B. and A.F. Severson. 1999. Cell Division: Plant-like properties of animal cell cytokinesis. Curr. Biol. 9: R658-660. Severson - 1999 - Current Biol.pdf
Mailing Address
Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease (GRHD)
2121 Euclid Avenue, SR 259
Cleveland, OH 44115
Campus Location
2351 Euclid Avenue
Science and Research Building, Room 259
Phone: 216-687-2516
Fax: 216-687-5549
d.jackel@csuohio.edu