Jeffrey McKnight (1984-2020)

Jeff McKnight joined the Institute of Molecular Biology in 2016 as an Assistant Professor. He was the first of three new faculty establishing the Center for Genome Function. Jeff was eager to understand the structure and regulatory mechanisms of chromatin and to cultivate the next generations of molecular biologists. His enthusiasm for science, intense curiosity and collaborative nature stood out immediately and made him a wonderful colleague. His joy, kindness and sincerity made him a cherished friend.

The McKnight lab uses budding yeast to pursue how control and function of chromatin-regulating proteins alters transcriptional programs and sets cell states. The group engineers chromatin-remodeling proteins to probe their dynamic interactions with nucleosomes, transcription factors, and transcriptional machinery. Jeff also led investigations of molecular determinants of two- and three-dimensional chromatin interactions with ultra-high resolution. Prior to joining IMB, Jeff was a postdoctoral fellow at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. There, he characterized how a specific chromatin regulator triggers global reprogramming associated with quiescence, a resting cell-cycle state. Jeff also devised methods to engineer specific nucleosome rearrangements in vivo. He leveraged this approach to reveal fundamental principles of transcriptional regulation and chromatin structure. These efforts complemented Jeff’s graduate school research at Johns Hopkins University characterizing activities of the yeast Chd1 chromatin remodeling protein.

Jeff’s talents are reflected in the remarkable successes of his young group, including multiple grants, publications, and many accomplished students. Jeff also contributed generously to the UO biosciences community as a valued member of the IMB Advisory Committee and numerous thesis committees, and as an organizer of community events, including graduate student recruiting, the IMB Retreat, and Genome Function Workshops.

Jeff’s presence enriched the IMB community in untold ways and his absence is felt dearly. We anticipate hosting a symposium to honor Jeff and his science in the coming year.

Jeffrey McKnight Memorial Fund

IMB embraces an ethos of science with decency while tackling fundamental questions of molecular biology using diverse approaches and interdisciplinary collaboration. In the words of Bruce Bowerman, former IMB Director, "Jeff did so much to sustain that spirit here, and will continue to do so even in his absence. Jeff was remarkable for being both an outstanding scientist and a remarkably gracious and compassionate colleague."

This spirit was especially evident in Jeff’s dedicated mentorship, celebrated by students and faculty alike. Jeff advocated passionately for trainees, often seeing in them his own experience overcoming challenges to carve out his place in the scientific community. To honor Jeff and his commitment to training and mentorship, we have established the Jeffrey McKnight Memorial Fund. This fund will be used to recognize and support graduate students demonstrating resilience in the face of challenge. We aim to endow the fund so this tribute to Jeff will exist in perpetuity. To do so, we need to raise at least $25,000 during the first year. We welcome you to join us in this effort to carry forward Jeff’s legacy.

Please contact foundationrelations@uoregon.edu with any questions.