Rate My Professor David Schneider

David Schneider, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine. He serves as Interim Dean of the Graduate School, Senior Associate Dean of Graduate and International Education, and Director of the Graduate Biomedical Sciences PhD Program. Schneider earned a B.S. in Microbiology and Genetics from the University of Georgia in 1998, a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2003, and completed postdoctoral training in Biomolecular Chemistry at the University of California, Irvine in 2007. He joined the UAB faculty as Assistant Professor in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics in 2007, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2013, and to Full Professor in 2017.

Schneider's research centers on the mechanisms by which cells control gene expression at the transcription level, with emphasis on ribosome biosynthesis and regulation of gene expression. His laboratory investigates early steps in ribosome biosynthesis, enzymatic properties of RNA polymerases I, II, and III, transcription elongation kinetics, and strategies to inhibit ribosome synthesis for therapeutic applications such as antifungals and cancer treatments. Key publications include "RNA Polymerase I Is Uniquely Vulnerable to the Small Molecule BMH-21" (2022), "The small-molecule BMH-21 directly inhibits transcription elongation by RNA Polymerase I" (2022), "Uncovering the mechanisms of transcription elongation by RNA polymerase I" (2022), "Growth-phase-dependent control of rRNA synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae" (2024), and "Global kinetic mechanism describing single nucleotide incorporation for RNA polymerase I reveals fast UMP incorporation" (2024). Schneider received the UAB Graduate Dean's Award for Excellence in Mentorship in 2014 and 2023. He teaches multiple courses and mentors graduate students and junior faculty, with research supported by National Institutes of Health grants.