Rate My Professor Matthew Christians

Matthew Christians serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at Grand Valley State University, a position he has held since 2012. He obtained his PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of California, Riverside, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. At GVSU, Dr. Christians teaches a range of courses including cell and molecular biology, biotechnology, and brewing science at both undergraduate and graduate levels. His dedication to teaching was recognized with the Pew Teaching Excellence Award, highlighting his outstanding contributions to student learning and engagement in the classroom.

Dr. Christians' research centers on plant biology, with specific emphasis on protein degradation, phytohormone signaling, light signal transduction, and the role of the Ubiquitin/Proteasome System in eukaryotic signaling pathways. His investigations include light-regulated RUBylation of cullin substrates in Arabidopsis thaliana, as detailed in his 2018 publication 'Light Regulates the RUBylation Levels of Individual Cullin Substrates in Arabidopsis thaliana.' He has mentored numerous students in research projects documented in GVSU ScholarWorks, such as 'Modification of LRB Complex Members in Arabidopsis thaliana' (Carly Wiersma, 2015), 'The Effects of Deleting LRB E3 Ligase Region 2 on Red Light Responses in Arabidopsis thaliana' (S. Liskey, 2022), 'Impact of Abscisic Acid on Rates of Ubiquitin Mediated Protein Degradation' (G.A. Baker, 2022), 'Characterization of Histidine Decarboxylase in Drosophila melanogaster' (M. Mianecki, 2014), and '14-3-3 Protein Rad24 and its Effect on Mid1 Localization and Cytokinesis in the Fission Yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe' (A.P. Grawe, 2018). As a faculty advisor for the Graduate Student Association, RISE mentor, and participant in the Frederik Meijer Honors College, he fosters undergraduate research and experiential learning initiatives, including equitable design of courses in cell and molecular biology. His work supports student presentations and publications, contributing to the academic community at GVSU.