Professor Michael Nonet

Michael Nonet is molecular geneticist working at Washington University in St. Louis.  His research has primarily focused on understanding basic mechanisms underlying development and function of the nervous system.  In addition, his laboratory has  spent extensive effort developing technology for genome manipulation.  While at Cambridge, Professor Nonet will be working with Professor Julie Ahringer at the Gurdon Institute.

Professor Nonet grew up in Berkeley, Calfornia and graduated from the University of California, Davis with a degree in Biochemistry.  After graduate work in Boston at M.I.T. and postdoctoral work in Berkeley, he joined the Department of Neuroscience at Washington University Medical School in St. Louis. 

Professor Nonet is joined at Clare Hall by his wife, Barbara Kunkel, a Professor of Biology at Washington University whose research focuses on understanding interactions between bacterial pathogens and their plant hosts.  Professor Kunkel will be on sabbatical at the Sainsbury Laboratory working with Xander Jones on visualising the plant hormone auxin during pathogen infection.

In their free time Barbara and Mike enjoy spending time outdoors, gardening and hiking.  Professor Nonet is also longtime aquarist with several salt water reef tanks.  However, his tanks were dis-assembled for the visit to Clare Hall, though they will undoubtedly be restarted in 2027.