“Happy people do better science”
Interview with new group leader Sedona Murphy
Sedona Murphy joined the MPIMG in September 2025. She received her Ph.D. in 2023 from Stanford University School of Medicine, working in the laboratory of Alistair Boettiger. After completing her doctoral thesis, she became an independent research fellow in the Department of Cell Biology at the Yale School of Medicine. We talked with her about her research on 3D genome organization and epigenetics, how she became a scientist, and why good mentorship is important.
Sedona, what will be the focus of your lab at the MPIMG?
In my lab we will primarily use super resolution microscopy techniques to correlate gene expression with changes in chromatin organization. We're particularly interested in how 3D genome organization regulates or reinforces epigenetic memory during development.
Genome organization and epigenetic memory are very broad topics. Why exactly are you studying these phenomenon in development?
Because it is so important. Development is a highly dynamic process. Cells have a certain identity at one point during development that they need to remember and maintain. At the same time, they must be able to change or forget this identity depending on developmental cues, timing, and input.
If we now zoom out a little bit, what would you say are the big questions in your field?
Back when I was just starting grad school the first HiC measurements were out, and they showed these structures in genome organization that were called topologically associated domains. Over the last 10 years, we have come to truly appreciate that the nucleus is highly dynamic and heterogeneous. Chromatin or genome architecture is maybe not even the correct terminology, because architecture implies some sort of stability or physical structure. However, in reality these topologically associated domains are just statistical interaction frequencies. So now, the big question is, how do statistical features translate to stable gene expression programs? The 3D genome organization field in general has been grappling with the question of functionality, or in other words how functional are changes in genome organization for any sort of developmental purpose.
The immediate impact of basic research is not often very clear. What do you hope the impact of your work could be?
Epigenetic systems, as well as gene regulation and related processes, are often disrupted in diseases, developmental disorders, and cancer. I hope that establishing a foundation in the basic biophysics of these processes will be important for addressing these health issues in the future.
We talked about your science, now let's talk about you. Why did you become a scientist?
I've always been a very curious person, especially when it comes to the natural world. Up until college, I didn't really know what being a scientist entailed, so I wanted to go to medical school because it seemed more tangible. During my freshman year, I had an advisor who was a biologist and had a lab. He had an opening in his lab over the summer, which I enjoyed very much. That experience changed the course of my entire life.
Knowing that it’s not surprising that you write on your website that you're very passionate about mentorship in science. What would you say is good mentorship?
As someone who had a mentor that changed the course of my entire career, I have thought a lot about this. To me, it's about meeting people where they are and recognizing that everyone is different, has different needs, and wants different things out of life. Not everyone who comes through my lab wants to do the same thing I do. Part of my job is supporting people in their strengths, weaknesses, and goals. Being a good listener and knowing when to apologize are important.
Do you think the quality of mentorship impacts the quality of science?
Yes, I think happy people do better science. I think if you enjoy the people that you work with and you foster a very collaborative environment you're just inevitably going to get better science. Those people are going to be happy to come to work. They'll be more motivated. More ideas will be shared. There's only negatives to having a toxic environment.
