Sophie Dumont, PhD

Professor
Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences
Dumont
[email protected]
Phone: +1 415 502-1229
600 16th Street, Rm N212F
UCSF Box 2140
San Francisco, CA 94158
United States

Links

UCSF Profiles Dumont Lab

Affiliations

Education programs

Biophysics Graduate Program (BP)
UCSF Tetrad Graduate Program
PhD program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology (DSCB), School of Medicine
PhD program in Biomedical Sciences (BMS), School of Medicine
UCSF - UC Berkeley Joint Graduate Group in Bioengineering

UCSF centers, institutes, and research programs

Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI)
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center

External affiliations

Investigator, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub

What I do

Our lab is interested in how the properties of individual molecules give rise to the mechanics and function of large cellular machines. We focus on the machines that drive cell division, asking how they build themselves through self-organization, and how they generate and respond to force to perform their function robustly and accurately. To answer these questions we use approaches from biophysics, bioengineering and cell biology.

Departmental research area

computational biology and systems pharmacology

My research expertise

biophysics, cell biology, Molecular and cellular engineering, Macromolecular machines, Self-organization, Mechanics, microscopy, mechanical measurements

Professional background

Degrees

PhD, Biophysics, University of California, Berkeley, 2005
BA, Physics, Princeton University, 1999

Research keywords

  • Spindle Apparatus
  • Microtubules
  • Chromosome Segregation
  • Metaphase
  • Kinetochores
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Chromosomes
  • Potoroidae
  • Microtubule-Associated Proteins
  • Mechanotransduction, Cellular
  • Centrosome
  • Dyneins
  • Mitosis
  • cell division
  • Anaphase
1. Lila Neahring announced as a winner of the Weintraub Award
2. Update from the Dean: Excellence amidst change
1. UCSF Byers Award in Basic Science, 2021
2. Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator, 2020
3. UCSF Outstanding Faculty Mentorship Award, 2018
4. Women in Cell Biology Junior Award for Excellence in Research (ASCB), 2018
5. Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award of the Biophysical Society, 2016
6. NSF CAREER Award, 2016
7. NIH New Innovator Award, 2015
8. Kimmel Cancer Foundation Scholar, 2013
9. Rita Allen Foundation and Milton E. Cassel Scholar, 2013
10. Searle Scholar, 2013
11. Sloan Research Fellow, 2013
12. NIH K99/R00 Award, 2010
13. Alan Bearden Outstanding Graduate Research Award, UC Berkeley, 2006
14. Junior Fellow, Harvard Society of Fellows, 2006
15. Weintraub Graduate Student Award, 2006
16. Allen G. Shenstone Prize in Physics, Princeton University, 1999
17. Rhodes Scholarship, 1999

Publications

Rosas-Salvans M, Rux CJ, Das M, Dumont S. SKAP binding to microtubules reduces friction at the kinetochore-microtubule interface and increases attachment stability under force. Curr Biol. 2025 Apr 21; 35(8):1805-1815.e4.
Caleb J. Rux, Megan K. Chong, Sean Myers, Nathan Cho, Sophie Dumont. BPS2025 - Force-dependent spindle microtubule damage, remodeling, and stabilization. Biophysical Journal. 2025 Feb 1; 124(3):138a.
Nathan Cho, Sophie Dumont. BPS2025 - NuMA mechanically reinforces spindle poles independently of dynein through self-interactions. Biophysical Journal. 2025 Feb 1; 124(3):376a.
Nathan Cho, Sophie Dumont. BPS2025 - NuMA mechanically reinforces spindle poles independently of dynein through self-interactions. Biophysical Journal. 2025 Feb 1; 124(3):476a-477a.
Aslan M, d'Amico EA, Cho NH, Taheri A, Zhao Y, Zhong X, Blaauw M, Carter AP, Dumont S, Yildiz A. Structural and functional insights into activation and regulation of the dynein-dynactin-NuMA complex. bioRxiv. 2024 Dec 03.
Rosas-Salvans M, Rux C, Das M, Dumont S. SKAP binding to microtubules reduces friction at the kinetochore-microtubule interface and increases attachment stability under force. bioRxiv. 2024 Aug 08.
Neahring L, Cho NH, He Y, Liu G, Fernandes J, Rux CJ, Nakos K, Subramanian R, Upadhyayula S, Yildiz A, Dumont S. Torques within and outside the human spindle balance twist at anaphase. J Cell Biol. 2024 Sep 02; 223(9).
Chong MK, Rosas-Salvans M, Tran V, Dumont S. Chromosome size-dependent polar ejection force impairs mammalian mitotic error correction. J Cell Biol. 2024 Aug 05; 223(8).
Sutanto R, Neahring L, Serra Marques A, Jacobo Jacobo M, Kilinc S, Goga A, Dumont S. The oncogene cyclin D1 promotes bipolar spindle integrity under compressive force. PLoS One. 2024; 19(3):e0296779.
Nathan Cho, Sophie Dumont. NuMA mechanically reinforces mammalian spindle poles independent of its partner dynein. Biophysical Journal. 2024 Feb 1; 123(3):539a.
Miquel Salvans, Sophie Dumont. Probing how the Astrin-SKAP complex reduces friction at the kinetochore-microtubule interface. Biophysical Journal. 2024 Feb 1; 123(3):1a-2a.
Neahring L, He Y, Cho NH, Liu G, Fernandes J, Rux CJ, Nakos K, Subramanian R, Upadhyayula S, Yildiz A, Dumont S. Torques within and outside the human spindle balance twist at anaphase. bioRxiv. 2023 Dec 10.
Chong MK, Rosas-Salvans M, Tran V, Dumont S. Chromosome size-dependent polar ejection force impairs mammalian mitotic error correction. bioRxiv. 2023 Oct 18.
Bakshi A, Iturra FE, Alamban A, Rosas-Salvans M, Dumont S, Aydogan MG. Cytoplasmic division cycles without the nucleus and mitotic CDK/cyclin complexes. Cell. 2023 10 12; 186(21):4694-4709.e16.
Richter M, Neahring L, Tao J, Sutanto R, Cho NH, Dumont S. Kinetochore-fiber lengths are maintained locally but coordinated globally by poles in the mammalian spindle. Elife. 2023 Jul 03; 12.
Sutanto R, Neahring L, Marques AS, Kilinc S, Goga A, Dumont S. The oncogene cyclin D1 promotes bipolar spindle integrity under compressive force. bioRxiv. 2023 May 31.
Valdez VA, Neahring L, Petry S, Dumont S. Mechanisms underlying spindle assembly and robustness. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2023 08; 24(8):523-542.
Suresh P, Galstyan V, Phillips R, Dumont S. Modeling and mechanical perturbations reveal how spatially regulated anchorage gives rise to spatially distinct mechanics across the mammalian spindle. Elife. 2022 11 08; 11.
Kai F, Ou G, Tourdot RW, Stashko C, Gaietta G, Swift MF, Volkmann N, Long AF, Han Y, Huang HH, Northey JJ, Leidal AM, Viasnoff V, Bryant DM, Guo W, Wiita AP, Guo M, Dumont S, Hanein D, Radhakrishnan R, Weaver VM. ECM dimensionality tunes actin tension to modulate endoplasmic reticulum function and spheroid phenotypes of mammary epithelial cells. EMBO J. 2022 09 01; 41(17):e109205.
Rosas-Salvans M, Sutanto R, Suresh P, Dumont S. The Astrin-SKAP complex reduces friction at the kinetochore-microtubule interface. Curr Biol. 2022 06 20; 32(12):2621-2631.e3.
Pooja Suresh, Vahe Galstyan, Rob Phillips, Sophie Dumont. Connections distributed within 3 µm of chromosomes are necessary and sufficient for the kinetochore-fiber’s robust anchorage in the mammalian spindle. Biophysical Journal. 2022 Feb 1; 121(3):448a-449a.
Miquel R. Salvans, Renaldo Sutanto, Sophie Dumont. The Astrin-SKAP complex lubricates the kinetochore-microtubule interface. Biophysical Journal. 2022 Feb 1; 121(3):522a.
Neahring L, Cho NH, Dumont S. Opposing motors provide mechanical and functional robustness in the human spindle. Dev Cell. 2021 11 08; 56(21):3006-3018.e5.
Lila Neahring, Sophie Dumont. Opposing Motors Provide Mechanical and Functional Robustness in the Mammalian Spindle. Biophysical Journal. 2021 Feb 1; 120(3):347a.
Vahe Galstyan, Pooja Suresh, Sophie Dumont, Rob Phillips. Understanding the Mechanisms that Give Rise to the Mammalian Spindle's Response to Force using Theory and Microneedle Manipulation. Biophysical Journal. 2021 Feb 1; 120(3):347a.
Serra-Marques A, Houtekamer R, Hintzen D, Canty JT, Yildiz A, Dumont S. The mitotic protein NuMA plays a spindle-independent role in nuclear formation and mechanics. J Cell Biol. 2020 12 07; 219(12).
Long AF, Suresh P, Dumont S. Individual kinetochore-fibers locally dissipate force to maintain robust mammalian spindle structure. J Cell Biol. 2020 08 03; 219(8).
Suresh P, Long AF, Dumont S. Microneedle manipulation of the mammalian spindle reveals specialized, short-lived reinforcement near chromosomes. Elife. 2020 03 19; 9.
Rohrberg J, Van de Mark D, Amouzgar M, Lee JV, Taileb M, Corella A, Kilinc S, Williams J, Jokisch ML, Camarda R, Balakrishnan S, Shankar R, Zhou A, Chang AN, Chen B, Rugo HS, Dumont S, Goga A. MYC Dysregulates Mitosis, Revealing Cancer Vulnerabilities. Cell Rep. 2020 03 10; 30(10):3368-3382.e7.
Kuhn J, Dumont S. Mammalian kinetochores count attached microtubules in a sensitive and switch-like manner. J Cell Biol. 2019 11 04; 218(11):3583-3596.
FuiBoon Kai, Guanqing Ou, Alexandra Long, Wei Guo, Richard Tourdot, Ravi Radhakrishnan, Christopher Chen, Sophie Dumont, Valerie M. Weaver. Abstract 1028: Extracellular matrix dimensionality reduces cellular cortical tension to stimulate pro-survival signaling in mammary epithelial cells. Cancer Research. 2019 Jul 1; 79(13_Supplement):1028-1028.
Khyati N. Shah, Roma Bhatt, Julia Rotow, Julia Rohrberg, Victor Olivas, Victoria E. Wang, Jonathan Kuhn, Sophie Dumont, Frank Mccormick, Andrei Goga, Collin M. Blakely, Trever G. Bivona, Sourav Bandyopadhyay. Abstract 2902: Non-genetic TPX2/AURKA signaling facilitates tumor evolution in EGFR-TKI resistance in NSCLC. Tumor Biology. 2019 Jul 1; 2902-2902.
Long AF, Kuhn J, Dumont S. The mammalian kinetochore-microtubule interface: robust mechanics and computation with many microtubules. Curr Opin Cell Biol. 2019 10; 60:60-67.
Hueschen CL, Galstyan V, Amouzgar M, Phillips R, Dumont S. Microtubule End-Clustering Maintains a Steady-State Spindle Shape. Curr Biol. 2019 02 18; 29(4):700-708.e5.
Neahring L, Dumont S. Chromosome Segregation Fidelity Integrates Information across Scales. Dev Cell. 2018 12 03; 47(5):525-526.
Shah KN, Bhatt R, Rotow J, Rohrberg J, Olivas V, Wang VE, Hemmati G, Martins MM, Maynard A, Kuhn J, Galeas J, Donnella HJ, Kaushik S, Ku A, Dumont S, Krings G, Haringsma HJ, Robillard L, Simmons AD, Harding TC, McCormick F, Goga A, Blakely CM, Bivona TG, Bandyopadhyay S. Aurora kinase A drives the evolution of resistance to third-generation EGFR inhibitors in lung cancer. Nat Med. 2019 01; 25(1):111-118.
Elting MW, Suresh P, Dumont S. The Spindle: Integrating Architecture and Mechanics across Scales. Trends Cell Biol. 2018 11; 28(11):896-910.
Serra-Marques A, Dumont S. Shining light on spindle positioning. Elife. 2018 07 09; 7.
Hueschen CL, Kenny SJ, Xu K, Dumont S. NuMA recruits dynein activity to microtubule minus-ends at mitosis. Elife. 2017 11 29; 6.
Elting MW, Prakash M, Udy DB, Dumont S. Mapping Load-Bearing in the Mammalian Spindle Reveals Local Kinetochore Fiber Anchorage that Provides Mechanical Isolation and Redundancy. Curr Biol. 2017 Jul 24; 27(14):2112-2122.e5.
Long AF, Udy DB, Dumont S. Hec1 Tail Phosphorylation Differentially Regulates Mammalian Kinetochore Coupling to Polymerizing and Depolymerizing Microtubules. Curr Biol. 2017 Jun 05; 27(11):1692-1699.e3.
Kuhn J, Dumont S. Spindle assembly checkpoint satisfaction occurs via end-on but not lateral attachments under tension. J Cell Biol. 2017 06 05; 216(6):1533-1542.
Karg T, Elting MW, Vicars H, Dumont S, Sullivan W. The chromokinesin Klp3a and microtubules facilitate acentric chromosome segregation. J Cell Biol. 2017 06 05; 216(6):1597-1608.
Guild J, Ginzberg MB, Hueschen CL, Mitchison TJ, Dumont S. Increased lateral microtubule contact at the cell cortex is sufficient to drive mammalian spindle elongation. Mol Biol Cell. 2017 Jul 07; 28(14):1975-1983.
Guild J, Haque A, Gheibi P, Gao Y, Son KJ, Foster E, Dumont S, Revzin A. Embryonic Stem Cells Cultured in Microfluidic Chambers Take Control of Their Fate by Producing Endogenous Signals Including LIF. Stem Cells. 2016 06; 34(6):1501-12.
Hueschen CL, Long AF, Dumont S. Kinesin-5: A Team Is Just the Sum of Its Parts. Dev Cell. 2015 Sep 28; 34(6):609-10.
Udy DB, Voorhies M, Chan PP, Lowe TM, Dumont S. Draft De Novo Transcriptome of the Rat Kangaroo Potorous tridactylus as a Tool for Cell Biology. PLoS One. 2015; 10(8):e0134738.
Dumont S, Prakash M. Emergent mechanics of biological structures. Mol Biol Cell. 2014 Nov 05; 25(22):3461-5.
Elting MW, Hueschen CL, Udy DB, Dumont S. Force on spindle microtubule minus ends moves chromosomes. J Cell Biol. 2014 Jul 21; 206(2):245-56.
Dumont S. Spindle size: small droplets and a big step forward. Curr Biol. 2014 Feb 03; 24(3):R116-8.
Kuhn J, Dumont S. Imaging and physically probing kinetochores in live dividing cells. Methods Cell Biol. 2014; 123:467-87.
Dumont S, Salmon ED, Mitchison TJ. Deformations within moving kinetochores reveal different sites of active and passive force generation. Science. 2012 Jul 20; 337(6092):355-8.
S. Dumont, T.J. Mitchison. 4.16 Mechanical Forces in Mitosis. Comprehensive Biophysics. 2012 Jan 1; 298-320.
Dumont S, Mitchison TJ. Comprehensive Biophysics. Mechanical Forces in Mitosis. 2012; 298-320.
Dumont S. Chromosome segregation: spindle mechanics come to life. Curr Biol. 2011 Sep 27; 21(18):R688-90.
Dumont S, Mitchison TJ. Force and length in the mitotic spindle. Curr Biol. 2009 Sep 15; 19(17):R749-61.
Dumont S, Mitchison TJ. Compression regulates mitotic spindle length by a mechanochemical switch at the poles. Curr Biol. 2009 Jul 14; 19(13):1086-95.
Wühr M, Dumont S, Groen AC, Needleman DJ, Mitchison TJ. How does a millimeter-sized cell find its center? Cell Cycle. 2009 Apr 15; 8(8):1115-21.
Wühr M, Chen Y, Dumont S, Groen AC, Needleman DJ, Salic A, Mitchison TJ. Evidence for an upper limit to mitotic spindle length. Curr Biol. 2008 Aug 26; 18(16):1256-61.
Cheng W, Dumont S, Tinoco I, Bustamante C. NS3 helicase actively separates RNA strands and senses sequence barriers ahead of the opening fork. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 Aug 28; 104(35):13954-9.
Dumont S, Cheng W, Serebrov V, Beran RK, Tinoco I, Pyle AM, Bustamante C. RNA translocation and unwinding mechanism of HCV NS3 helicase and its coordination by ATP. Nature. 2006 Jan 05; 439(7072):105-8.
Onoa B, Dumont S, Liphardt J, Smith SB, Tinoco I, Bustamante C. Identifying kinetic barriers to mechanical unfolding of the T. thermophila ribozyme. Science. 2003 Mar 21; 299(5614):1892-5.
Liphardt J, Dumont S, Smith SB, Tinoco I, Bustamante C. Equilibrium information from nonequilibrium measurements in an experimental test of Jarzynski's equality. Science. 2002 Jun 07; 296(5574):1832-5.