Welcome to the department, Dr. Angela Koehler! Even though Dr. Koehler has been at the Broad Institute since its inception, she will be crossing Main Street to join BE as an Assistant Professor in January.  Dr. Koehler was actually the Broad’s first chemist and will continue her research building tools to study the role of transcription in cancer as she adds teaching and other faculty responsibilities into her repertoire. “I am completely enthusiastic about this appointment,” Dr. Koehler shares.

With a background in Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dr. Koehler wasn’t sure, early on, if being housed in an engineering department made sense.  As she became familiar with BE, however, Dr. Koehler saw the broad topics that were being discussed and the way that real problems were being tackled and she realized: “this is exactly where I should be.”

Dr. Koehler is excited to problem-solve and collaborate with her new colleagues and was deeply impressed by the “very sharp” BE students with whom she interacted during the interview process. In fact, Dr. Koehler is so excited to get into her new role that she has offered to fill in for any professors who are traveling this fall.  Some time after the New Year, Dr. Koehler will receive her own teaching assignment so, Faculty, you may want to take her up on this offer before it expires!

Originally from Portland, Oregon, Dr. Koehler has been in Cambridge since she moved here for her graduate work at Harvard.  She lives just minutes from MIT’s campus with her husband, who is a senior post-doc in Dr. Bob Langer’s lab, and two Siberian cats.  Something you might not know about Dr. Koehler: she hasn’t driven a car since 1998. It’s not that she is opposed to driving – she just hasn’t had the need.  Dr. Koehler walks a lot and one of her favorite destinations is Newbury Street; she enjoys perusing the fine shops for interior design ideas for her home and office.

As Dr. Koehler begins her transition into the BE community, she is eager to get to know people and start up conversations. “My door is officially open,” declares Dr. Koehler. “I hope people will come in and chat about science and courses with me.”