Originally from California, Mark Barsoum earned a BS in Physiology with Highest Honors from the University of California, Davis, publishing his undergraduate research on the development and physiology of brown adipose tissue. He earned a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, where he specialized in the pathways to neuronal cell death that occur in numerous central neurodegenerative diseases. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Biology and Director for Math, Science, and Economics in the Center for Teaching & Learning at Davidson College. His current research focuses on genomic testing of pills sold by the largely unregulated herbal supplement industry, as well as developing effective and inclusive pedagogy in biology that helps students better achieve learning outcomes in the undergraduate classroom.