Chance Bowman aims to uncover the design principles of biological systems, both to understand how organisms develop and to create advanced cell therapies.
A doctoral student in bioengineering at both UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley, Bowman is inspired by the complex biochemical strategies employed during development to precisely regulate cell, tissue and organism-scale biological processes. In understanding how these systems work at a quantitative, mechanistic level and how they can be reprogrammed to generate novel behaviors, he hopes to harness and expand the biological toolbox available to tackle the most complex problems in medicine and beyond.
Prior to his graduate studies, Bowman attended East Tennessee State University (ETSU) for one year prior to transferring to Dartmouth College, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biological chemistry. At Dartmouth, he conducted research in the lab of Drs. Jon Kull and Charles Midgett, earning the Barry Goldwater Scholarship for his work focusing on the protein biochemistry and structural biology of bacterial virulence factors. While there, he also designed and began developing biophysical approaches to measure bacterial transcription factor-DNA binding and screen for inhibitors of the process, aiming to use the approach to identify novel antibiotics. Outside of Dartmouth, Bowman also pursued extramural research experiences in translational stem cell biology at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and oncology-focused biochemistry at Calico Life Sciences.
A native of the rural community of Gray, Tennessee, Bowman is passionate about helping students from underserved communities pursue opportunities in higher education, as well as getting people of all backgrounds involved in scientific research. As an undergraduate, he was a founding member of the Dartmouth Undergraduate Biology Society, serving as a senior peer mentor and helping students join research labs. Bowman has also been proactive in his home community, tutoring first-generation, low-income students at ETSU and initiating the organization of an alumni network at his high school alma mater that helps students navigate college admissions and gain early exposure to scientific research and career opportunities.
