Chantell S Evans

Chantell Skye Evans is an American cell biologist and professor at Duke University. Her research focuses on the dynamic processes of mitochondria and their role in neurodegenerative disease. In 2022, Popular Science named her as one of their "Brilliant 10" U.S. scientists and engineers.

Early life and education Evans grew up in a small town in central Illinois, in a majority-white neighborhood. She was awarded a Gates Millennium Scholarship to pursue studies at university. She moved to the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and joined Erika Holzbaur for postdoctoral research. In 2017, she was named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Fellow.

Research and career Evans joined the faculty at Duke University in 2021.

Evans uses cell biology to understand how cells deal with malfunctioning mitochondria in neurons, a process known as mitophagy. Evans wondered whether mitochondria, the "powerhouse of the cell", may play a role in the development of the neurodegenerative disease. She uncovered that eradicating malfunctioning mitochondria is slower in neurons than it is in epithelial cells, which indicates that defective mitophagy in neurons contributes to neurodegeneration.

In 2022, Evans was named a Fellow of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Science Diversity Leadership program. Popular Science also named her as one of their "Brilliant 10" U.S. scientists and engineers who are succeeding in addressing key challenges in science. Training Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology awarded by National Institutes of Health 2001 - 2027 Cell and Molecular Biology Training Program awarded by National Institutes of Health 2021 - 2026 Investigating mitochondrial turnover in homeostasis and disease awarded by Alfred P. Sloan Foundation 2022 - 2024 HHMI Hanna H. Gray Fellows Program: Mitochondrial surveillance in neuronal homeostasis and disease awarded by Howard Hughes Medical Institute 2021 - 2024 Neurobiology Training Program awarded by National Institutes of Health 2019 - 2024

Selected publications