Dr. Randall Roper is Professor of Genetics in the Department of Biology in the School of Science at IU Indianapolis, and Founding Director of the IU Indianapolis Graduate Mentoring Center. He earned his BS at Brigham Young University, his PhD at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and performed postdoctoral work at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He has studied how genes in three copies in individuals with Trisomy 21 causes traits that are collectively known as Down syndrome for almost 25 years. His basic science laboratory seeks to understand the genetic and developmental bases for skeletal and cognitive phenotypes associated with Down syndrome. He mentors outstanding graduate and undergraduate students in his laboratory who test hypotheses about how three copies of genes on human chromosome 21 cause developmental changes that lead to bone and neurological deficits linked to Trisomy 21, and how they can use this information to help individuals with Down syndrome overcome challenges and improve their lives. He enjoys mentoring students and watching them learn about Down syndrome, gain a greater appreciation of the scientific process, and graduate and become successful and integral parts of the scientific community. As Director of the IU Indy Graduate Mentoring Center, he facilitates mentor training sessions and is active in sharing best practices in mentoring with faculty, staff, and students at IU Indianapolis. In his free time, he enjoys gardening, traveling, working on home improvement projects, and spending time with his wife and four daughters as well as training for and running (half) marathons.
I like working with the talented and brilliant students in my laboratory. I enjoy seeing them progress and become excellent scientists.
Randall J. Roper
Q and A with Randall J. Roper
I was introduced to genetics and the concept of genetic engineering in a high school biology class. From that time forward, I wanted to do research on genetic disorders with the goal of improving individual lives by understanding genetic changes.
We are trying to understand how genes in three copies on human chromosome 21 contribute to skeletal and cognitive deficits associated with Down syndrome. Through this understanding, we want to find therapies to improve the lives of individuals with Down syndrome.
Our work has brought to light that males and females with Down syndrome may have very different traits that are manifest at different times and we need to study both males and females as we consider potential interventions. These interventions may differ for males and females because of how and when alterations are manifested during their lives.
Our work has also shown that it is important to examine multiple tissues when a potential therapy is tested. A treatment that may be good for the brain may be very harmful to bone, and these side effects must be considered.
I like working with the talented and brilliant students in my laboratory. I like to discuss with them new ideas and possible pathways for current and future research. I enjoy seeing them progress and become excellent scientists.
I like to be with my family, train for and run (half) marathons, and watch sporting events (Go Cougars, Cardinals, and Fever!). I enjoy listening to 80s music and attending live theater. As a lab we like to make fun T shirts that represent the work we are doing to help individuals with Down syndrome.
I currently have 6 graduate students and 12 undergraduate students that are involved in all aspects of our research. These students are testing meaningful hypotheses and working hard to understand the causes of Down syndrome and how we might be able to intervene to improve the lives of people with Trisomy 21. These students are working with preclinical models, human data, and cellular and molecular aspects related to Down syndrome-associated traits. These students interact with people with Down syndrome to help them understand why our research is important to them.
One of my favorite activities of the past year was hosting individuals from Down Syndrome Indiana at a Science Night at IU Indianapolis. Individuals with Down syndrome and their caregivers were able to isolate DNA and we talked about the research we are doing and why it is important to them. We are collaborating with clinicians and others to understand how changes in biomarkers after bone stimulation may lead to cognitive improvements in people with Trisomy 21 and people involved in this research will be very important to determining these outcomes.
We are using preclinical models to find biomarkers that help inform how changes in bone stimulation may promote better brain health in both males and females with Down syndrome. Similar biomarkers will be quantified in humans with Trisomy 21 to translate these findings into potential treatments.
Conversation with Randall J. Roper
On Friday, November 14, 2025, from 12 noon to 1 p.m., join Dr. Randall J. Roper for a conversation exploring what some important considerations are in developing treatments to improve the lives of individuals with Down syndrome.
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