Research Interests

DNA repair in Drosophila; specifically, the molecular basis of interstrand crosslink repair. Burtis was the first dean of the College of Biological Sciences. Prior to his appointment as dean, he served as chair of the Genetics Graduate Group, vice-chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, associate director of the UC Davis Genome Center, and associate dean for Undergraduate Academic Programs in the College of Biological Sciences. He is a member of and the Genetics Society of America.