Faculty
Alphabetical Listing of Biomedical Science Graduate Program Faculty
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Dr. Alok Agrawal
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: The principal areas of research in our lab are focused on the structure-function
relationships and regulation of gene expression of C-reactive protein (CRP) in inflammatory
diseases.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Cardiovascular, Gene Regulation, Immunology, Infectious Disease, Molecular
Biology
Dr. Eric Beaumont
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My expertise in integrative neuroscience aimed at finding treatments and cures for
neurological disorders. My work has focused on long term neuronal plasticity, specifically
in the context of pathological injury within the central nervous system.
Research Areas: Neuroscience, Physiology
Dr. Joe Bidwell
email
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: I am broadly interested in the environmental physiology of aquatic organisms including
energy allocation and trade offs and the effects of human-derived contaminants.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Physiology, Quantitative Bioscience, Toxicology
Dr. Patrick Bradshaw
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Our lab focuses on the study of mitochondrial and redox dysfunction with aging and
neurodegeneration and metabolic therapies for the treatment of these conditions using
C. elegans as a model system.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Cell Regulation, Molecular Modeling, Neuroscience, Systems
Biology
Dr. Russell Brown
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Substance abuse comorbidity in preclinical models of Schizophrenia; Novel targets
for treatments of Major Depressive Disorder, Schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's Disease;
Behavioral Neuroscience
Research Areas: Anatomy, Cell Signaling, Developmental Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology
Dr. Stacy Brown
email
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My research focuses on bioanalytical method development and validation using liquid
chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and high performance liquid chromatography
with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV).
Research Areas: Pharmaceutical Science
Dr. Ranjan Chakraborty
email
Department of Health Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My major field of research involves investigation of ‘Iron transport systems’ in
gram negative bacteria including E. coli, Pseudomonas and an agriculturally important
Rhizobium leguminosarum.
Research Areas: Microbiology
Dr. Michelle Chandley
email
Department of Health Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Neuron and glia pathology of autism spectrum disorder, substance abuse and major
depressive disorder; Inflammatory effects on neuronal cell signaling
Research Areas: Anatomy, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology
Dr. Charles Collins
email
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Research is in the area of pharmaceutics involving drug delivery system formulations,
dissolution, and drug release.
Research Areas: Pharmaceutical Science
Dr. Michelle Duffourc
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Control of gene expression in the CNS; Molecular contributors to neurodegenerative
disease
Research Areas: Pharmacology
Dr. Thomas Ecay
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Physiology
Research Areas: Physiology
Dr. Mohamed Elgazzar
email
Department of Internal Medicine
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Immunobiology of sepsis; Myeloid cell reprogramming in sepsis
Research Areas: Immunology, Infectious Disease, Microbiology
Dr. Kenneth Ferslew
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Our principle areas of research are analytical, clinical and forensic toxicology.
In our basic research we develop new methods to detect drugs and their metabolites
in biological fluids and tissues. These have significant applications in developing
new drug delivery systems and determination of drug pharmacokinetic parameters.
Research Areas: Pharmacology, Toxicology
Dr. Allan Forsman
email
Department of Health Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My research interests cover two very different angles related to the mammalian
reproductive system. First, I am a gravitational biologist who studies the effects
of spaceflight and simulated spaceflight on the reproductive system. Second, as an
anatomist with a strong background in the study of reproductive tissue, I also study
the effects of chronic alcohol consumption on reproductive tissues.
Research Areas: Anatomy, Cell Biology, Gravitational Biology, Histology, Physiology, Quantitative
Bioscience
Dr. Cerrone Foster
email
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Areas: Biochemistry
Dr. Sean Fox
email
Department of Health Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My research team is interested in polymicrobial interactions, particularly how microorganisms
fight each other, to identify new targets that could be used for therapeutic interventions.
Our team is also involved in testing new antimicrobial products and their ability
to inhibit or eradicate biofilms.
Research Areas: Microbiology
Dr. Theodoor Hagg
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Neuroprotection and Neurogenesis after SCI and stroke
Research Areas: Cell Biology, Cell Regulation, Cell Signaling, Developmental Biology, Immunology,
Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology
Dr. Jennifer Hall
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My research examines the effects of steroid hormones on Chlamydia trachomatis. I
also am interested in the interactions that occur between microbes in polymicrobial
infections and the microbiome.
Research Areas: Immunology, Infectious Disease, Microbiology
Dr. Sam Harirforoosh
email
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Pharmacogenomics; Cardiovascular and renal adverse effects of drugs; Pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics
modeling; Nanoparticle formulation of drugs
Research Areas: Pharmaceutical Science
Dr. James Hayman
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Microbiology
Research Areas: Microbiology
Dr. Donald Hoover
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Neurochemical anatomy and neuropharmacology of the heart and coronary vessels; Neuroimmunology
of sepsis and other inflammatory diseases
Research Areas: Anatomy, Cardiovascular, Immunology, Neuroscience, Pathology, Pharmacology, Physiology,
Systems Biology
Dr. David Hurley
email
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Neuroendocrine control of Growth Hormone transcription
Research Areas: Pharmaceutical Science
Dr. Cuihong Jia
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Neuroprotection and neuroregeneration following injury; Neuropsychiatric diseases
Research Areas: Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Immunology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology
Dr. Yong Jiang
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Wnt and TGF-beta signaling pathways control fundamental physiological activities
of a cell, including proliferation, differentiation, motility, polarity and homeostasis.
Perturbations of these two pathways are the molecular basis for a wide range of human
diseases including cancer and heart failure.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Cardiovascular, Cell Biology, Cell Regulation, Cell
Signaling, Genetics/Gene Regulation, Molecular Biology, Pharmacology
Dr. David Johnson
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Protein Structure and Function, Enzymology, Proteomics, Blood Proteins, Human serine
proteases and their inhibitors
Research Areas: Biochemistry
Dr. Thomas Jones
email
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My research program explores the proximate and ultimate causation of behavior. Specifically,
we are interested in circadian biology from genetics to ecology.
Research Areas: Neuroscience, Quantitative Bioscience, Systems Biology
Dr. Karl Joplin
email
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: The broad scope of my research is to study changes during the alternative life stage
of diapause in the flesh fly, Sarcophaga crassipalpis. I study molecular, developmental,
circadian, and behavioral aspects of this fly.
Research Areas: Bioinformatics, Developmental Biology, Molecular Biology, Physiology, Quantitative
Bioscience
Dr. John Kalbfleisch
email
Office of Academic and Faculty Affairs
Research Areas: Physiology
Dr. Race Kao
email
Department of Surgery
Research Interests: Cellular cardiomyoplasty: Using stem cells to restore failing heart. Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion
injury: Understand and protect the heart from ischemia/reperfusion injury. Trauma
Hemorrhage: Understand the regulatory mechanisms of trauma hemorrhage injury and treatments
to prevent the injuries.
Research Areas: Cardiovascular, Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Physiology
Dr. Istvan Karsai
email
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Modeling biological systems to reveal new mechanism in biology. Self-organization,
system dynamics
Research Areas: Ecology, Evolution, Neuroscience, Quantitative Bioscience, Supraindividual biology
Dr. Matt Keasey
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My work has primarily focused on Focal Adhesion Kinase, a major tyrosine kinase
involved in integrin signaling, and its role in regulating a number of key cytokines
in the brain.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Genetics/Gene Regulation,
Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology
Dr. Aruna Kilaru
email
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Lipid signaling in response to stress; regulation and metabolism of storage lipids
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Gene Regulation, Lipidomics, Molecular Biology, Plant
Biology, Systems Biology, Tissue Culture, Transcriptomics
Dr. Richard Kostrzewa
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Research entails use of highly selective neurotoxins to animal-model neural disorders,
by determining dopamine release and assessing receptor supersensitization
Research Areas: Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Toxicology
Dr. Michael Kruppa
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My primary research interest is understanding the mechanism
of how the opportunistic fungus Candida albicans regulates its ability to undergo
morphogenesis through a process called quorum sensing.
Research Areas: Microbiology
Dr. Dhirendra Kumar
email
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Research in my laboratory is focused on understanding the molecular and biochemical
mechanism of stress resistance signaling in plants. We study the disease resistance
pathway mediated by the plant hormone salicylic acid (Plant Science, 2014).
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Microbiology, Physiology, Plant Biology
Dr. Thomas Kwasigroch
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Areas: Anatomy
Dr. Bert Lampson
email
Department of Health Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Investigating secondary metabolism in a soil bacterium called Rhodococcus
Research Areas: Microbiology
Dr. Chuanfu Li
email
Department of Surgery
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Innate Immunity in Myocardial Ischemia/reperfusion Injury
Research Areas: Physiology
Dr. Cecilia McIntosh
email
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Regulation of plant flavonoid metabolism. Current focus is structure/function of
novel grapefruit flavonol-3-O-glucosyltransferase; crystallizing native protein, characterizing/crystallizing
mutants with altered activity
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Molecular Biology, Molecular Modeling, Physiology,
Plant Biology, Quantitative Bioscience
Dr. Darrell Moore
email
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My primary research interests concern the neural control of
behavior, especially the behavior-controlling functions of circadian clocks in three
model systems: honey bees, flesh flies, and spiders.
Research Areas: Genetics/Gene Regulation, Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Physiology,
Quantitative Bioscience
Dr. Jonathan Moorman
email
Department of Internal Medicine
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Immunology underlying chronic infections
Research Areas: Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Immunology, Infectious Disease, Microbiology, Molecular
Biology
Dr. Shunbin Ning
email
Department of Internal Medicine
Faculty Website
Research Interests: The interaction between AIDS-related oncogenic viruses (EBV, HCV, HTLV1) and the
host innate immune system in developing cancers. The mechanistic studies involve DNA
damage response (DDR), selective autophagy, inflammaging and immunosenescence, and
cell death. Deciphering the molecular events controlling the interaction between oncogenic
viruses and cellular mechanisms related to host innate immune system will help us
understand the role of innate immune system in viral oncogenesis and may identify
potential targets for immunotherapeutic treatment for virus-associated diseases and
cancers.
Research Areas: Cancer Biology, Chronic viral infection, Inflammation and Innate Immunity, Microbiology
Dr. Gregory Ordway
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Depression is a leading contributor to suicide, with the majority of suicides being
associated with depressive disorders. While antidepressants are effective in managing
depression in some patients, approximately 30% of patients do not get well even after
being treated with many different antidepressants. These poignant issues emphasize
the major importance of research in my laboratory to unearth the biological bases
of depressive behavior and to search for novel and more effective treatments for depressive
disorders.
Research Areas: Neuropsychopharmacology, Pathology, Psychiatric Neuroscience
Dr. Tammy Ozment
email
Department of Surgery
Research Interests: My lab investigates the pathophysiology of sepsis. Specifically, we investigate the
role of various immune pattern recognition receptors including Dectin-1 and Scavenger
Receptor A in the immune response to overwhelming infection or trauma, and how alterations
in these receptors prevents or promotes morbidity and mortality in sepsis.
Research Areas: Immunology, Infectious Disease, Microbiology, Sepsis
Dr. Victoria Palau
email
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Tumor cell biology, cell signaling, cell polarity, novel antineoplastic compounds
derived from plants with ethnobotanical importance, binding of small molecules to
DNA
Research Areas: Cancer Biology, Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Pharmaceutical
Science
Dr. Jonathan Peterson
email
Department of Health Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My long-term research interests center on the identifying the functions of secreted
factors (particularly adipose-tissue derived adipokines) and understanding how their
dysregulation contributes to metabolic diseases. Specifically, we focused on novel
family of adipokines, collectively called C1q TNF Related Proteins 1-15 (CTRP1-15).
Research Areas: Anatomy, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Lipidomics, Metabolism, Molecular
Biology, Obesity, Physiology
Dr. Aaron Polichnowski
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Our laboratory is focused on elucidating the pathogenesis of acute kidney injury
and progression of chronic kidney disease. We utilize numerous approaches to study
cardiovascular and renal function in models of acute kidney injury, chronic kidney
disease and hypertension.
Research Areas: Cardiovascular, Physiology
Dr. Brooks Pond
email
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Our lab is interested in the long-term effects of psychostimulants on neuronal viability
and plasticity. Drugs of interest include methylphenidate (Ritalin) and synthetic
cathinones (“bath salts”).
Research Areas: Neuroscience, Pharmaceutical Science, Pharmacology
Dr. Christopher Pritchett
email
Department of Health Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Bacterial Pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Mycobacterium species, Bacterial
Signal Transduction
Research Areas: Microbiology
Dr. David Roane
email
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Glucose sensing in the central nervous system
Research Areas: Pharmaceutical Science
Dr. Joe Robertson
email
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Areas of research interest are: 1. Assisted reproductive techniques and procedures,
including I.V.F. and embryo cryopreservation. 2. Stem cell action in healing and regeneration.
3. Spongiform Encephalopathy in Cervids (Deer). Collection of brain tissue, and production/evaluation
of deer brain histological tissue slides.
Research Areas: Developmental Biology, Infectious Disease, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Pathology,
Quantitative Bioscience
Dr. Mitchell Robinson
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Areas: Biochemistry
Dr. Diego Rodriguez-Gil
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: 1. Cellular and molecular regulation of axon guidance. 2. Axon extension during
development and regeneration. 3. Mechanisms underlying the formation of topographic
maps in the nervous system. Research in my lab is focused on understanding the molecular
and cellular mechanisms underlying axon guidance and connectivity.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Genetics/Gene Regulation, Molecular
Biology, Neuroscience
Dr. Brian Rowe
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: The distribution and functions of angiotensins in the brain, and mechanisms by which
angiotensins influence blood pressure and hypertension
Research Areas: Physiology
Dr. Antonio Rusinol
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Elucidation of the molecular pathways and mechanisms of the early events of atherogenesis;
Role of protein prenylation on traffic, function and disease
Research Areas: Biochemistry
Dr. Robert Schoborg
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Pathophysiology of microbial infections
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Cell Biology, Cell Regulation, Cell Signaling, Genetics/Gene
Regulation, Immunology, Infectious Disease, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Neuroscience,
Pharmacology
Dr. Krishna Singh
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: The main focus of my lab is to study molecular and cellular basis of heart failure.
The studies involve both in vivo and in vitro strategies. For in vivo experiments,
we are using transgenic (gene knock-out) mice. Heart function is measured using echocardiography.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Cardiovascular, Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Physiology, Proteomics
Dr. Mahipal Singh
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Cardiovascular, Physiology
Research Areas: Cardiovascular, Physiology
Dr. William Stone
email
Department of Pediatrics
Faculty Website
Research Interests: We are interested in the role of antioxidants and pro-oxidants in modulating signal
transduction pathways relevant to cancer. A key antioxidant we study is tocotrienol,
which is a form of vitamin E with unique anti-cancer properties. Proteomics, as well
as molecular and cell biology, is the major experimental platform for our research.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Cell Biology, Cell Regulation, Cell Signaling, Molecular
Biology, Proteomics, Systems Biology
Dr. Douglas Thewke
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating atherosclerosis; Cannabinoid receptor
signaling in disease; Cell signaling
Research Areas: Biochemistry
Dr. David Williams
email
Department of Surgery
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Cellular and molecular mechanisms of sepsis/septic shock; Innate immunity and myocardial
dysfunction in sepsis; Innate immune recognition and the fungal cell wall
Research Areas: Immunology, Infectious Disease, Microbiology, Pharmacology
Dr. Gary Wright
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Cardioprotective mechanisms; Regulation of mitochondria by the PHD O2-sensor/HIF
Axis; Mechanisms of Mitochondrial dysfunction
Research Areas: Pharmacology
Dr. Qian Xie
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: The major research interest of my lab is to understand the mechanisms cancer initiation
and progression, with primary focus on glioblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma.
We use both in vitro cell based assays and in vivo animal models to understand the
molecular regulation of oncogenes and their signaling pathways in order to develop
therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Cell Biology, Cell Regulation, Cell Signaling, Genetics/Gene
Regulation, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Molecular Modeling
Dr. Valentin Yakubenko
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Mechanism of innate immunity and inflammation during atherosclerosis, diabetes and
sepsis. We focus on macrophage receptors – integrins, which are critical for cell
adhesion, migration and signaling.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Cardiovascular, Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Immunology, Pathology
Dr. Lev Yampolsky
email
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Ecological and evolutionary genomics, life-history, aging
Research Areas: Bioinformatics, Genetics/Gene Regulation, Lipidomics, Proteomics, Quantitative Bioscience
Dr. Zhi Qiang Yao
email
Department of Internal Medicine
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Supported by NIH, VA, and DOD grants, my research interests are focusing on how chronic
viral (HIV, HCV) infections drive premature T cell aging and accelerate MDSC expansion,
leading to immune dysfunction and vaccine non-responsiveness. We are currently investigating
several key components involved in the telomeric DNA damage and repair machinery.
Research Areas: Cell Biology, Cell Regulation, Cell Signaling, Genetics/Gene Regulation, Immunology,
Infectious Disease, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Molecular Modeling
Dr. Deling Yin
email
Department of Internal Medicine
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Neuroimmunology; Stress; Apoptosis, Cell death and opioids; Opiate receptors
Research Areas: Pharmacology
Dr. Meng-Yang Zhu
email
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Effects of DNA damage in the mental diseases; Transcriptional regulation of the noradrenergic
and dopaminergic phenotypes by transcriptional factors; Possible involvement of oxidative
DNA damage in the noradrenergic and dopaminergic circuits during aging and neurodegenerative
diseases.
Research Areas: Cellular and Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology