The CWRU MSTP has a group of amazing mentors. Our faculty are often recognize for their outstanding mentorship, locally and nationally.
Congratulations to our distinguished faculty—
Rui Wang* received a $1.8M NIH/NCI R01 grant to determine the crosstalk between liver and metastatic colorectal cancer cells and develop novel therapies for metastatic colorectal cancer.
Jennifer Yu* was elected to serve on The American Society for Clinical Investigation council.
Parameswaran Ramakrishnan was awarded $1.3 million to investigate new approaches to treating acute myeloid leukemia in military veterans!
Paul Tesar* has received funding from The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation and Harrington Discovery Institute for his work towards a new drug development addressing the biology of aging among people with Alzheimer's Disease.
Zhenghe "John" Wang has received a $2 million federal grant from NIH National Cancer Institute to support further exploration of new possible effective treatments of different cancer's.
A. Bolu Ajiboye has received a $4.5 million commitment to his Reconnecting Hand and Arm to the Brain Program which works forwards restoring movement and sense of touch to people with paralysis.
Get to know these and the many other mentors who take part in Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine's Medical Scientist Training Program, and learn about their respective research focuses. (Students in parentheses have received their PhD and are in their final years in the MSTP.)
*Mentors who are also on the Steering Committee
Biochemistry
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaixiang Cao, PhD | Biochemistry | Benjamin Huang, Alexander Levashkevich | Elucidating mechanisms underlying stem cell differentiation and mammalian development with genetic, epigenetic, and genomic approaches | |
| Timothy Chan, MD, PhD | Biochemistry |
Emily Blaum |
Stephen Wang, Mahmoud Summers |
The Chan Laboratory specializes in using genomic analysis to characterize the drivers of genetic programs underlying immunotherapy and oncogenesis. These approaches include large-scale analyses, functional genomics, immunogenomics, biochemical and molecular analyses, and mouse modeling. The lab has a special interest in deciphering the mechanisms underlying immunotherapy treatment response, resistance, and mechanisms |
| J. Alan Diehl, PhD | Biochemistry | Discovery of molecular mechanisms that contribute to uncontrolled cell proliferation and decreased cell death. The first area of focus is cell survival and lipid signaling pathways that are utilized during tumorigenesis. The second area of focus is on the elucidation of mechanisms whereby growth signaling pathways regulate the cell division | ||
| Hung-Ying Kao, PhD | Biochemistry |
Understanding the mechanisms underlying endocrine therapy-resistant breast cancer and develop therapeutic strategies |
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| Joseph M. Luna, PhD | Biochemistry | The Luna lab explores topics at the interface between molecular virology and the systems-level host response to RNA virus infections, with a special emphasis on RNA driven processes | ||
| Focco van den Akker, PhD | Biochemistry, Pharmacology | Structural biology; infectious diseases/antibiotic resistance; cardiovascular diseases; small-molecule therapeutics design; cell signaling |
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| Yi Zhang, PhD | Biochemistry, Pharmacology | Patrick Zhuang | Our research focuses on elucidating the molecular basis of cellular pathways important for human health and disease biology. We investigate topics at the interface of chemistry and biology and employ integrative approaches to study macromolecules in different cellular contexts |
Biomedical Engineering
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotation | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abhinav Acharya, PhD | Biomedical Engineering | Immunometabolism reprogramming is involved in progression, induction and therapy of several diseases such as cancer, infections, trauma, brain-machine interfaces, autoimmune disorders. The projects demonstrate the importance of metabolite modulation in reprogramming the immune responses. | ||
| A. Bolu Ajiboye, PhD | Biomedical Engineering | (Morgan McGrath Lewis) | Development and control of brain- computer- interface (BCI) technologies for restoring function to individuals who have experienced severely debilitating injuries to the nervous system, such as spinal cord injury and stroke | |
| James Basilion, PhD | Biomedical Engineering | Development of prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) targeted molecular imaging agents for optical image guided surgery and target photodynamic therapy, targeted radiotherapy, and PSMA-targeted ultrasound and MR contrast agents. | ||
| Rui Cao, PhD | Biomedical Engineering | Our lab develops advanced photoacoustic imaging technologies to improve biomedical diagnostics and real-time intraoperative guidance. By integrating optics and ultrasound, we enable high-resolution, label-free imaging for applications in cancer, neuroscience, and other biomedical fields. | ||
| Jeffrey Capadona, PhD | Biomedical Engineering | Developing materials to assimilate within the neural tissue to facilitate molecular level connections with individual neurons | ||
| Dominique Durand, PhD* | Biomedical Engineering, Neuroscience, Physiology & Biophysics | Neural engineering, neural prostheses, magnetic and electric stimulation of the nervous system, electrophysiology of epilepsy, computational neuroscience | ||
| William Grissom, PhD | Biomedical Engineering | Benjamin Huang | The Grissom Lab in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at CWRU develops novel MRI methods and hardware for low-field MRI and MR-guided interventions using lasers, robots, and focused ultrasound, including focused ultrasound neuromodulation. | |
| Michael Jenkins, PhD | Biomedical Engineering | Sofiya Vyshnya | Focus on optical therapeutics and imaging. Optical therapeutics involves photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) and infrared neuromodulation, while optical imaging includes innovations in tissue preparation, instrumentation, and data handling/analysis. Inventions are applied to a variety of fields including pain, ocular surface diseases, heart development, histopathology, and diseases of the peripheral nervous system. | |
| Stathis Karathanasis, PhD | Biomedical Engineering | Gustavo Borjas | Inga Hwang | Cancer nanotechnology; Cancer immunotherapy; Nanomedicine; Cancer therapeutics; Immunomodulation; Molecular imaging |
| Robert Kirsch, PhD | Biomedical Engineering | Mechanics and control of human movement |
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| Xiaojuan Li, PhD | Biomedical Engineering | Novel MR imaging (quantitative MRI, fast MRI) and image analysis (automated tissue segmentation, lesion detection, and prediction of clinical outcomes with deep-learning models). Applications in orthoapedic and rheumatologic disorders including arthritis and sports injury | ||
| Zheng-Rong Lu, PhD | Biomedical Engineering | Walter Zhao, Danielle Streever | Drug delivery and molecular imaging; novel targeting imaging agents for molecular imaging; novel MRI contrast agents; image-guided therapy and drug delivery; cancer diagnostics and therapeutics; multi-functional delivery systems for nucleic acids and non-viral gene therapy | |
| Christopher Nguyen, PhD * | Biomedical Engineering | Hamza Dahshi | Zachary Player | Development and rapid clinical translation of novel advanced imaging, artificial intelligence, and biomechanical device technologies to develop novel MR imaging techniques for the clinical application of diagnosing and evaluating treatment of cardiovascular disease |
| Andrew Rollins, PhD | Biomedical Engineering | Development and application of advanced optics and photonics technologies for imaging and characterization of biological samples, detection of early disease, and monitoring of therapy in human tissues; and investigating embryonic development | ||
| Anirban Sen Gupta, PhD | Biomedical Engineering, Pathology, Pathology/ Immunology | Our principal research focus is on mechanistic understanding of biological and pathological phenomena at the cellular, sub-cellular and biomolecular levels in hemostasis, thrombosis, thromboinflammation and cancer, and utilization of this knowledge to create bioinspired therapeutic and diagnostic technologies to interrogate, leverage, or treat these various phenomena | ||
| Samuel Senyo, PhD | Biomedical Engineering | Natalie Hong |
Douglas Wu |
The Senyo group uses tissue engineering principles to investigate extracellular cues driving cardiovascular disease towards the ultimate goal of reversing heart failure. Custom in vitro platforms, biomaterial design, and molecular biology are the foundation of studies in the dish and relevant in vivo models to address strategies for heart regeneration |
| Andrew Shoffstall, PhD | Biomedical Engineering | Natalie Hong | The intersection of biomaterials and neural engineering with a particular focus on solutions that may readily translate toward improving the lives of people with neural trauma and other neuropathic and neurodegenerative conditions. | |
| Horst von Recum, PhD | Biomedical Engineering | Natalie Hong | Creation of novel polymeric platforms for drug delivery and tissue engineering | |
| Satish Viswanath, PhD | Biomedical Engineering | Sofiya Vyshnya | Developing artificial intelligence, medical image analysis, and machine learning tools for disease diagnosis, prognosis, and characterization through spatial correlation and cross-linking against pathology or molecular data. Applications in colorectal cancers and digestive diseases. | |
| David Wilson, PhD | Biomedical Engineering | Prerna Singh | Creation of AI-based risk prediction of cardiovascular disease from opportunistic multi-modal analysis of images, ECG, and clinical data. Early identification of risk can help change the course of diseases such as atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, heart failure, aortic/mitral valve disease, and aneurysms. Lab members utilize all the tricks of the trade, including segmentation, registration, machine learning, deep learning, foundation model building, and more. |
Cardiovascular Research Institute
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ganapati Mahabaleshwar, PhD | Pathology/Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease | Novel transcriptional regulators and the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases |
Center for Clinical Investigation
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Rothberg, MD, MPH | Clinical Translational Science | (Benjamin Mittman) |
Dr. Rothberg’s research examines healthcare quality and decision making for common conditions, with an emphasis on tailoring treatment based on individual risk and preferences. The goal is to help physicians and patients make better decisions, improve outcomes and control costs. |
|
| Satya Sahoo, PhD | Epidemiology & Biostatistics | (Biomedical Informatics and Brain Connectivity in Neurological Disorders) We study the underlying mechanisms of neurological disorders such as Epilepsy and Movement Disorder (PD) using computational and mathematical models of brain structural and functional networks as they evolve during disease progression. We are also interested in understanding how clinical events in neurological disorders affect higher order brain functions such as consciousness state and memory. In addition to theoretical models, we have developed Big Data analytic techniques such as Apache Spark libraries to process and analyze large scale data. | ||
| James Spilsbury, PhD, MPH | Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Clinical Translational Science | * Not currently accepting MSTP students for rotation or PhD placement |
Center for Community Health Integration
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnie Rose, MD, PhD | Clinical Translational Science | Uyen Mai | Developing computer simulation models of interventions in populations, applying data science tools to population health data, and conducting health economic analyses. The work focusses primarily on cancer prevention and control. |
Center for Global Health & Diseases
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Kazura, MD | Pathology/ Immunology | (Emily Hannon) | Immunoregulatory mechanisms of pathogenesis; acquired resistance to infection; malaria | |
| Christopher L King, MD, PhD | Pathology/ Immunology | T cell differentiation, Malaria Schistosomiasis, Filariasis Neonatal immunity, IgE regulation Mechanisms of acquired immunity |
Center for Proteomics & Bioinformatics
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Tilton, MD | Molecular Virology |
|
Thomas Lavin | NanoPOD platform for in vivo delivery of protein and RNA therapeutics; HIV-related research using nanoscale flow cytometry to understand viral heterogeneity and its impact on disease; unraveling the mechanisms through which extracellular vesicles fuse with host cells and deliver internal cargos |
Center for RNA Molecular Biology
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kristian Baker, PhD | Biochemistry, Genetics & Genome Sciences | Mechanisms of RNA gene regulation; RNA quality control; nonsense-medated mRNA decay; translation; mRNA degradation |
Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jay Alberts, PhD | Biomedical Engineering | (Morgan McGrath Lewis) | How the brain controls skilled movements, how changes in brain function affect movement performance; Parkinson's disease, stroke, and concussion; improving movement and cognitive performance; concussion and mild dramatic brain injury | |
| Andrew Dhawan, MD, DPhil | Systems Biology & Bioinformatics | Hamza Dahshi, Tommy Nguyen | Rupleen Kaur | We use computational genomics, radiomics, data science, and experimental biology to elucidate brain tumor and rare neurogenetic disease biology. We use this knowledge to develop better biomarkers and improve the lives of patients with neuro-oncologic and neurogenetic diseases. |
| Robert Fairchild, PhD* | Pathology/ Immunology | Sabrina Wang, Mahip Kalra |
Jacob Ingber, (Erik Koritzinsky) |
T-lymphocyte tolerance, transplantation immunology; T-cell mediated responses in the skin |
| Stanley Hazen, MD, PhD | Cell Biology, Pathology, Systems Biology & Bioinformatics | A long term goal is to understand new mechanisms linking inflammation and the gut microbiome to cardio metabolic diseases. One research program focuses on the role of intestinal microbiota to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. A second focuses on the pharmacological targeting of the gut biome to improve human health and prevent diseases. A third focuses on inflammatory and oxidative processes, and their participation in cardiovascular diseases. All projects rely heavily on initial hypothesis generating studies in human clinical materials, and use of a combination of chemical, analytical and genetic approaches. All research efforts span from bench-to-bedside, including basic/genetic, cellular, animal model, and human clinical investigations. | ||
| Christopher Hine, PhD | Neurosciences, Systems Biology & Bioinformatics | Andy Chen | The Hine lab is focused on nutritional, environmental, and genetic factors impacting aging and longevity. To this end, we use in vivo and in vitro model systems to understand hormonal and nutritional regulation of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) metabolism to cultivate clinically applicable interventions for improving stress resistance, metabolic fitness, cognition, tumor suppression, and lifespan. | |
| Mihriban Karaayvaz, PhD | Pathology/ Cancer Biology | Karaayvaz Lab focuses on understanding the early stages in the development of breast cancer in high-risk patients and how we may use that information to build novel cancer preventive measures. | ||
| Justin Lathia, PhD |
Pathology/ Cancer Biology |
Kayla Klatt, Diana Chin, Natasha Ingles, Brian Kim | Sabrina Wang, (Ellen Hong) | Our main focus is how stem cell programs drive tumor progression and therapeutic resistance. To achieve this goal, we have active projects in cell adhesion mechanisms, cell-cell communication, and the interaction between tumor cell and the immune system. We also are developing new methods to track the stem cell state in real time and single-cell cell-fate decisions. We work mainly in malignant brain tumors and have leveraged the lessons learned in these tumors to other tumor types including breast and ovarian |
| Jos Melenhorst, PhD | Pathology/ Immunology | Laura Chen, Joyce Kim | The goal of the Melenhorst laboratory is to develop safe and effective immunotherapies of cancer. We utilize chimeric antigen receptors to redirect patient T cells to autologous tumors, and study these therapies in clinical trials. By deriving biomarkers of response, resistance, we translate such findings into novel, better targeted and more potent & safe therapies. Advanced cell and genome engineering tools and analytical tools form the basis of methodologies we use in the process. | |
| Laura Nagy, PhD* | Cell Biology, Nutrition, Pathology/ Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease | Innate immune contributions to alcohol and non-alcoholic induced liver injury, mechanisms of hepatocyte cell death, adipose-gut-liver interactions in alcoholic liver disease, genetic contributions to ALD | ||
| Jacob Scott, MD, DPhil | Systems Biology & Bioinformatics | Anuoluwapo Ajao, Alexander Crane | Paulameena Shultes, (Eshan King) |
* Not accepting MSTP students for rotation or PhD placement |
| Ganes Sen, PhD | Biochemistry, Molecular Virology, Pathology/ Immunology | Molecular Virology, Mechanism of Interferon Action, Recombinant DNA Technology, Genetic Regulation of Hypertension | ||
| Jonathan Smith, PhD | Pathology | * Not accepting MSTP students for rotation or PhD placement | ||
| Roberto Vargas, MD | Pathology/ Cancer Biology | Anuoluwapo Ajao | Roberto Vargas is a surgeon-scientist at the Cleveland Clinic. As a gynecologic oncologist, he is responsible for his patients' surgical management and chemotherapy. His research is focused on improving endometrial and cervical cancer outcomes using evolution- and genomics-based approaches. | |
| Jennifer Yu, MD, PhD* | Pathology/ Cancer Biology | Bryce Mashimo | Himanshu Dashora | Dr. Yu is a radiation oncologist and glioma stem cell biologist whose research spans basic science to clinical trials. Her lab is focused on understanding glioblastoma cell state regulation, the influence of the microenvironment (neural activity and hypoxia) in brain tumor progression, and uncovering mechanisms of therapeutic resistance. |
Computer Science and Engineering
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mehmet Koyutürk, PhD | Systems Biology & Bioinformatics | Matthew Liu | Bioinformatics and computational biology, network biology, analysis of high-throughput biological data |
Family Medicine and Community Health
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kurt Stange, MD, PhD | Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Clinical Translational Science | (Benjamin Mittman) | The generalist function, primary care practice, practice-based research, cancer prevention and early detection, multi-method research, health promotion, disability prevention, preventive service delivery in primary medical care |
General Medical Sciences (Oncology)
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seth Field, MD, PhD | Pathology/Cancer Biology | Indrani Das, Corynn Appolonia | Kyle Starost | Cell biology of cancer, including elucidation of fundamental mechanisms of membrane trafficking at atomic and molecular resolution; discovery of signal transduction pathways that regulate the secretory pathway; and their contribution to oncogenic transformation. We have an ongoing program to develop small molecule inhibitors of Golgi vesicle budding to produce leads for novel cancer therapeutics. Many of our findings are also relevant to understanding viral and metabolic diseases |
| William Schiemann, PhD | Pathology/ Cancer Biology, Pharmacology | Our research seeks to identify the cellular and molecular defects that enable breast cancers to establish and eventually emerge from metatastic dormancy. In addressing these objectives, our research is broad and includes interests in TGF-β and cell signaling, cellular and metabolic plasticity related to CSCs, EMT programs, the noncodinig genome, and telomere maintenance mechanisms |
Genetics & Genome Sciences
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drew Adams, PhD* | Genetics & Genome Sciences, Pharmacology | Indrani Das, Patrick Zhuang |
(Yi-Fan Chen), Marc Scemama de Gialluly, David Yan |
The Adams lab works at the interface of chemistry and biology. We study the cellular mechanisms of bioactive small molecules, and we use synthesis and high-throughput screening to identify and optimize new drug-like molecules. Areas of interest include neurodegenerative diseases like MS, immunology, and cancer. |
| Berkley Gryder, PhD | Genetics & Genome Sciences | Benjamin Hauk, Paulameena Shultes | Diana Chin | The Gryder Laboratory drugs transcription in the 3D epigenome for therapeutic benefit. In pediatric cancers we drug oncogenic transcription factors; in prostate cancer, we use new strategies that target the Androgen Receptor. We study how therapeutics alter biomolecular condensates that form super-enhancer clusters at key disease genes |
| Ann Harris, PhD | Genetics & Genome Sciences | Josephine Trichka | Functional genomics of human epithelia. Epithelial tissues are critical to the normal physiology of many organs including the respiratory tract, digestive system, and reproductive tracts. Epithelial malfunction underlies common diseases including genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis, and also multiple types of cancer. We use state of the art genomics tools to investigate gene regulatory mechanisms, chromatin architecture and associated transcriptional networks at the highest resolution, including in single cells | |
| Thomas LaFramboise, PhD | Genetics & Genome Sciences, Systems Biology & Bioinformatics | (Dan Jindal) | Developing and applying computational tools to identify molecular variants, both inherited and somatic, that contribute to cancer and related diseases in humans | |
| Yan Li, PhD | Genetics & Genome Sciences | Joseph Schindler, Alexander Levashkevich | Li lab applies functional genomic, epigenomic, and single cell genomic tools to dissect genetics of complex diseases, such as obesity and diabetes | |
| Helen Miranda, PhD * | Genetics & Genome Sciences | Molecular mechanisms of neurological diseases using 2D and 3D induced pluripotent stem cell models. Development of platforms for new therapeutic discoveries for motor neuron diseases. | ||
| Marissa Scavuzzo, PhD | Genetics & Genome Sciences, Neurosciences, Nutrition, Systems Biology & Bioinformatics | Yun Sun Eoh | The Scavuzzo lab develops innovative, multidisciplinary technologies to push scientific boundaries and gain mechanistic insight into how enteric glia contribute to digestion, paving the way towards therapies for the millions of GI and neurodiverse patients with gut disturbances. | |
| Ashleigh Schaffer, PhD* | Genetics & Genome Sciences, Pathology/Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease, Systems Biology and Bioinformatics |
(Erin Cohn), Hans Leier, (Soon Yi), Alexander Foden, Yun Sun Eoh |
(Lucie Ahn), Andy Chen | * Not accepting students for rotation or PhD placement |
| Paul Tesar, PhD* | Genetics & Genome Sciences, Neurosciences | (Meghan O'Keefe), Ying Xiong | (Erin Cohn), Katherine Letai, Ying Xiong, (Jesse Zhan) | Stem cell pluripotency and differentiation; developmental neurobiology; developmental genetics |
| Zhenghe John Wang, PhD | Genetics & Genome Sciences, Pathology/Cancer Biology | Kayla Klatt | Identifying novel genetic alterations, such as somatic mutations, gene amplifications and deletions, which alter critical gene functions involved in development of colon and gastric cancers | |
| Chen- Han Wilfred Wu, MD, PhD | Genetics & Genome Sciences | Our lab investigates genitourinary cancers including kidney, bladder, upper tract urothelial carcinoma, prostate, testicular, and penile cancers by multi-genetics and genomics methods, including phenome, genome, transcriptome, epigenome, and more. We also study cancer predisposition using evolutionary, quantitative and statistical genetics approaches. | ||
| Anthony Wynshaw-Boris, MD, PhD | Genetics & Genome Sciences | Understanding genetic and biochemical pathways important for the development and function of the mammalian central nervous system, using mouse models |
Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Umut Gurkan, PhD | Biomedical Engineering | Lauren Chen, Natalie Hong, Douglas Wu, Himanshu Dashora | (William Wulftange) | Micro- and nano-scale technologies, cell mechanics, red blood cells, microcirculation, clinical microfluidics, tissue-on-a-chip systems, cell and gene therapies, point-of-care diagnostics, global health, translational research |
Medicine (Cardiovascular Medicine)
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrei Maiseyeu, PhD | Biomedical Engineering, Pathology/Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease | Inga Hwang, Victor Pastrana-Gomez, Danielle Streever | Natalie Hong, Danielle Streever | Our research team develops advanced nanotechnology systems to better understand and treat cardiometabolic diseases such as atherosclerosis, thrombosis, heart failure, and cardiomyopathies. We engineer, make, and test sophisticated probes, nano-immunotherapy devices, drug delivery vehicles, and gene therapy vectors that help to investigate the basic biology of the disease as well as to intervene for therapeutic gain. Our technologies address various problems including immunogenicity of therapies and their cost. Our ultimate dream is to pursue clinical translation of technologies invented in our laboratory and help patients suffering from many forms of cardiovascular disease |
| Aaron Proweller, MD, PhD | Cell Biology | Molecular pathways regulating vascular development and morphogenesis including the role of Notch signaling in patterning, maturation and contractile function of the arterial vasculature | ||
| Jonathan Stamler, MD | Biochemistry | Ying Xiong |
(Zachary Grimmett), Joseph Schindler, (Nicholas Venetos) |
Our focus is on molecular, cellular and physiological aspects of redox biology, with a major emphasis on (1) the functions of nitric oxide in cellular signaling mediated through the post-translational modification of proteins by S-nitrosylation, (2) the enzymes that create and reverse S-nitrosylation to regulate its signaling, and (3) the consequences of dysregulated S-nitrosylations in animal models and in human disease |
Medicine (Gastroenterology and Hepatology)
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fabio Cominelli, MD, PhD | Pathology/Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease | (Brendan Boylan) | Crohn's Disease, General GI, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Ulcerative Colitis |
Medicine (Hematology and Oncology)
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afshin Dowlati, MD | Biochemistry, Pathology/Cancer Biology | Alexander Levashkevich | Interested in the biology and clinical management of lung cancer, with particular emphasis on small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Emphasis on bench-to-bedside drug development utilizing 'omics' discovery approaches and mouse models of lung cancer. | |
| Sanford Markowitz, MD, PhD | Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Genetics & Genome Sciences, Pathology/ Cancer Biology | Mahmoud Summers | Colon cancer genetics | |
| Shigemi Matsuyama, DVM, PhD | Pharmacology, Pathology/ Cancer Biology | Inherited retinal diseases, cancer cell biology, cell death regulation, cell penetrating peptide | ||
| Reshmi Parameswaran, PhD* | Pathology/ Immunology, Cancer Biology | Corynn Appolonia, Emily Blaum | Daniel Feinberg, Claire Fritz, Kayla Klatt | Working on novel therapeutic approaches for cancer including CAR-T/CAR-NK cell therapies, antibodies optimized for ADCC/ADCP, small molecule inhibitors as well as adoptive NK cell therapies. We study the pathways involved in NK cell activation and function and thus improve adoptive NK cell therapy for different cancers. I also focus on developing therapeutic tools combining immunology with glycobiology, exploiting the cancer cell specific immune receptors and glycan expression patterns. |
Medicine (Infectious Diseases)
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Bonomo, MD | Pharmacology, Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Pathology/ Immunology, Biochemistry | Rupleen Kaur, (Nicholas Venetos) |
Antimicrobial drug resistance in Bacteria and Mycobacteria; Testing and development of novel beta-lactams and beta-lactamase inhibitors; development and testing of novel molecular diagnostics. |
|
| W. Henry Boom, MD | Pathology/ Immunology, Molecular Biology & Microbiology | T cell biology, tuberculosis, immune evasion, pulmonary host defense, antigen processing, anti-microbial immunity, basic and translational TB research | ||
| David Canaday, MD | Pathology/ Immunology |
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Immunology of infectious diseases; study of HIV-TB interaction; cellular interactions resulting in loss of control of M. tuberculosis; understanding immune defects that develop with aging | |
| Stephen Carpenter, MD, PhD* | Pathology/ Immunology, Systems Biology and Bioinformatics | Scout Osborne |
Focus on understanding what constitutes protective human memory T cell responses to infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB) |
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| Atul Chopra, MD, PhD | Genetics and Genome Sciences | (Brendan Boylan) | Bijoya Basu, (Brian Kim) | Energy homeostasis and metabolic disease |
| Carlos Subauste, MD | Pathology/ Immunology | Immunology, autophagy in host-pathogen interactions, Toxoplasma gondii, selective blockade of CD40 signaling to control inflammatory disorders (microvascular complications of diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease). |
Molecular Biology & Microbiology
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Susann Brady-Kalnay, PhD | Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Neurosciences, Pathology/ Cancer Biology, Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease, Cell Biology | * Not currently accepting MSTP students for rotation or PhD placement | ||
| Jonathan Karn, PhD | Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Molecular Virology | Karen You | Control of HIV latency in T cells and microglial cells, and efforts to cure HIV | |
| Alan Levine, PhD* | Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Cell Biology, Molecular Virology, Pharmacology, Pathology/ Immunology | Paul Karell, Michelle Pan | * Not accepting MSTP students for rotation or PhD placement | |
| Christine O'Connor, PhD | Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Molecular Virology |
Our lab is interested in understanding the host-pathogen interactions during latency and reactivation of the cytomegalovirus (CMV), as well as the host and viral factors involved in these phases of infection, in order to CMV-induced morbidity and mortality |
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| Arne Rietsch, PhD* | Molecular Biology & Microbiology | (Josephine Trichka) | * Not currently accepting MSTP students for rotation or PhD placement | |
| Jacek Skowronski, MD, PhD | Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Molecular Virology | *Not currently accepting MSTP students for rotation or PhD placement | ||
| Apollo Stacy, PhD | Molecular Biology & Microbiology, Pathology | Our lab deciphers microbiota-host metabolic communication in the oral cavity, particularly in the setting of periodontitis (one of the most prevalent inflammatory diseases worldwide) and its various comorbidities. | ||
| Liangqi (Frank) Xie, PhD | Molecular Biology & Microbiology | The Xie lab develops cutting-edge imaging and novel computational tools to decipher the structure, dynamics and mechanisms of the human regulatory genome, aiming to improve the diagnosis, prophylactic and treatment of human diseases like cancer. |
Neurosciences
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heather Broihier, PhD* | Neurosciences | Alexander Foden | (Dan Jindal), Hans Leier, Alexander Foden | Developmental neurobiology; Molecular mechanisms of synaptic development and plasticity |
| Catherine Collins, PhD | Neurosciences | Iris Peng | The Collins lab studies how the nervous system adapts to damage and stress in models of nerve injury and neurodegenerative disease. We are focusing on a signaling pathway that becomes activated in damaged axons, which orchestrates inflammation, regeneration and degeneration. | |
| Evan Deneris, PhD | Neurosciences | Molecular genetics of the brain serotonergic transmitter system | ||
| Pola Philippidou, PhD* | Neurosciences | Katherine Letai | Molecular mechanisms of neural circuit assembly during development, genetic control of phrenic motor neuron identity; synaptic specificity in respiratory circuits; Hox genes | |
| Britton Sauerbrei, PhD | Neurosciences | Dynamics of distributed neural networks; motor control; sensorimotor neurophysiology with an emphasis on motor cortex and cerebellum | ||
| Ben Strowbridge, PhD | Neurosciences | Synaptic Physiology, hippocampus, olfactory bulb, Computational Neuroscience | ||
| Qian Sun, PhD | Neurosciences |
Function of the hippocampal circuit, a brain area vital for memory and linked to many neuropsychiatric disorders, including PTSD, depression, and Alzheimer's disease. We use a variety of techniques – electrophysiology, neuronal tracing, optogenetics, chemogenetics, and mouse behavior – to investigate hippocampal circuit function and its relevance to behaviors. |
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| Masashi Tabuchi, PhD | Neurosciences |
Electrical signals in neurons underlie the computations made by the brain, and these signals act at biophysical and neural circuit levels to generate behavior. The broad goal of my lab is to elucidate how internal states persist in time and identify the molecular mechanisms which shape the neural processing underlying these processes. By illuminating the cellular and synaptic basis of sleep and protein hunger, we expect to gain key insights into the principles of neural codes underlying persistent internal drive of the brain and to provide a framework to understand how these factors ultimately contribute to our health |
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| Wen-Cheng Xiong, PhD | Neurosciences | Molecular mechanisms underlying neural development, neuro-degeneration, and bone homeostasis | ||
| Dhananjay (Dan) Yellajoshyula, PhD | Neurosciences | Dr. Yellajoshyula’s lab focuses on understanding the cellular and transcriptional mechanisms regulating myelination and the extracellular matrix during development and their role in disease and injury. | ||
| Peng Zhang, PhD | Neurosciences |
Neurexins are adhesion molecules at synapses and are high-risk genes for autism and schizophrenia. Using cultured neurons and mouse models, we aim to understand how neurexin’s molecular interaction and function is regulated by extracellular matrix glycans at synapses, and to develop new directions to alleviate synaptic deficits in brain disorders. |
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| Richard Zigmond, PhD | Neurosciences, Pathology | Study of the plasticity in the adult nervous system. We are interested in the ways in which the chemistry of the adult nervous system can change and the functional consequences of such changes. We focus particularly on alterations that occur in response to neural damage whether produced by trauma or disease, with particular interest in neuro-immune interactions that occur in response to injury, using molecular, biochemical, immunological, histochemical, and cell culture approaches |
Nutrition
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danny Manor, PhD | Nutrition, Pharmacology, Pathology, Cancer Biology | * Not currently accepting MSTP students for rotation or PhD placement
|
Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bela Anand-Apte, PhD | Pharmacology | Tzu-Ni Sing | Alice Liu | The Anand-Apte lab explores cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to vision loss in ocular disease. We research the role of extracellular matrix/Bruch’s membrane in regulating the physiology and normal functioning of the retinal pigment epithelium and choriocapillaris in Sorsby Fundus Dystrophy, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. |
| Vera Bonilha, PhD | Pharmacology | Tzu-Ni Sin | Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) etiology is complex, and it includes both a genetic component and environmental risk. My long-term goal is to understand how AMD pathology affects RPE cellular function by focusing on aging, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction. | |
| Paul Park, PhD | Pharmacology, Biochemistry | Mechanism of action of rhodopsin and other G protein-coupled receptors | ||
| Irina Pikuleva, PhD | Pharmacology | Jennings Luu | The two major areas of research in this laboratory are studies of cholesterol maintenance in the retina and brain. The ultimate goal of these studies is to delineate the importance of cholesterol-related pathways for retinal and brain functions and whether pharmacologic modulation of these pathways could lead to disease-modifying treatments for retinal and brain disorders. |
Orthopedics
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ronald Triolo, PhD | Biomedical Engineering | Benjamin Huang | Rehabilitation engineering, neural control of motion, lower- extremity neuroprostheses, orthopaedic biomechanics and prosthetic/orthotic design |
Otolaryngology
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian McDermott, PhD | Genetics & Genome Sciences; Neurosciences | Sensory Neurobiology, Hearing and Deafness, Zebrafish Genetics, Mechanotransduction, Synapse development, Translational Neuroscience |
Pathology
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Burberry, PhD | Pathology/ Immunology; Pathology/ Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease | Sophia Gavalas | Understanding mechanisms that contribute to neural inflammation in neurodegenerative diseases, building upon the discovery that signals from the gut microbiota influence the extent of neural inflammation that develops in mice with mutations in genes that cause the neurodegenerative disorder Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The lab focus extends to other neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease. | |
| Marilia Cascalho, MD, PhD | Pathology, Immunology | Current research interests include the study of immunobiology of transplantation with the goal of developing strategies to induce resistance to immune-mediated injury, to explore mechanisms of immunopathogenesis by genetic susceptibility loci. Other interests include the development of novel immunotherapies including the development of a “mutable vaccine” that evolves in response to the host immunity with the goal of slowing viral evolution. |
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| Adam Burgener, PhD | Pathology/ Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease | Anuoluwapo Ajao | Our laboratory specializes in mass spectrometry based proteomics and systems biology to study host immunity, the microbiome, and interactions in infectious diseases. A central focus of our research has been to study host and microbial factors at mucosal surfaces that underlie of the acquisition and pathogenesis of HIV. The goal is to apply this knowledge to develop novel preventative, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies. | |
| Brian Cobb, PhD | Pathology/ Immunology | Paul Karell | The Cobb lab is interested in how host glycosylation pathways regulate immune responses. Antibody and macrophage functions are the two main projects. See website for more details! | |
| Christina Farr, PhD | Pathology/ Cancer Biology, Pathology/ Immunology, Systems Biology and Informatics | Scout Osborne | The study of host-microbe interactions that influence human reproductive health and disease | |
| Wendy Goodman, PhD | Pathology/ Immunology | Victor Pastrana-Gomez | Receptors for steroid hormones (estrogens, androgens and progesterone) are broadly expressed and function to regulate gene transcription in target cells. Our lab studies how these pathways operate in immune cells, particularly how they contribute to the balance between immune homeostasis and chronic inflammation & autoimmunity. Particular areas of interest include mucosal tissues (i.e. intestinal mucosa) and maternal-fetal interface tissues (decidua). Our approach utilizes both preclinical mouse models and primary human cells/tissues | |
| Neetu Gupta, PhD | Pathology/ Immunology | Emily Blaum | Basic and translational research in immunology and immuno-oncology: (1) Cytoskeletal control of protein/RNA localization, signal transduction and trafficking; (2) Molecular and cellular regulation of antibody-mediated immunity and autoimmunity; (3) Biomarkers and mechanisms of patient response to CAR T-cell therapy. | |
| Clifford Harding, MD, PhD | Pathology/ Immunology | * Not currently accepting MSTP students for rotation or PhD placement | ||
| Mark Jackson, PhD | Pathology/ Cancer Biology | Understanding how immune suppression promotes metastasis and therapy failure; devising new therapies to enhance anti-tumor immunity. Mechanisms of resistance to immune activating therapies. Tumor microenvironmental impacts on cancer stem cells and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Functional genomic and small molecule screening platforms for cancer gene discovery and drug discovery. | ||
| David Kang, PhD | Pathology/ Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease | Iris Peng, Hannah Zamore | Mechanisms of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related disorders (ADRDs) such as Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and Lewy body dementia (LBD). Recent focus has been on autophagy and mitophagy pathways, mitochondrial dysfunction, protein ubiquitination, mechanisms of proteinopathy accumulation (Ab, tau, TDP-43 & synuclein), and synaptic plasticity regulation via multiple signaling pathways. These pathways include the FTLD-ALS associated mitochondrial protein CHCHD10, cytoskeletal signaling via SSH1-cofilin, the scaffolding proteins RanBP9 and b-arrestins, and deubiqutinases (DUBs). | |
| Qingzhong Kong, PhD | Pathology | Prion diseases, prion protein processing, non-viral DNA delivery, and gene therapy of prion disease, Alzheimer's disease, parkinson's disease, and FTD | ||
| Allison Kraus, PhD | Pathology/ Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease | Hannah Zamore | Iris Peng | Misfolded proteins and self-propagating protein seeds of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and prion diseases |
| Kenneth Matreyek, PhD | Pathology/ Immunology | Henock Befekadu | Understanding how protein sequence variants contribute to disease, and discovering rationally engineered proteins able to fight them. Development and deployment of new multiplex genetic biotechnologies capable of assessing the impacts of protein sequence changes, focusing on genes that modulate immunity or predispose individuals to autoimmunity | |
| M. Edward Medof, MD, PhD |
Pathology | Intrinsic cell surface regulators: the decay-accelerating factor (DAF or CD55), membrane cofactor protein (MCP or CD46), and membrane inhibitor of reactive lysis (MIRL or CD59) | ||
| Tyler Miller, MD, PhD | Pathology/ Cancer Biology; Pathology/ Immunology; Systems Biology and Bioinformatics | Bryce Mashimo | Alex Crane | The Miller Lab aims to develop effective immunotherapies for brain tumor patients by targeting immunosuppressive myeloid cells in glioblastoma, using cutting-edge techniques like single-cell genomics, organoid models, and spatial transcriptomics to drive innovative therapeutic strategies. |
| Vincent Monnier, MD | Pathology/ Immunology; Biochemistry | * Not currently accepting MSTP students for rotation or PhD placement | ||
| Pathology/ Immunology | Alice Liu | Focus on understanding T cell differentiation and function within the tumor microenvironment to improve targeted therapy and identify predictive biomarkers to improve patient selection and prognosis for cancer immunotherapy. | ||
| Andrew Pieper, MD, PhD* | Pathology/ Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease; Neurosciences | (Sarah Barker), Sofia Corella, Sonny Caradonna | Discovery and development of new therapeutic opportunities in neurodegeneration | |
| Theresa Pizarro, PhD | Pathology/ Immunology; Physiology & Biophysics | Karen You | The Pizarro lab investigates mucosal immunity, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract, and its importance during both health and disease states. Specific topics of interest are microbiome-epithelial-immune cell interactions, role of interleukin-1 (IL-1 family members) and innate immune responses, epithelial wound healing, and the impact of the microbiome on sex differences in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). | |
| Parameswaran Ramakrishnan, PhD | Pathology/ Immunology, Biochemistry | Sophia Gavalas | Angela Liu, Corynn Appolonia | Autoimmune diabetes, chronic inflammation and inflammatory bowel disease, Leukemia, O-GlcNAcylation, Cell signaling and identification of novel therapeutic targets |
| Jiri Safar, MD | Pathology | Prion, Alzheimer, and other neurodegenerative diseases caused by protein misfolding; Prion, amyloid, and tau strains; molecular basis and structural biology of neurodegeneration; translational medicine of age-related dementias | ||
| Thaddeus Stappenbeck, MD, PhD | Pathology/ Immunology | Corynn Appolonia, Syrena Bracey, Karen You | Paul Karell, Kevin Newhall, (Vanessa Salazar) |
The Stappenbeck lab is interested in discovering host and environmental factors that impact inflammation and wound repair at mucosal surfaces, with the focal point often being the intestinal epithelial barrier and the microbiome. To approach these problems, combinations of studies using human cells and tissues as well as mouse and in vitro models are used. |
| Alan Tartakoff, PhD | Pathology | * Not currently accepting MSTP students for rotation or PhD placement | ||
| David Wald, MD, PhD* | Pathology/ Cancer Biology; Pathology/ Immunology | Joyce Kim | Indrani Das | Identification and development of novel therapeutic strategies for cancer with a particular focus on Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and colon cancer. Preclinical and clinical studies of novel cell therapies for cancer including CAR-T cells and NK cell therapies |
| Lily Wang, PhD * |
Pathology/ Immunology; Biomedical Engineering |
Tommy Nguyen | Identification of novel inhibitory receptors that regulate the differentiation and functions of tumor-reactive cytotoxic T cells and tumor-associated myeloid cells including TAMs and MDSCs. Preclinical tumor models and ex vivo cellular and molecular analyses are applied to dissect immunosuppressive signaling pathways and develop therapeutic strategies to arget these pathways for cancer immunotherapy. | |
| Rui Wang, PhD * | Pathology/ Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease | We interrogate crosstalks between cancer cells and the liver microenvironment in metastatic colorectal and pancreatic cancers. Our goal is to identify and develop novel therapeutic strategies to disrupt the crosstalk to block metastatic tumor outgrowth and sensitize tumors to chemo-, targeted- or immune-therapies (e.g. block liver-secreted factors and survival pathways in cancer cells that are activated by liver-secreted factors). | ||
| Alexa Woo, PhD | Pathology/ Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease | Hannah Zamore | My lab focuses on G-protein coupled receptors and beta-arrestins signaling in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and AD-related dementia. We also study the role of mitochondrial protein CHCHD2 in Lewy body disorders. | |
| Pathology/ Immunology; Pathology/ Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease; Physiology & Biophysics; Pharmacology | Henock Befekadu | Syrena Bracey | Structural and biochemical studies of important immune receptors; understanding and modulating their functions for diagnostic and therapeutic applications | |
| Xiongwei Zhu, PhD | Neuroscience; Pathology | Neurodegenerative mechanisms underlying Alzheimer disease and other neurodegenerative diseases |
Pediatrics
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Drumm, PhD | Genetics & Genome Sciences | Alexander Lesser | How variants in the genome influence the course of disease for CF patients and how the CF genome adapts to the disease | |
| Alex Huang, MD, PhD* | Pathology/ Cancer Biology, Immunology | (Alicia Santin), (Melissa Bonner), Javier Urcuyo Acevedo | Tumor immunology; Intravital two-photon laser scanning microscopy; T cell and chemokine receptor biology; cellular trafficking, migration and interaction in inflammation, cancer and autoimmunity | |
| John Letterio, MD | Biochemistry | Gustavo Borjas | Discovery of the critical roles of TGF-ß in hematopoietic and immune cell function | |
| Timothy Mead, PhD | Pathology/ Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease | Sophia Gavalas | Our laboratory has a keen focus on congenital heart defects and utilizes mouse models, cell culture, proteomics, and genomics to understand their underlying mechanisms towards therapeutic intervention. |
Pharmacology
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Cameron, MD, PhD | Pharmacology |
Circulating platelets start the process of forming blood clots. My laboratory discovered that platelets become reprogrammed in diseases such as heart attack and peripheral artery disease. We study novel signaling pathways in platelets that can be used as druggable targets, utilizing high throughput drug screening, contemporary pharmacology and biochemistry, molecular biology, and animal models of vascular disease to meet these goals. |
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| Abhishek Chakraborty, PhD | Pharmacology | The Chakraborty laboratory interrogates dysregulated oxygen sensing pathways in cancer and normal physiology. The laboratory relies on basic biochemistry, epigenomics, metabolomics, and cell and animal based models, in conjunction with unbiased functional screens using CRISPR/Cas9 or pharmacological libraries, to identify actionable targets in oxygen-poor tumor microenvironments. | ||
| Sudha Chakrapani, PhD | Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics, Neurosciences | Marc Scemama de Giulluly | Emily Klemm, Henock Befekadu, Juliana Condoleo | Role of structure and dynamics in the functioning of ion channels |
| Fang Chen, PhD | Pharmacology |
We are dedicated to materials science and engineering-based new technologies and treatments to improve health. Our research is highly interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary, involving materials science, chemistry, biology, medical imaging, and life sciences. We welcome collaborations on projects broadly related to human health, biomedical imaging, and biomaterials. Our current research focuses on ophthalmic biomedical engineering. We use nanoscale and macroscale biomaterials to tackle unmet clinical needs in the eye's anterior and posterior segments. Our research directions include advancing cell therapies in the eye with biomaterials, corneal wound healing, sustained drug delivery, the synthesis mechanism of nanoparticles and their interaction with cells, etc. |
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| Marcin Golczak, PhD | Pharmacology | Elucidating the principles of eye physiology at the molecular level, discerning the mechanisms of their regulation, and understanding the patho-physiological consequences of their malfunction for ocular health. Design, test, and validate new therapeutic strategies against prevalent eye disorders, including age-related retinal degeneration and dry eye syndrome. | ||
| Ruth Keri, PhD | Pathology/Cancer Biology, Genetics and Genome Sciences, Pharmacology | Syrena Bracey, Benjamin Hauk, Juliana Condoleo | (Natasha Ingles) | Hormonal control of mammary gland development and construction of transgenic mouse models of breast cancer; functional genomics of mammary gland development and cancer |
| Jason Mears, PhD | Pathology, Pharmacology | Molecular machinery associated with mitochondrial division in yeast and mammalian cells; understanding the relationship between mitochondrial dynamics and disease | ||
| Marvin Nieman, PhD | Pharmacology, Cell Biology, Systems Biology & Bioinformatics | Platelet signaling in thrombosis and cancer | ||
| Phoebe Stewart, PhD | Pharmacology | Applying cryo-EM structural methods to a variety of biological complexes including viruses, viral/host factor complexes, engineered adenovirus-based vaccines, membrane proteins and nanoparticles | ||
| Derek Taylor, PhD* | Pharmacology, Biochemistry | (Raza Haider), Joyce Kim | Brendan Sheehan | Computational Biology, Macromolecular Structure Determination, Drug Design. My laboratory defines the molecular mechanisms associated with disease and develops new strategies and therapies for cancer treatment |
| Johannes von Lintig, PhD | Pharmacology | Mahip Kalra | Metabolism and functions of carotenoids and their retinoid derivatives in vision and the development of chronic and inherited blinding diseases | |
| Edward Yu, PhD | Pharmacology | Molecular mechanisms of bacterial efflux transporters that mediate antimicrobial resistance |
Physiology & Biophysics
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Boron, MD, PhD | Biochemistry, Physiology & Biophysics | Erik Koritzinsky | Molecular, cellular, and whole-animal studies to elucidate the molecular mechanisms and translational implications of pH regulation and the transport of bicarbonate and gases (O2, CO2) | |
| Matthias Buck, PhD | Physiology & Biophysics | Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology of small GTPase-protein and repector-protein/protein-membrane interactions in neuronal, cardivascular, and cancer cell signaling. We use molecular biology, NMR and X-ray spectroscopy as well as thermodynamic measurements to determine the basic mechanisms by which proteins transmit signals in cells | ||
| George Dubyak, PhD | Physiology & Biophysics, Pharmacology, Pathology/ Immunology | Jacob Ingber, Angela Liu, Kyle Starost | Inflammatory and apoptotic signal transduction; Signaling by receptors for extracellular ATP in innate immunity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer | |
| Xin Qi, PhD* | Physiology & Biophysics | (Lucie Ahn), Thomas Lavin, (Nicholas Venetos), Juliana Condoleo | Regulation of mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases; development of therapeutic approach for the treatment of diseases; cellular and molecular mechanism on mitochondrial quality control and immunometabolism; brain lipid metabolism in neurodegenerative disease | |
| Jeffrey Schelling, MD | Physiology & Biophysics | The Schelling laboratory utlizes in vitro molecular and cellular methods, animal models and human samples to investigate glomerular and tubulointerstial pathophysiology in the context of CKD, especially diabetic kidney disease. We made the initial discovery that proximal tubule cell apoptosis leads to tubular atrophy, which strongly predicts CKD progression. We have continued to build on that theme, with many publications that characterize the cellular pathways that impact on tubular epithelial cell survival, most recently the role of filtered fatty acid uptake by fatty acid transporter‐2 (FATP2) in proximal tubule glucolipotoxicity. We are actively pursuing projects which explore the pathophysiology of FATP2‐ mediated cytotoxicity, as well as the development of FATP2 inhibitors as a potential treatment for diabetes and diabetic kidney disease. | ||
| Corey Smith, PhD | Physiology & Biophysics | * Not currently accepting MSTP students for rotation or PhD placement | ||
| Julian Stelzer, PhD * | Physiology & Biophysics, Pathology | Katie Dominic | The Stelzer lab is focused on determining the mechanisms of cardiac contractile function and devising new sarcomere-based therapies for genetic and acquired cardiomyopathies. To advance these goals we utilize an integrative experimental approach which combines high throughput screening of small molecules, biophysical, cellular, and in vivo cardiac function measurements. We perform translational studies by testing the utility of small molecules or AAV gene delivery in reversing or preventing contractile dysfunction in various heart failure settings. | |
| Witold Surewicz, PhD | Physiology & Biophysics, Pathology | (Raza Haider) | Molecular basis of neurodegenerative diseases associated with protein misfolding and aggregation; The role of liquid-liquid phase separation in neurodegenerative diseases; Structural studies of amyloid fibrils using cryo electron microscopy |
Population and Quantitative Health Sciences
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Bush, PhD | Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Genetics & Genome Sciences, Systems Biology & Bioinformatics |
Matthew Liu |
Genomics research on Neurological Diseases | |
| Dana Crawford, PhD* | Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Genetics & Genome Sciences | Hung Hoang | Applying genetic variation data to large-scale epidemiologic and clinical cohorts to better understand human genotype-phenotype associations, with an emphasis on diverse populations | |
| Darcy Freedman, PhD, MPH | Epidemiology & Biostatistics |
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Substantive Topic Areas of Interest: Food Access Interventions (e.g., farmers’ markets, community gardens, food policy); Community-engagement and Civic Participation; Public Health Literacy; Primary Prevention of Chronic Disease (e.g., Obesity, diabetes, cancer); Nutrition and Food Security | |
| Sudha Iyengar, PhD | Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Genetics & Genome Sciences, Systems Biology & Bioinformatics, Clinical Transitional Science | Genetics of complex diseases in humans (ocular genetics/epidemiology, renal genetics, speech sound disorder/epidemiology, genetic methods) | ||
| Nora Nock, PhD | Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Systems Biology & Bioinformatics | Using various "-omics" and neuroimaging approaches to better understand the genetic, environmental, behavioral and neural determinants of obesity and cancer; innovative lifestyle interventions in overweight and obese cancer survivors | ||
| Fredrick Schumacher, PhD | Epidemiology & Biostatistics | Paulameena Shultes | Deciphering the inherited genetic architecture of complex traits, particularly cancers of the prostate, colon and breast; studies using quantitative and population sciences, particularly molecular and genetic epidemiology, to elucidate the genetic architecture of complex phenotypes | |
| Catherine Stein, PhD* | Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Systems Biology & Bioinformatics, Clinical and Translational Science | Hung Hoang | *Not currently accepting MSTP students for rotation or PhD placement | |
| Daniel Tisch, PhD, MPH | Epidemiology & Biostatistics | Epidemiology of lymphatic filariasis, malaria, and schistosomiasis. Meta-analysis and mathematical modeling of parasite control strategies. Evaluation of integrated parasite control programs | ||
| Erika Trapl, PhD | Biomedical and Health Informatics, Clinical Translational Science, Epidemiology & Biostatistics | Uyen Mai | Tobacco control, dietary interventions, and cancer screening behaviors among marginalized populations. Examining implementation of individual, systems, and policy interventions to increase reach, broaden impact, and improve health. | |
| Scott Williams, PhD | Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Genetics & Genome Sciences, Systems Biology and Bioinformatics, Clinical Transitional Science | Emily Hannon | (Razaq Durodoye) | Distribution of genetic variation among human populations and the role that differences in patterns of variation play in disparity of disease among populations; diversity among African and African descent populations; multiple diseases that are either more common in these populations, such as hypertension and preterm birth, or less common, such as gastric cancer |
| Xiaofeng Zhu, PhD | Epidemiology & Biostatistics | Genetic mapping studies of hypertension, obesity; development of statistical methods for association studies avoiding the effect of population stratification; admixture mapping; bioinformatics |
Radiology
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agata A Exner, PhD* | Biomedical Engineering, Pathology/ Cancer Biology | Natalie Hong | Laura Chen, Victor Pastrana-Gomez | Minimally invasive methods of cancer treatment including: ultrasound-modulated, image-guided drug delivery, thermosensitizers for focused hyperthermia, and vasomodulation for improved local ablation and treatment follow-up |
| Christopher Flask, PhD* | Biomedical Engineering | Christina MacAskill, Jacob Smothers | Quantitative MRI Assessments of Cystic Fibrosis, Diabetic Nephropathy, Sickle Cell Disease, Pyelonephritis, Polycystic Kidney Disease, and Non-Alcoholic fatty Liver Disease |
Rammelkamp Center for Research, MetroHealth Hospital
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bing-Cheng Wang, PhD | Pathology/ Cancer Biology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics | Molecular mechanisms of tumor initiation and malignant progression of prostate cancer and brain tumor, Tumor immunotherapy, Structure-function relationship of receptor tyrosine kinases, Development of small molecule therapeutics for metastatic cancer |
Systems Biology and Bioinformatics
| Mentor | PhD Programs | MSTP Student Rotations | Current MSTP PhD Students | Research Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feixiong Cheng, PhD | Systems Biology and Bioinformatics | Hamza Dahshi | Developing and applying systems biology and genomic medicine technologies to identify real-world big data-driven diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for Alzheimer’s diseases (AD) and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia (ADRD) |