Faculty Research

A unique aspect of the CMB Program is the interdisciplinary nature of the individual research projects, which are often highly collaborative and cross traditional department boundaries.

A number of participating faculty have primary appointments in clinical as well as basic science departments, bringing a broad perspective of contemporary problems in cell, molecular and biomedical sciences.

The research enterprise in the CMB Program is well-funded by extramural support in the form of individual research awards, program projects grants, and pre- and post-doctoral training grants. Funding sources include the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, American Heart Association, USDA, DOD and NASA. Large interdisciplinary, multi-investigator grants fund research projects in cancer biology, cardiovascular biology and cell motility, environmental pathology, immunobiology, neuroscience, and pulmonary function and disease.

In addition, students have access to cutting-edge equipment and focused training in our core facilities. These facilities include the Bioinformatics, X-Ray Crystallography, DNA Analysis, Flow Cytometry, and Microscopy and Imaging.

Note: Faculty listed below have self identified their participation in these areas, and may be listed in multiple categories. For an alphabetical list of faculty, please visit the faculty directory.

Cancer Biology and Genome Stability

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Cancer Biology and Genome Stability
NameAreas of Expertise and/or Research
Frances CarrCellular events which mediate thyroid hormone action in development and pathophysiology
Nimrat ChatterjeeCancer Biology, Neurodegenerative disorders, DNA repair, translesion synthesis, stress responses
Brian CunniffMitochondrial biology, cancer metabolism, cell migration and redox biology
Paula DemingMolecular Signaling Mechanisms, Growth Control Pathways, Cancer Biology
Sylvie DoublieMolecular Mechanisms of DNA Repair
Seth FrietzeMolecular Biology, Genomics, Cancer Biology
Karen GlassStructure and function of epigenetic reader domains
Jessica HeathPediatric Leukemias: epigenetics, mechanisms of leukemogenesis, and novel treatment development
Robert HondalMechanism of Thioredoxin Reductase — a Collaborative Project
Alan HoweRegulation of cell migration by extracellular matrix
Robert KelmRegulation of Cell Differentiation by ssDNA/RNA-Binding Proteins
Christopher LandryMaterials Chemistry, Nanotechnology, and Particles in Biology
Karen LounsburyVascular Smooth Muscle Signaling: Tumor Angiogenesis and Atherosclerosis
Shanmugasundaram NallasamyExtracellular matrix dysfunction in uterine leiomyoma and leiomyosarcoma
Delphine QuenetPARP Biology and Chromatin
James StaffordEpigenetics in the brain, diseases of neurodevelopment, alcohol use disorders, brain tumors, learning and memory
David SewardFunctional Genomics, Cancer Metabolism, Epigenetics
Gary SteinCancer, Stem Cell and Bone Biology Program
Janet SteinRegulation of Gene Expression during the Cell Cycle and during the Proliferation/Differentiation Transition
Jason StumpffCancer Biology, Neurogenesis, Cell Division, and Cytoskeleton
Michael TothTranslational studies of human skeletal muscle structure and function

 

Genomics and Computational Biology

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Genomics and Computational Biology
NameAreas of Expertise and/or Research
Michael BrasinoBioengineering, Protein Engineering, Biomaterials
Sylvie DoublieMolecular Mechanisms of DNA Repair
Andrea EtterFood safety, food microbiology, bacterial stress tolerance, bacterial genetics
Seth FrietzeMolecular Biology, Genomics, Cancer Biology
Karen GlassStructure and function of epigenetic reader domains
Jonathan GordonEpigenetics and Gene Regulation, Bone biology, Mesenchymal Stromal Cells, Bone and cancer interactions
Dev MajumdarRNA Biology, Immunology, Single Molecule Biophysics
Shanmugasundaram NallasamySmall non-coding RNAs regulating myometrial extracellular matrix
Gary SteinCancer, Stem Cell and Bone Biology Program
Janet SteinRegulation of Gene Expression during the Cell Cycle and during the Proliferation/Differentiation Transition

Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis

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Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis
NameAreas of Expertise and/or Research
Eyal AmielMetabolic Regulation of Dendritic Cell Activation and Immune Function
John BarlowMathematical and molecular epidemiology of infectious disease; Host-Pathogen interactions in mastitis; Cattle MHC
Elizabeth BonneyMaternal immunity and tolerance
Jason BottenHost immune response to viral infection, the basis of persistent viral infection in reservoir hosts, host-pathogen interactions, and the development of novel therapeutic agents and vaccines
Jonathan BoysonThe regulation and function of innate-like T cells
Emily BruceCell biology and molecular virology of RNA viruses (SARS-CoV-2 and influenza)
Ralph BuddDeath receptor regulation of apoptosis in the immune system
Jean CelliCellular and molecular mechanisms of proliferation of intracellular bacterial pathogens; Brucella pathogenesis; Type IV secretion; intracellular organelle biology
Sean DiehlVaccines and immunology
Andrea EtterFood safety, food microbiology, bacterial stress tolerance, bacterial genetics
Seth FrietzeMolecular Biology, Genomics, Cancer Biology
Christopher HustonHost-Pathogen Interactions of Intestinal Protozoa
Leigh KnodlerBacteria-host interactions; Enteric bacteria
Dimitry KrementsovAutoimmunity, sex differences, neuroimmunology, multiple sclerosis, gene-by-environment interactions, microbiome
Benjamin LeeEnteric viral infections and immunology, vaccines
Dev MajumdarRNA Biology, Immunology, Single Molecule Biophysics
Bruno Martorelli Di GenovaParasitology and Microbiology
Matthew PoynterAirway epithelium in innate and adaptive immune responses
Markus ThaliMultiscale analyses of HIV-1 cell-to-cell transmission
Gary WardCell Biology of Host-Parasite Interaction
Matthew WargoRegulation of Bacterial Virulence and Catabolism
Daniel WeissGene and stem cell therapies for lung diseases

Lung and Cardiovascular Biology

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Lung and Cardiovascular Biology
NameAreas of Expertise and/or Research
Vikas AnathyEndoplasmic Reticulum (ER) Based Chaperones and Protein Disulfide Isomerases in Lung Diseases
Frances CarrCellular events which mediate thyroid hormone action in development and pathophysiology
Brian CunniffMitochondrial biology, cancer metabolism, cell migration and redox biology
Benedek ErdosNeural control of cardiovascular function; stress, obesity and aging
Stephen EverseStructure and Function of Proteins
Kalev FreemanTrauma physiology/ traumatic brain injury
Yvonne Janssen-HeiningerTranscriptional regulators of lung responses to injury and inflammation
Robert KelmRegulation of Cell Differentiation by ssDNA/RNA-Binding Proteins
Karen LounsburyVascular Smooth Muscle Signaling: Tumor Angiogenesis and Atherosclerosis
Mark NelsonIon channels and calcium signaling in smooth muscle and endothelial cells
Matthew PoynterAirway epithelium in innate and adaptive immune responses
Jay SilveiraBiochemistry of Platelet Function
Jeff SpeesAdult Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Doug TaatjesCell imaging and disease
Michael TothTranslational studies of human skeletal muscle structure and function
Kathleen TrybusMolecular motors and their tracks
Albert van der VlietBiological and environmental oxidants and airway inflammation: Mechanisms of redox signaling
Matthew WargoRegulation of Bacterial Virulence and Catabolism
David WarshawMyosin Molecular Motors
Daniel WeissGene and stem cell therapies for lung diseases
George WellmanCerebral artery function in health and disease

Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics

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Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics
NameAreas of Expertise and/or Research
Vikas AnathyEndoplasmic Reticulum (ER) Based Chaperones and Protein Disulfide Isomerases in Lung Diseases
Jason BottenHost immune response to viral infection, the basis of persistent viral infection in reservoir hosts, host-pathogen interactions, and the development of novel therapeutic agents and vaccines
Bryan BallifSignal Transduction, Proteomics, Neuroscience
Emily BruceCell biology and molecular virology of RNA viruses (SARS-CoV-2 and influenza)
Benedek ErdosNeural control of cardiovascular function; stress, obesity and aging
Alan HoweRegulation of cell migration by extracellular matrix
Yvonne Janssen-HeiningerTranscriptional regulators of lung responses to injury and inflammation
Thomas JettonMechanisms that regulate the development, growth, and regeneration of pancreatic beta cells
Robert KelmRegulation of Cell Differentiation by ssDNA/RNA-Binding Proteins
Dimitry KrementsovAutoimmunity, sex differences, neuroimmunology, multiple sclerosis, gene-by-environment interactions, microbiome
Karen LounsburyVascular Smooth Muscle Signaling: Tumor Angiogenesis and Atherosclerosis
Dev MajumdarRNA Biology, Immunology, Single Molecule Biophysics
Shanmugasundaram NallasamyStructure and function of extracellular matrix in term and preterm birth
Michael PrevisMolecular mechanisms of muscle
Delphine QuenetPARP biology and chromatin
John SalogiannisMolecular mechanisms and live cell imaging of intracellular organelle movement in health and disease"
David SewardFunctional Genomics, Cancer Metabolism, Epigenetics
Jeff SpeesAdult Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
James StaffordEpigenetics in the brain, diseases of neurodevelopment, alcohol use disorders, brain tumors, learning and memory
Gary SteinCancer, Stem Cell and Bone Biology Program
Janet SteinRegulation of Gene Expression during the Cell Cycle and during the Proliferation/Differentiation Transition
Jason StumpffCancer Biology, Neurogenesis, Cell Division, and Cytoskeleton
Doug TaatjesCell imaging and disease
Markus ThaliMultiscale analyses of HIV-1 cell-to-cell transmission
Mary TierneyMechanisms for controlling cell function through ECM structure
Michael TothTranslational studies of human skeletal muscle structure and function
Albert van der VlietBiological and environmental oxidants and airway inflammation: Mechanisms of redox signaling
Gary WardCell Biology of Host-Parasite Interaction
Matthew WargoRegulation of Bacterial Virulence and Catabolism

Stem Cell and Developmental Biology

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Stem Cell and Developmental Biology
NameAreas of Expertise and/or Research
Bryan BallifSignal Transduction, Proteomics, Neuroscience
Elizabeth BonneyMaternal immunity and tolerance
Jonathan GordonEpigenetics and Gene Regulation, Bone biology, Mesenchymal Stromal Cells, Bone and cancer interactions
Thomas JettonMechanisms that regulate the development, growth, and regeneration of pancreatic beta cells
Jeff SpeesAdult Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
James StaffordEpigenetics in the brain, diseases of neurodevelopment, alcohol use disorders, brain tumors, learning and memory
Gary SteinCancer, Stem Cell and Bone Biology Program
Janet SteinRegulation of Gene Expression during the Cell Cycle and during the Proliferation/Differentiation Transition
Jason StumpffCancer Biology, Neurogenesis, Cell Division, and Cytoskeleton
Mary TierneyMechanisms for controlling cell function through ECM structure
Daniel WeissGene and stem cell therapies for lung diseases.

Structural Biology and Biophysics

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Structural Biology and Biophysics
NameAreas of Expertise and/or Research
Christopher BergerMolecular Mechanisms of Axonal Transport
Sylvie DoublieX-Ray Crystallography
Stephen EverseStructure and Function of Proteins
Christopher FrancklynStructure and Function of Nucleic Acid Binding Proteins
Karen GlassStructure and function of epigenetic reader domains
Robert HondalMechanism of Thioredoxin Reductase — a Collaborative Project
Robert KelmRegulation of Cell Differentiation by ssDNA/RNA-Binding Proteins
Andrea LeeDNA Repair
Shanmugasundaram NallasamyMechanical function of the myometrium during pregnancy and parturition
Mark NelsonIon channels and calcium signaling in smooth muscle and endothelial cells
Michael PrevisMolecular mechanisms of muscle
Gary SteinCancer, Stem Cell and Bone Biology Program
Jason StumpffCancer Biology, Neurogenesis, Cell Division, and Cytoskeleton
Kathleen TrybusMolecular motors and their tracks
David WarshawMyosin Molecular Motors