DBBS mentors and educators are key to our training mission. Those who serve as primary mentors are DBBS Program Members, and others who participate in the educational mission are General Members. Learn about DBBS Faculty Membership »
To provide a supportive learning environment for our trainees, many DBBS-affiliated faculty have completed eight or more hours of CIMER-based mentorship training with a trained facilitator, as indicated below with a profile badge.

Find faculty of interest by entering a name, program or expertise keyword in the search bar; selecting a PhD program from the drop-down menu; or selecting the last name initial from the A-Z filter.
Malachi Griffith, PhD
Associate Professor
- Email: mgriffit@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Biomedical Informatics and Data Science
Cancer Biology
Computational and Systems Biology
Research summary
Improving our understanding of human disease biology and the development of personalized medicine strategies using genomics and informatics technologies
Key words
genomics, bioinformatics, data mining, immunogenomics, precision medicine, personalized medicine, cancer vaccines, and cancer research
Obi Griffith, PhD
Professor
- Email: obigriffith@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Biomedical Informatics and Data Science
Cancer Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Immunology
Research summary
Development of personalized medicine strategies for cancer using genomic technologies
Key words
bioinformatics, machine learning, cancer, genomics, immunogenomics, precision oncology
Michael Gross, PhD
Professor
- Email: mgross@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Research summary
Development and application of mass spectrometry in biophysics, biochemistry, and medicine
Key words
amyloid beta biophysics, biochemistry, biophysics, mass spectrometry, protein-protein interaction, protein structure,
Richard Gross, MD, PhD
Professor
- Email: rgross@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Molecular Cell Biology
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Research summary
The molecular mechanisms through which biologic membranes participate in cellular activation processes
Key words
phospholipase A2, diabetes, obesity, receptor, myocardial ischemia, lipid metabolism
Andy Groves, PhD
Professor and Head of the Department of Developmental Biology
- Email: groves.a@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Neurosciences
Computational and Systems Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Research summary
We work on what induces the inner ear in the first place, how the sensory organs of the ear acquire their exquisite pattern, and whether it will ever be possible to regenerate the sensory hair cells of the inner ear in the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
Key words
inner ear, development, regeneration, sensory neuroscience, balance, deafness, embryo, transcription factors, epigenetics, tunicates, squid
C. Charles Gu, PhD
Associate Professor
- Email: gc@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Biomedical Informatics and Data Science
Human and Statistical Genetics
Computational and Systems Biology
Research summary
Statistical genetics and bioinformatics, high-dimensional data analysis and complex systems modeling, developing novel methodologies for detecting complex disease genes and characterizing their function
Key words
genetic epidemiology, statistical genetics
Caroline Guglielmetti, PhD
Assistant Professor
Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Molecular Cell Biology
Immunology
Research summary
We develop innovative magnetic resonance (MR) and position emission tomography (PET) imaging approaches to monitor neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration and repair mechanisms in neurological disorders
Key words
Metabolic imaging, hyperpolarized 13C MRI, positron tomography emission (PET) imaging, neurological disorders, cell tracking, multiple sclerosis, microglia, myelin, immune cells
Farshid Guilak, PhD
Mildred B. Simon Research Professor
- Email: guilak@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Immunology
Research summary
Application of stem cells and mechanobiology in the onset, progression, and treatment of osteoarthritis and other joint diseases.
Key words
cartilage, obesity, osteoarthritis, mechanobiology, bioengineering, stem cells, iPSCs
Aditi Gupta, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Email: agupta24@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Biomedical Informatics and Data Science
Research summary
Key words
David Gutmann, MD, PhD
Donald O. Schnuck Family Professor
- Email: gutmannd@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Cancer Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Research summary
Leveraging neurogenetic disorders to study normal brain development, cancer, and autism
Key words
pediatric brain cancer, brain development, neuroimmunology, cancer neuroscience, autism, hiPSC engineering, genetically engineered mice
Carmen Halabi, MD, PhD
Associate Professor
- Email: chalabi@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Research summary
Understanding how the extracellular matrix (ECM) contributes to normal arterial development and how its disruptionleads to abnormal vascular development and disease
Key words
Vascular biology, extracellular matrix, elastin, aneurysms, hypertension
Kathleen Hall, PhD
Professor
- Email: hallkathleen@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Research summary
We study RNA folding and RNA binding to proteins
Key words
RNA, NMR, RNA:protein interactions, fluorescence, thermodynamics
Dennis Hallahan, MD
Professor and Head of the Department of Radiation Oncology
- Email: dhallahan@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Cancer Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Research summary
The mechanisms of cell death in normal tissues during cancer therapy
Key words
cancer, cell death, drug delivery, radiation, signal transduction
Gabriel Haller, PhD
Associate Professor
- Email: ghaller@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Human and Statistical Genetics
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Computational and Systems Biology
Neurosciences
Research summary
Genetic underpinnings of neurological/neurosurgical disorders
Key words
rare variants, Chiari I malformation, human genetics, neurosurgery, Deep Mutation Scanning, Mutagenesis, Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy
Claudia Han, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Email: claudiah@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Immunology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Neurosciences
Research summary
The Han lab investigates microglia and brain macrophage phenotypes in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative contexts through the lens of epigenomics and transcriptomics.
Key words
microglia, neurodevelopment, epigenetics, transcriptomics, neurodegeneration
Edward Han, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Email: ehan23@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Research summary
Learning-related hippocampal network activation
Key words
Learning, memory, behavior, virtual reality, in vivo two-photon calcium imaging, in vivo electrophysiology, systems neuroscience
Scott Handley, PhD
Professor
- Email: shandley@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Computational and Systems Biology
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Immunology
Research summary
Key words
Richard Harbison, MD, MS
Assistant Professor
- Email: hrichard@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Immunology
Computational and Systems Biology
Research summary
Studying effects of dysregulated nutrients in the tumor microenvironment on anti-tumor immunity.
Key words
immunometabolism, tumor immunology, polyamine transport
Simon Haroutounian, PhD, MSc
Assistant Professor
- Email: sharout@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Research summary
Dr. Haroutounian studies neuropathic pain with a focus on determining individual predictors of treatment response to analgesic pharmacotherapy.
Key words
Robbie Hart, PhD
Director, William L. Brown Center
- Email: robbiehart@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Research summary
The ecology and ethnobotany of mountain ecosystems
Key words
ecology, ethnobotany, ethnobiology, phenology, plant science