Faculty

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.

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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.

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Silvia Jansen, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Molecular Cell Biology
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology

Research summary
we study the molecular mechanisms that regulate the architecture, dimensions and dynamics of actin filament networks, and tune them to support essential cellular functions including cell migration, intracellular trafficking and cytokinesis.

Key words
actin cytoskeleton, microtubule, single molecule, live cell imaging, protein transport, Golgi, confocal microscopy

Ali Javaheri, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Molecular Cell Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics

Research summary

Key words

Reyka Jayasinghe, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
General

Research summary
Using single-cell sequencing and spatial imaging to learn about cancer initiation, progression and treatment.

Key words
scRNA, spatial transcriptomics, computational oncology, sequencing

Joseph Jez, PhD

Spencer T Olin Professor and HHMI Professor

Program affiliation
Plant and Microbial Biosciences
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology

Research summary
Exploring regulatory networks in metabolism – structural biology and biochemistry of plants and microbes

Key words
biochemistry, enzymology, plant biology, protein engineering, protein structure, structural biology

Shu (Joy) Jiang, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Biomedical Informatics and Data Science
Cancer Biology

Research summary
Development of novel statistical methods for precision medicine

Key words
Biostatistics; Image analysis; Dynamic risk prediction; Multistate models

Ramon Jin, MD,PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Cancer Biology

Research summary
I am interested in precursor conditions or metaplasias in the stomach and esophagus (i.e Barrett’s esophagus) as these lesions are key to understanding the formation of gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas.

Key words
Intestinal metaplasia, gastroesophageal cancer, Barrett’s esophagus, GI development, Organoids

Sheng Chih Jin, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Computational and Systems Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Biomedical Informatics and Data Science
Human and Statistical Genetics

Research summary
We use human genetic, functional genomic, and bioinformatic approaches to understand the consequence of genetic variants underlying diseases

Key words
Functional genomics, bioinformatics, human genetics, data science, rare diseases, structural variation

Tanner Johanns, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Immunology
Cancer Biology

Research summary
Novel immunotherapeutic strategies to treat solid tumors

Key words

Aaron Johnson, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Molecular Cell Biology
Immunology

Research summary
Molecular mechanisms of skeletal and cardiac muscle development and disease

Key words
muscle, congenital disease, organogenesis, gene discovery

Emma Johnson, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
General

Research summary
Using statistical and population genomics approaches to better understand the genetic architecture of complex traits, with a focus on substance use disorders.

Key words
behavioral genetics; genomics; statistical genetics; evolutionary genetics; population genetics; substance use disorders; cannabis; schizophrenia; complex traits; psychiatric disorders

Tao Ju, PhD

Associate Professor

Program affiliation
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology

Research summary
Developing geometric algorithms for interpreting protein structures from low-resolution density maps produced by cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography

Key words
molecular imaging, geometric algorithms, anatomical modeling, computer graphics, biomedicine

Yoon A Kang, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Cancer Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Immunology

Research summary
Decoding cell fate decision mechanisms to modulate lineage output for therapeutic purpose

Key words
Hematopoietic stem cells, Multipotent progenitors, Cell fate decision, Lineage specification, Stem cell biology, Cancer (myeloid leukemia), Aging

Thomas Kannampallil, PhD

Associate Professor

Program affiliation
Biomedical Informatics and Data Science

Research summary
Integrating cognitive, behavioral, and computational informatics techniques for developing health information technology solutions in the areas of clinical decision support, clinical reasoning, and clinical workflow

Key words

Vaishali Kapoor, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Cancer Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Immunology
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology

Research summary
A major component of my research program is to (1) develop strategies for improving the therapeutic ratio of radiation therapy by increasing tumor sensitivity to radiation and limiting normal tissue toxicity and (2) understand the biological mechanisms of treatment resistance.

Key words
Cancer targeting, antibodies, Translational research, Radiation, Lung Cancer, Glioblastoma, Signaling mechanisms

Celeste Karch, PhD

Professor

Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Molecular Cell Biology
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology

Research summary
Understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying tauopathies

Key words
neurodegeneration, neurogenetics, Alzheimer`s disease, frontotemporal dementia, tau, amyloid precursor protein, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), cell and molecular biology, molecular mechanisms

David Kast, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Molecular Cell Biology
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology

Research summary
Understand fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive the biogenesis and dynamics of intracellular membrane compartments

Key words
cytoskeleton, membranes, intracellular trafficking, organelle biogenesis, fluorescence, crystallography

Andrew Kau, MD, PhD

Associate Professor

Program affiliation
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Immunology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Computational and Systems Biology

Research summary
Microbial community-immune interactions in airway diseases and urogenital tract

Key words
microbiota; microbiome; mucosal immunity; asthma; allergy; atopy; urinary tract infection; pathogen colonization; metabolomics;

Charles Kaufman, MD, PhD

Associate Professor

Program affiliation
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Cancer Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics

Research summary
Understanding and modifying the mechanisms controlling the onset of melanoma cancer by integrating zebrafish models and human disease

Key words
melanoma, cancer initiation, epigenetics, molecular genetics, neural crest, zebrafish, cancer models

Andreas Kautt, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Neurosciences
Molecular Genetics and Genomics

Research summary
In the Kautt Lab, we combine a genomics-centered approach with molecular experiments, behavioral assays, and fieldwork to elucidate both the evolutionary and molecular mechanisms underlying organismal adaptation and diversification, with a focus on animal behavior.

Key words
Evolution, Genomics, Behavior, Adaptation, Speciation

Eirini Kefalogianni, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Molecular Cell Biology
Immunology

Research summary

Key words
cellular signaling, tissue injury, inflammation, fibrosis, kidney disease

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