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.

Mentorship 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.

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Usheer Kanjee, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Immunology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics

Research summary

Key words

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

Sana Karam, MD, PhD

James S McDonnell Professor & Head of the Department of Radiation Oncology

Program affiliation
Immunology
Cancer Biology
Computational and Systems Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics

Research summary

Key words
tumor growth, metastasis, signaling mechanisms, immunology, cancer, B cells, Tregs

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

Peggy Kendall, MD

Virginia Minnich Distinguished Professor

Program affiliation
Immunology

Research summary
The role of B lymphocytes in autoimmune disease

Key words

Adam Kepecs, PhD

Robert J. Terry Professor and BJC Investigator

Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Computational and Systems Biology

Research summary
Neurobiology of cognition, decision-making and applications to biological psychiatry. Brain-body interactions

Key words

Daniel Kerschensteiner, MD

Professor

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

Research summary
Visual system neuroscience and vision restoration

Key words
physiology, imaging, behavior, genetic and viral engineering, human neuroscience, vision, repair, mathematical modeling

Dineo Khabele, MD

Mitchell & Elaine Yanow Professor & Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Program affiliation
Cancer Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Molecular Cell Biology
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology

Research summary
clinical and translational research in gynecologic oncology, with a focus on ovarian cancer

Key words

Albert Kim, MD, PhD

August A. Busch, Jr. Professor

Program affiliation
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Computational and Systems Biology
Neurosciences
Cancer Biology

Research summary
Genetic and epigenetic changes that drive malignant behavior in brain tumors

Key words
brain tumors, glioblastoma, meningioma, neural stem cells

Alfred Kim, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Immunology

Research summary
Identifying the role of cytokines in glomerular injury

Key words
B cell, podocytes, renal imaging, cytokines, systemic lupus erythematosus, biomarkers

Jae-Sung Kim, PhD

Professor

Program affiliation
Molecular Cell Biology
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology

Research summary
Mitochondria and autophagy in ischemic liver injury and liver aging

Key words
mitochondria, liver, fatty liver disease

Jinkyung Kim, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Molecular Cell Biology
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology

Research summary
We study auditory coding and processing using in vivo methods such as two-photon imaging, optogenetics, inner ear drug/gene delivery, and hearing physiology recording.

Key words
Sensory research, Auditory research, Auditory circuit, In vivo two-photon imaging, Optogenetics, Electrophysiology, Drug delivery, Hearing loss, Ototoxicity, Ear

Miriam Kim, MD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Immunology
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Cancer Biology

Research summary
My goal is to understand how CAR T cells interact with their immune environment, and to manipulate these interactions to improve outcomes of treatment.

Key words
CAR T cells, HSCs, cell therapy, gene therapy, cancer

Jonathan Kipnis, PhD

BJC Investigator & Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Distinguished Professor

Program affiliation
Immunology
Neurosciences
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Molecular Cell Biology

Research summary
We study complex interactions between the immune and nervous systems in health and disease

Key words
Neuroimmunology; neuroscience; immunology; lymphatics; behavior; Alzheimer’s disease; neurodegeneration; glia; microglia; blood-brain barrier (BBB); meninges

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