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.
Yusuke Okuno, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Email: okuno@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Research summary
Okuno Lab investigates how water molecules interact with protein surfaces and explores the underlying mechanisms of protein folding and aggregation through NMR spectroscopy.
Key words
Biophysics, NMR, solvent, protein hydration, aggregation, reverse micelles
Kenneth Olsen, PhD
George William and Irene Koechig Freiberg Professor
- Email: kolsen@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Plant and Microbial Biosciences
Research summary
Plant evolutionary biology, molecular population genetics, genetics of adaptation, phylogeography
Key words
evolution, genetics, plant biology, population genetics, molecular evolution
John Olson Jr., MD, PhD
William K. Bixby Professor and Head of the Department of Surgery
- Email: jaolson@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Cancer Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Research summary
Understanding endocrine tumor formation
Key words
David Ornitz, MD, PhD
Alumni Endowed Professor
- Email: dornitz@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Neurosciences
Research summary
Regulation of lung, skeletal, and cardiovascular development, injury response, and regeneration by Fibroblast Growth Factors
Key words
cell signaling; development; fibroblast growth factors; mouse models; stem cells, regeneration; pulmonary hypertension; alveologenesis; endocrine signaling
Miranda Orr, PhD
Associate Professor
- Email: orr.m@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Computational and Systems Biology
Immunology
Research summary
Key words
Anthony Orvedahl, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Email: aorvedahl@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Immunology
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Research summary
Understanding factors that regulate host immune responses to infectious and sterile triggers of severe inflammation
Key words
Jeramia Ory, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Email: oryjeramia@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
General
Research summary
Key words
fungi, bioinformatics, copper, mentoring, inclusion,
Philip Osdoby, PhD
Professor
- Email: osdoby@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Research summary
Bone remodeling cell and molecular events of osteoclast activity and development
Key words
extracellular matrix, bone biology, development, aging, osteoclast
Hysell Oviedo, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Email: hysell@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Computational and Systems Biology
Research summary
My research program aims to understand the neural circuits that underlie vocal communication processing and investigate how these circuits are disrupted in neuropsychiatric disorders.
Key words
Auditory System, Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Mouse Models, Communication Processing, Development
B. Duygu Ozpolat, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Email: bdozpolat@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Plant and Microbial Biosciences
Research summary
Mechanisms of reproductive cell regeneration and development
Key words
germline, reproduction, stem cells, regeneration, imaging, scRNAseq
Russell Pachynski, MD
Associate Professor
- Email: rkpachynski@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Cancer Biology
Immunology
Molecular Cell Biology
Research summary
Key words
Camillo Padoa-Schioppa, PhD
Professor
- Email: camillo@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Research summary
Neurobiology of economic decisions
Key words
decision making, neuroeconomics, neurophysiology, computational neuroscience, prefrontal cortex
Dave Pagliarini, PhD
Hugo F. and Ina C. Urbauer Professor
- Email: pagliarini@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Computational and Systems Biology
Research summary
We seek to understand the cellular and biochemical underpinnings of mitochondrial dysfunction in human diseases. Our work integrates large-scale methodologies with traditional biochemistry and cell biology to investigate the modulation, adaptation, and basic metabolic function of mitochondria.
Key words
Mitochondria, Protein biochemistry, Genetic screening, Metabolism, Biosynthesis, Orphan protein function, Proteomics, Metabolomics, Kinases and phosphates, Metabolic disease, Systems biochemistry
Stephen Pak, PhD
Associate Professor
- Email: stephen.pak@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
General
Research summary
High-throughput drug discovery using C. elegans models of protein aggregation disorders
Key words
Himadri Pakrasi, PhD
George William and Irene Koechig Freiberg Professor
- Email: pakrasi@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Plant and Microbial Biosciences
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Research summary
Systems and Synthetic Biology of photosynthetic organisms
Key words
Bioenergy, membrane proteins, photosynthesis, redox processes, systems biology, synthetic biology
Ben Palanca, MD, PhD, MSc
Associate Professor
- Email: palancab@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Research summary
Dr. Palanca has NIH-funded investigations on acute confusion after cardiac surgery and leveraging the anesthetic propofol to modulate sleep to treat depression and cognitive impairment.
Key words
Anesthesia, delirium, sleep, surgery, electroencephalography, imaging, fMRI, consciousness, cognition, encephalopathy, depression, antidepressant
Michael Paley, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Email: paleym@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Immunology
Computational and Systems Biology
Neurosciences
Research summary
Mechanisms of inflammation in immune-privileged organs
Key words
Hua Pan, PhD
Associate Professor
- Email: hpan@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Cancer Biology
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Immunology
Research summary
https://sites.wustl.edu/panlab/
Key words
Onco-Nephrology, Cardio-Oncology, Cancer, MRI, Gene/drug delivery, Machine Learning
Sona Pandey, PhD
Assistant Member
- Email: sonapandey@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Plant and Microbial Biosciences
Research summary
To understand how plants perceive and respond to abiotic stress
Key words
heterotrimeric G-proteins, abscisic acid, G-proteins, molecular genetics, biochemistry, genomics, proteomics, protein-protein interactions
Thomas Papouin, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Email: thomas.papouin@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Research summary
Mechanisms or neuron-glia interactions in health and disease
Key words
Astrocytes, Synapses, Neuromodulation, Behavior, Electrophysiology,