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.
Jarod Roland, MD
Assistant Professor
- Email: rolandj@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Research summary
My research aims to understand of how brain networks develop and adapt to changes caused by epilepsy, tumors, stroke, and or other neurological injuries. In particular I am interested in how children’s brains reorganize after neurosurgical treatment of these conditions.
Key words
intracranial electroencephalography, ieeg, resting state functional MRI, rs-fMRI, brain networks, development, epilepsy, neurosurgery
David Rosen, MD, PhD
Associate Professor
- Email: rosend@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Immunology
Research summary
Pathogenesis and host response to Klebsiella pneumoniae infections
Key words
Klebsiella pneumoniae, Antibiotic Resistance, Pneumonia, Urinary Tract Infection, Virulence Factors, Adaptive Immunity
Ronald Rubenstein, MD, PhD
Robert C. Strunk Endowed Chair for Lung and Respiratory Research Professor
- Email: rubenstein@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Molecular Cell Biology
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Research summary
Understanding the mechanisms by which a novel chaperone of the Endoplasmic Reticulum, ERp29, regulates the biogenesis of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR), the Epithelial Sodium Channel (ENaC), and other proteins related to pediatric pulmonary diseases
Key words
Cystic Fibrosis, Chaperone, Endoplasmic Reticulum, CFTR, ENaC/Epithelial Sodium Channel, Epithelia, Insulin, Trafficking, Biogenesis
Deborah Rubin, MD
Professor
- Email: drubin@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Research summary
Intestinal stem cells and the stem cell niche in intestinal injury/short bowel syndrome and colitis associated colon cancer, early colon cancer pathogenesis
Key words
Stem cells, epithelial proliferation, cancer, short bowel syndrome
Joshua Rubin, MD, PhD
Professor
- Email: Rubin_J@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Cancer Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Neurosciences
Research summary
Molecular mechanisms in pediatric brain tumorigenesis
Key words
tumor biology, signal transduction, stem cells, neural development, sexual dimorphism, circadaian rhythm, chemokines, cAMP
David Rudnick, MD, PhD
Associate Professor
- Email: rudnick_d@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Research summary
Molecular mechanisms of liver injury and regeneration
Key words
liver; regeneration; alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency; liver disease; aflatoxin; acute liver failure; cell cycle; mouse models; epigenetics; metabolism
Jai Rudra, PhD
Associate Professor
- Email: srudra22@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Research summary
Development of nano-scale biomaterials for engaging the immune system to induce protective antibody and cell-mediated immune responses against diseases
Key words
Yoram Rudy, PhD, FAHA, FHRS
The Fred Saigh Distinguished Professor of Engineering
- Email: rudy@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Research summary
Multiscale studies of cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmia using computational biology and imaging
Key words
ion channels, protein dynamics, cardiac cell electrophysiology, cardiac imaging
John Russell, PhD
Professor
- Email: jrussell@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
General
Research summary
CNS/lymphocyte interactions regulating inflammation and pathogenesis in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis
Key words
apoptosis, autoimmunity, imaging, inflammation, multiple sclerosis
Mark Rutherford, PhD
Associate Professor
- Email: rutherfordmark@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Research summary
Cellular mechanisms underlying our systems of sound and balance encoding in development, in maturity, and in pathology of hearing or vestibular function
Key words
cochlea, neurodegeneration, synapse, excitotoxicity, encoding sound
Philip Ruzycki, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Email: p.ruzycki@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Biomedical Informatics and Data Science
Neurosciences
Computational and Systems Biology
Research summary
Key words
Nancy Saccone, PhD
Associate Professor
- Email: nlims@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Human and Statistical Genetics
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Computational and Systems Biology
Research summary
Statistical genetics, complex human diseases, analysis methods
Key words
genetics, substance dependence, addiction, human disease gene mapping, association studies, linkage analysis
Jose Saenz, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Email: saenzj@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Molecular Cell Biology
Research summary
Gastric epithelial responses to acute and chronic gastric injury
Key words
double-stranded RNA, host response, Helicobacter pylori
Rajan Sah, MD, PhD
Associate Professor
- Email: rajan.sah@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Molecular Cell Biology
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Research summary
Study the function of novel ion channels as they relate to growth and metabolism
Key words
Naresha Saligrama, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Email: nareshas@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Immunology
Neurosciences
Biomedical Informatics and Data Science
Research summary
Adaptive immune responses in neuroinflammatory, neurodegenerative, and neuropsychiatric diseases
Key words
Neuroimmunology, Autoimmunity, T cell receptors, Antigens
Lawrence Salkoff, PhD
Professor
- Email: salkoffl@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Molecular Cell Biology
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Research summary
How ion channels function in physiology and behavior
Key words
neurobiology, genome analysis, development, behavior, physiology
Vijay Samineni, PhD
Assistant Professor
- Email: vksamineni@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Computational and Systems Biology
Research summary
Intersection between visceral sensation, organ function, and emotions
Key words
Visceral Pain, Genomics, Neural Circuits, Emotions
Mark Sands, PhD
Professor
- Email: mssands@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Neurosciences
Molecular Cell Biology
Research summary
Pathophysiology and novel therapies for lysosomal storage diseases
Key words
gene therapy, hematopoiesis, metabolism, neurobiology, neurodegeneration, stem cells
Celia Santi Grau Perez, MD, PhD
Associate Professor
- Email: santic@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Molecular Cell Biology
Research summary
Aspects of sexual reproduction that involve membrane excitability and control of membrane voltage in spermatozoa, which are essential for the sperm to fertilize the egg
Key words
male fertility, ion channels, sperm physiology,
Marco Sardiello, PhD
Associate Professor
- Email: sardiello@wustl.edu
Program affiliation
Molecular Cell Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Research summary
My laboratory uses genetics, cell biology and systems biology approaches to study how the cell regulates its metabolic programs and how dysfunctions in these programs lead to neurological disease
Key words