Faculty

Program affiliation
Molecular Genetics and Genomics

Research summary
Our lab is focused on developing new, minimally invasive tools for rapid and accurate diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases during the pre-symptomatic phases and predicting of outcomes during the acute phase of ischemic strokes.

Key words

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

Research summary
Understanding the molecular mechanism of aging and longevity in mammals

Key words
aging, longevity, hypothalamus, metabolism, NAD biosynthesis, Sirt1, NAMPT, NAD World

Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology

Research summary
Our research program integrates protein engineering and systems neuroscience to address previously inaccessible questions about brain function, particularly in the area of social behavior.

Key words
Social Behavior, Protein engineering, Optics, Neural dynamics, Genetically encoded optical tools

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

Research summary
We aim to understand neural basis controlling behaviors in females across the lifespan

Key words
neurobiology, behavior, hormone, plasticity, maturation, aging, optogenetics, calcium imaging, and circuit tracing

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

Research summary
Precision medicine through metabolism-based imaging and therapy: from laboratory to clinical translation

Key words
cancer, metabolism, imaging, sex differences, body composition

Program affiliation
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Neurosciences

Research summary
Protein folding and misfolding, and the engineering and application of protein disaggregases to reverse misfolding

Key words
protein folding and misfolding; intrinsically disordered proteins, phase separation, and neurodegenerative disease; protein chaperones; protein engineering; amyloid; yeast models of protein misfolding

Program affiliation
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Biomedical Informatics and Data Science

Research summary
Interactions between the nervous and genitourinary systems during development, molecular basis for heterogeneity in progenitors and their lineage commitments in the GU tract, injury and regeneration using animal models, mechanisms of malformations using organoids from iPSCs

Key words
cell fate, gene expression, genomics, disease models, growth factor signaling, kidney, bladder, innervation, stem cells, organogenesis, nervous system development, birth defects

Program affiliation
Human and Statistical Genetics
Molecular Genetics and Genomics

Research summary
Cancer prevention and control, health disparities and community-based research

Key words

Program affiliation
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Cancer Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis

Research summary
The rational structure-based drug design and synthesis for cancer and infectious disease

Key words
protease, kinase, cancer, infection, lectin, chemistry, synthesis, drug discovery, peptidomimetic, inhibitor

Program affiliation
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis

Research summary
Characterization of human diseases associated with novel viral infections

Key words
Virology, microbiology, pathogen discovery, host-virus interactions, viral immunity, astroviruses, encephalitis, myocarditis, viral RNA structures