Faculty

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

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

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

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

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

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

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;

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

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

Program affiliation
Molecular Cell Biology
Immunology

Research summary

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