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Lijuan Feng

Assistant Professor

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

Research summary
Our lab studies how disease-associated histone mutations disrupt chromatin and epigenetic regulation, contributing to developmental disorders, brain inflammation, and cancer. We take a multidisciplinary approach that combines biochemical and genomic assays, molecular genetics, cell biology, and both Drosophila and mouse models to investigate how these mutations impair development and drive tumorigenesis. Current projects focus on neurodevelopmental disorders, cancer-associated histone mutations, chromatin–immune crosstalk, and the discovery of chromatin-associated factors. Through this work, we aim to uncover fundamental mechanisms of chromatin dysregulation and identify new therapeutic targets.

Key words
Chromatin, Epigenetics, Gene Regulation, Cancer, Developmental Disorders, Brain Inflammation

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Francesca Ferraro, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor

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

Research summary
We use both mouse models and patient samples of acute myloid leukemia to understand leukemogenesis and to identify novel therapeutic targets.

Key words

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Jennifer Foltz, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Computational and Systems Biology
Immunology
Cancer Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Biomedical Informatics and Data Science

Research summary
My research interests lie in integrating and applying novel computational biology techniques with mechanistic experimental immunology to understand drivers of response and resistance to NK cell therapies for cancer

Key words
natural killer cells, computational biology, single-cell sequencing, immunotherapy, nk cells

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Antonina Frolova, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Molecular Cell Biology

Research summary
Improve obstetric outcomes for women and their neonates by understanding and targeting mechanisms of dysfunctional uterine contractility

Key words

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Mathieu Garand, PhD

Instructor

Program affiliation
General

Research summary
My research investigates neonatal immune responses after surgery and their connection to congenital heart disease. Clinical trial to study immune responses in pediatric pulmonary valve transplant recipients, both living and cryopreserved.

Key words
congenital heart disease, viral infection, immune responses, transcriptomic, biomarkers, immunophenotyping

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Aimilia Gastounioti, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Biomedical Informatics and Data Science
Cancer Biology

Research summary
Translational research in the intersection of computational breast imaging, artificial intelligence, and informatics towards improving breast cancer screening

Key words
breast cancer, computational imaging analytics, machine learning, deep learning, artificial intelligence, big data, data science, precision medicine

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Robert Gereau, PhD

Professor

Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Molecular Cell Biology

Research summary
Cellular and molecular mechanisms of chronic pain, preclinical and translational research

Key words
pain, optogenetics, ion channel, synaptic transmission, signal transduction, electrophysiology, in vivo imaging, genetics

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Nicole Gilbert, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis

Research summary
We study host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions in the female reproductive and urinary tracts, with a focus on the vaginal microbiome and UTIs

Key words
urinary tract infection, vaginal microbiome, women's health, host-pathogen interactions, mucosal immunology

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Vivian Gonzalez-Perez, PhD

Assistant Professor

Program affiliation
Molecular Cell Biology
Neurosciences

Research summary

Key words

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Malachi Griffith, PhD

Associate Professor

Program affiliation
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Biomedical Informatics and Data Science
Cancer Biology
Computational and Systems Biology

Research summary
Improving our understanding of human disease biology and the development of personalized medicine strategies using genomics and informatics technologies

Key words
genomics, bioinformatics, data mining, immunogenomics, precision medicine, personalized medicine, cancer vaccines, and cancer research