Graduate School Bulletin

Faculty of the Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology Program

Distinguished Professors

Frohman, Michael A., Chair, M.D., Ph.D., 1985, University of Pennsylvania: Neural differentiation and signal transduction.

Hannun, Yusuf, M.D., 1981, American University in Beirut. Sphingolipid metabolism.

Tsirka, Styliani-Anna (Stella) E., Ph.D., 1989, University of Thessaloniki, Greece: Neuronal-microglial interactions in the physiology and pathology of the central nervous system.

Leading Professor

Cohen, Ira S., M.D., Ph.D., 1974, New York University: Electrophysiology of the heart.

Professors

Boon, Elizabeth, Ph.D., California Institute of Technology, 2003, Chemical Biology, Enzymology, Bioinorganic Chemistry, and Spectroscopy

Demple, Bruce, Ph.D., UC Berkeley; Mechanisms and roles of human enzymes that repair oxidative (free radical) damage in DNA

Chen, Fei, Ph.D., Nantong Medical College/Peking University Health Sciences Center, Oncogenic drivers and mechanisms of carcinogenesis.

Colognato, Holly, Ph.D. 1999, Rutgers University: Extracellular matrix in the brain: roles during development and during neurodegeneration.

Du, Congwu, Ph.D. Luebeck University, Germany; In vivo optical imaging of neuronal-glio-vascular interactions and the effects of drug-elicited brain functional changes.

Dubnau, Josh, Ph.D., Columbia University. Investigate novel mechanism proposed to underlie amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD).

Enikolopov, Grigori, Ph.D., Moscow State University; Adult neural stem cells and adult neurogenesis.

Futcher, Bruce, Ph.D., Oxford University. Molecular genetics in yeast and computational analysis. Control of cell division, and mechanisms of protein translation.

Garcia-Diaz, Miguel; Ph.D. 2003, University Autonoma of Madrid, Spain: Mechanisms of mitochondrial gene expression/Mechanisms of DNA synthesis and repair.\

Ge, Shaoyu, Ph.D. University of Science and Technology (China). To examine the functional integration of new neurons into brain circuit

Ghebrehiwet Berhane, D.V.M., D.Sc.: C1q receptor mediated cellular responses with particular emphasis on inflammation and microbial infection.

Hearing, Patrick, Ph.D., 1980, Northwestern University: Adenovirus regulation of cellular proliferation and gene expression; adenovirus vectors for human gene therapy.

Joshua-Tor, Leemor, Ph.D., 1991, The Weizmann Institute of Science. Nucleic acid regulation; RNAi; molecular recognition.

Karzai, Wali A., Ph.D., 1995, Johns Hopkins University: Biochemistry and structural biology of RNA-protein interactions, translational control of gene expression, and drug discovery.

Lin, Richard, M.D., University of California San Francisco. Intracellular signaling molecules that regulate cell growth.

Liu, Ke Jian ‘Jim’, Ph.D., The University of Leeds, UK. Molecular mechanisms of metal carcinogenesis; DNA repair and somatic mutations

Ma, Yupo, M.D., Ph.D., Jinhan College of Medicine/University of South Alabama. Leukemic stem cells/Stem cell therapy.

Mallipattu, Sandeep K., MD, Boston University. Investigating the molecular mechanisms involved in the development and progression of kidney disease.

McKinnon, David, Ph.D., 1987, Australian National University, Australia: Molecular physiology of neurons and cardiac muscle.

Miller, W. Todd, Ph.D., 1987, Rockefeller University: Signal transduction by tyrosine kinases.

Miller, Lisa, Ph.D., 1995, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The chemical makeup of tissue in disease using high-resolution infrared and xray imaging.

Moll, Ute M., M.D., 1970, Ulm, Germany: Tumor suppressor gene research; mechanism of p53 inactivation.

Reich, Nancy C., Ph.D., 1983, University at Stony Brook: Signal transduction and gene expression induced by cytokines and viral infection.

Rigas, Basil, M.D. 1972, Athens Univ Med School; D.Sc. 1975, Athens Univ. Med. School, Greece: NSAIDs in the prevention of colon cancer.

Rizzo, Robert, Ph.D. 2001, Yale University: Computational Research Projects in Cancer, HIV/AIDS, Influenza, and Method Development.

Seeliger, Markus, Ph.D., 2003, Cambridge University, Trinity College; Using NMR and ligand binding kinetics to study Abl and Src kinase domains.

Simmerling, Carlos,  Ph.D., 1994, University of Illinois, Chicago: Computational chemistry and structural biology; molecular dynamics of biological macromolecules.

Shroyer, Kenneth, M.D. 1987, Ph.D. 1983, University of Colorado. The molecular characterization of benign, premalignant, and malignant lesions of the female genital tract.

Takemaru, Ken-Ichi, Ph.D., 1997, Graduate University for Advanced studies, Japan: Wnt Signaling in Development and Disease.

Tang, Shao-Jun, Ph.D., University of Toronto. Neuron-glia interaction in pain pathogenesis induced by opioids, HIV, or antiretroviral drugs.

Thomsen, Gerald H., Ph.D., The Rockefeller University. Vertebrate Embryonic Development.

Tonge, Peter,  Ph.D. 1986, University of Birmingham: Biological chemistry and enzyme mechanisms; quantitating substrate strain in enzyme-substrate complexes using vibrational spectroscopy; rational drug design.

Tuveson, David, M.D./Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University; Detection and treatment of pancreatic cancer

Vorkas, Charles, MD. Weill Cornell Medicine. Innate lymphocyte biology of infectious diseases and cancer; Mycobacterium tuberculosis, tick-borne diseases, and hematologic malignancies

Wang, Zhishan, MD, Ph.D., Tongji Medical University. Environmental carcinogenesis, Cancer biology and Cancer therapy.

Yang, Chengfeng, Ph.D., National University of Singapore/Tongji Medical University. RNA dysfunction in carcinogenesis and resistance to cancer therapies. 

Yang, Vincent, MD, Ph.D., Princeton University/Rutgers University. Identifying the causes and treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies .

White, Thomas, Ph.D., 1994, Harvard University; Molecular biology and physiology of gap junction channels.

Wollmuth, Lonnie, Ph.D., 1992, University of Washington: Molecular mechanisms of synaptic transmission.

Associate Professors

Airola, Michael V., Ph.D. Membrane biochemistry, lipid metabolism and transport, cancer and antifungal drug development

Bowen, Mark, Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1998, Single molecule spectroscopy; Coordination of post-synaptic glutamate receptor signaling by the MAGUK family of scaffolds.

Brouzes, Eric, Ph.D. Institut Curie, Paris. Analyzing heterogeneity of cancer tissues.                                                                                                                

Carpino, Nicolas, Ph.D., 1997, Stony Brook University. Positive and Negative Regulation of T cell Receptor Signaling.

Carrico, Isaac, Ph.D., 2003, California Institute of Technology. Chemical Biology, Bioorganic Chemistry and Protein Engineering.

Clarke, Christopher, Ph.D. University of Manchester. Oncogenic reprogramming of sphingolipid metabolism as a driver of anoikis resistance and metastasis.

Chung, Jun, Ph. D. 1999, Washington University, St. Louis. Cancer invasion and metastasis.

Enikolopov, Grigori N., Ph.D. 1978, Institute of Molecular Biology, USSR Academy of Science: Stem cells; neurogenesis; development; signal transduction

Glynn, Steven, Ph. D. The University of Sheffield. Proteolytic machines in mitochondria.

Kaczocha, Martin, Ph.D., Stony Brook University; Neuroscience, acute and chronic pain, drug development, lipid signaling.

Kim, Hyungjin, Ph.D., Washington University, St. Louis. Regulation of DNA repair in cancer susceptibility pathways.

Kumar, Pawan, Ph.D., University of Southampton. IL-17 and IL-22 mediated intestinal mucosal host defense.

Laughlin, Scott, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley. Chemical Biology & Neuroscience.

Li, Feng-Qian, Ph.D., Graduate University of Advanced Studies, Japan. Signaling: Cell Signaling, Cancer, Stem cells, Protein trafficking and Disease

Luk, Ed, Ph.D., How cells organize chromatin structure to accommodate and control gene expression.

Martin, Benjamin, Ph.D., Molecular basis of stem cell development and cancer pathogenesis.

Martinez, Luis, Ph.D. 1994, University of Texas at Austin. Alterations of p53 in cancer development.

Plotkin, Joshua, Ph.D. UCLA; Striatal microcircuitry underlying normal behavior and disorders such as OCD 

Puopolo, Michelino, Ph.D., University of Ferrara; Ion channels and neuronal excitability. Mechanisms of pain.

Seeliger, Jessica, Ph.D., Stanford University. Membrane biosynthesis, structure & behavior in bacterial pathogenesis

Van der Velden, Adrianus, Ph.D., Oregon Health and Science University; The mammalian T cell response to Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium

Yang, Wei, Ph.D., Peking University. Harnessing the power of multi-level proteomics to understand and prevent cancer metastasis.

Zhan, Huichun, M.D., Peking Union Medical College; Pathogenesis and treatment of myeloproliferative neoplasms.

Assistant Professors

Acosta-Martinez, Maricedes, PhD. 202, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Neuroendocrine regulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad (HPG) axis.

Brownlee, Christopher W., Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley Molecular mechanisms of spindle orientation, ciliogenesis, polarity, cytokinesis, and axonogenesis.

Cheung, Leonard, Ph.D., University College London, UK. Genetic manipulation of the Wnt and Notch signaling pathways in the pituitary gland in vivo.

Damaghi, Mehdi, Ph.D., Max Planck Institute, Dresden, Germany. Evolution of metabolic phenotypes in variable tumor microenvironment.

Dos Santos, Camila, Ph.D. Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil; epigenetic regulation of normal and malignant mammary gland development.

Hsieh, Helen, MD/Ph.D., Stony Brook University. Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) and Neurodevelopment: the Role of Inflammation in Brain Development.

Hu, Chi-Kuo, Ph.D., Harvard University. Biology of dormancy during development and aging, with the African killifish as the main research organism.

Luberto, Chiara, Ph.D., Catholic University of Rome, School of Medicine. Regulation of sphingolipid signaling and the impact dysregulation might have on certain diseases, such as specific types of cancer.

Misra, Jyoti R., Ph.D., University of Utah. Growth regulation by the Hippo Signaling pathway in development and cancer.

Montrose, David, Ph.D. University of Connecticut; Colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, microbiota, metabolism.

Nadkarni, Neil, M.D., Boston University. Translational stroke, inflammation, physiology and behavior.

Rahme, Gilbert J., Ph.D., Dartmouth College. Cancer epigenetics with a focus on brain tumors.

Serbryany, Eugene, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Chemical biophysics of proteins in vitro and in vivo.

Sher, Roger, Ph.D., University of California, Davis. My research is committed to studying the complexity inherent in biological systems for the purpose of improving human health, focusing on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Alzheimer's Disease, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Talos, Flaminia, Ph.D., 2006, Stony Brook University; Specification and clonal fate analysis of prostate epithelial cells in organogenesis and cancer.

Tan, Dongyan, Ph.D., Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Structure and function of macromolecules in epigenetic regulation.

Wan, Ledong, Ph.D., Zhejiang University. RNA Metabolism, Pancreatic Cancer, Inflammation.

 

Number of teaching, graduate, and research assistants, Fall 2018: 42