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Faculty Overview


Molecular Biology Faculty

The research interests of the more than forty program faculty include structure and function of nucleic acids, mechanisms of DNA replication, RNA transcription and mRNA translation, the structure and function of viruses, genes and gene products controlling cell cycle progression, cell death and development, protein trafficking, signal transduction, hormone receptors, and structural biology. To study these important and exciting fields, our faculty employ experimental systems such as bacteria, viruses, yeast cells, Xenopus oocytes, Drosophila, C. elegans, human tissue culture cells, and genetically engineered mice. Our faculty also provide training in high resolution structure of proteins and RNA/DNA by x-ray crystallography and NMR. Because of the solid funding record of all participating faculty, graduate students find unlimited opportunities to perform research in an atmosphere of both guidance and freedom.

  
Research Description
Anderson, Steven
Signal Transduction by cytokine receptors, breast cancer.
Appel, Bruce
Development and repair of the vertebrate nervous system
Artinger, Kristin
Molecular, genetic, and developmental mechanisms involved in the patterning of the early spinal cord (neural plate) during vertebrate embryogenesis.
Barton, David
Enterovirus RNA replication.
Bayer, Ulli
Molecular memory and synaptic plasticity, cellular signal transduction and neuronal function, CaMKII and Ca2+ signaling.
Bentley, David
Eukaryotic mRNA biogenesis: transcription and RNA processing.
Bradford, Andrew
Regulation of tissue specific gene expression in response to hormonal and growth factor stimuli, characterization of fibroblast growth factor signaling in the pituitary, and the role of protein kinase C in endometrial cancer.
Britt, Steven
Visual system development and function using molecular-genetic approaches in Drosophila.
Churchill, Mair
Structural biology of gene regulatory mechanisms
Davis, Richard
Novel forms of RNA, RNA metabolism, and chromatin diminution.
DeGregori, James
Leukemia initiation and maintenance
Eisenmesser, Elan
Viral protein/host protein interactions and enzyme motions
Evans, Thomas
The control of embryonic polarity.
Ford, Heide
The SIX family of homeobox genes and their role in development, cell cycle control and tumorigenesis.
Graham, Douglas
TAM family of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases (RTKs) and how these RTKs contribute to the development and progression of human cancer
Gutierrez-Hartmann, Arthur
My laboratory focuses on two main projects: (1) elucidating the molecular mechanisms governing pituitary-specific gene expression; and, (2) determining the role of Ets transcription factors in breast cancer.
Hagman, James
Regulation of B lymphocyte - specific transcription and differentiation
Hesselberth, Jay
Genomics of gene regulation.
Holers, Michael
Signal transduction through complement receptors.
Holmes, Kathryn
Virus receptors and their roles in virus pathogenesis and evolution.
Holmes, Randall
Molecular characterization of bacterial toxins - gene regulation in pathogenic bacteria.
Hooper, Joan
Molecular genetics of pattern formation -- Drosophila segmentation
Howell, Kathryn
Membrane traffic in both exocytic and endocytic pathways.
Hu, Cheng-Jun
Role of hypoxic response in tumor progression and metastasis
Huang, Mingxia
Function and regulation of the DNA damage response.
Jackson, Twila
Estrogen actions , Endometrial Cancer
Johnston, Mark
Functional genomics, glucose sensing and signaling.
Jones, David
How the three-dimensional structure of proteins and nucleic acids controls their biological function. NMR is used to study the structure and dynamics of biological molecules implicated in the development and progression of disease.
Kieft, Jeffrey
Control of translation by RNA structure. RNA-protein interactions.
Kutateladze, Tatiana
Biochemistry and Structural Biology; determination of the three-dimensional structures of proteins implicated in cancer by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography; the study of epigenetics and deciphering the histone code; molecular mechanisms of protein-phospholipid interactions; structure-based drug design.
Li, Chuan-Yuan
Deciphering the molecular mechanisms of tumor response to treatment, including how tumors regeneration/repopulate after therapy, by use of state-of-the-art molecular biology and imaging tools and animal models
Liu, Changwei
The ubiquitin proteasome pathway.
Low, Robert
Replication of mammalian mitochondrial (mt) DNA.
Maller, James
Biochemical and molecular basis of the control of cell division.
Martin, Sandy
Mechanism of LINE-1 retrotransposition. Differential gene expression during hibernation.
McManaman, James
Lactation and Lipid secretion.
Megee, Paul
Molecular basis of sister chromatid cohesion and chromosome segregation.
Niswander, Lee
Genetic and Cellular Control of Vertebrate Embryonic Development
Nordeen, Steven
Molecular mechanisms of steroid receptor mediated regulation of gene expression. Regulation of oncogene and mammary tumor virus transcription.
Pearson, Chad
Centriole assembly and function
Prekeris, Rytis
Molecular mechanisms regulating the establishment and maintenance of cellular polarity in epithelial cells and neurons.
Refaeli, Yosef
We are interested in the function of oncogenes in regulating normal immune function and their contribution to lymphoid malignancies.
Reyland, Mary
Regulation of apoptosis in epithelial cells by signal transduction pathways.
Roop, Dennis
Skin development and disease.
Schaack, Jerome
Gene therapy vectors; adenovirus preterminal protein function in the regulation of the infectious cycle
Sclafani, Robert
The regulation of the eukaryotic cell cycle.
Thorburn, Andrew
Apoptosis regulation in cancer development and treatment.
VanDyk, Linda
Control of growth regulation and differentiation of host cells in viral infection and persistence.
Vasil, Michael
Molecular mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis and gene regulation in procaryotes, including Mycobacteria tuberculosis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Voskuil, Martin
Mechanisms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis for survival during latent disease.
Wang, Xiao-Jing
Head, Neck, and Skin Cancer Research
Williams,Trevor
Transcriptional regulation of mouse embryonic development and the role of transcription factors in mammary gland development and breast cancer.
Zhao, Rui
Molecular mechanism of pre-mRNA splicing; drug design targeting transcriptional complex in breast cancer