Interdisciplinary Program Faculty
EPR spectroscopy to determine the ligation of metals in (primarily, copper) proteins and complex biological systems
RNA localization in yeast
Molecular and functional characterization of receptors for the endogenous nucleoside adenosine and the potential for cardiac regeneration following myocardial infarction using embryonic stem cells
Cell and molecular biology of early heart development
Molecular mechanisms of integrin activation
Mechanisms of Bacterial Toxin Action
Transcriptional control of liver and gut development and physiology
Regulation of CD4 T cell immunity following vaccination and infection
Role of transaction metal ions in proteins that are involved in disease, infection, and injury
Genetic mechanisms underlying inter-individual variation in human drug metabolism; gene-environment interactions and human infant health outcomes
Cellular and molecular basis or circadian rhythmicity; the cellular basis of membrane turnover in retinal photoreceptors
RNA processing (splicing and ployadenylation) in cells and viruses
Mechanisms and sites of action in the human brain of cocaine, nicotine and marijuana
Retinal pigment epithelial cell biology and the contribution of oxidative stress to age-related cellular dysfunction
Regulation of vascular tone and adrenal steroidogenesis by endothelial factors
Profiling protein signatures in glioblastoma multiforme with differential response to bevacizumab (anti-VEGF) therapy useful for early diagnosis and better prognosis of the disease and to identify new therapeutic targets for individualized treatment
Structure-function relationships in the human retina, high-resolution retinal imaging, mechanisms of retinal degeneration
Transcriptional control and signaling during epicardial and early coronary vascular development
Mechanisms by which Ras induces p38gamma expression and by which p38gamma is required for Ras-induced transformation/invasion
Elucidation of the role of cytochromes and other electron-transporting proteins in reductive metal metabolism
Immunogenetics of Type 1 Diabetes
Signal transduction in platelets and leukocytes, thrombosis, non-receptor tyrosine kinases and phosphatases
We study function of small GTPases in the cardiovascular system using cell biology, biochemistry and in vivo approaches
Cell adhesion and signaling in blood and vascular cells
Molecular mechanisms underlying liver development and function, with a particular focus on the role played chromatin structure in the translational regulation of liver genes
Brain mechanisms in drug and non-drug addictive behavior
Pathogenic mechanisms of spirochetes that cause Lyme disease and leptospirosis
Elucidation of the innate tumor-suppresive mechanisms that activate senescence or cell death responses when oncogenic alterations occur in cells
Diabetes, beta-cell biology, inflammation innate immunity, cell signaling, cell fate decisions
Sex, vascular tone and arachidonic acid metabolism and thromboxane receptors in atherosclerosis
Glycobiology, lysosome biogenesis, lysosomal storage disorders, regulation of growth factor and protease activation
My laboratory investigates mechanisms by which vascular inflammation impairs vasodilatation and oxidative stress alters cell signaling to impair vascular function. Another major focus of my is developing novel tools/agents to inhibit key mediators of inflammation and oxidative to improve vascular function
Immune regulation of central nervous system autoimmunity
The Developmental Vascular Biology program investigates the basic mechanisms of blood vessel formation in vertebrates and the contribution of the vasculature to disease states. In particular, vascular conditions associated with children such as hemangiomas and solid tumors will benefit because ongoing studies in this program utilize developing zebrafish and mouse embryos.
Immunobiology of bone marrow transplantation
Transcriptional Regulation of Stem Cells
Molecular mechanisms underlying mammalian development
The effects of actual and simulated spaceflight uploading on neuromuscular structure and function and understanding vibration injury of tissues
Mucosal immunity; immune regulation in cancer
Cellular responses to mycobacterium tuberculosis
Neurodegenerative diseases, both understanding the molecular basis for the disease progression and finding effective experimental therapies
Our laboratory seeks to understand the etiology and optimize the treatment of the unique interstitial lung disease that occurs in patients with common variable immunodeficiency, looks to develop and implement novel assays that can be used in high-throughput population based screening to detect immunodeficiencies in newborns and to develop novel tumor vaccines that by harnessing the immunogenicity of adenovirus E1A
Elucidation of the effects of sleep deficiency on metabolic, endocrine, and inflammatory processes. Discovery of the specific physical properties that account for restoration by sleep.
Understanding HDL functionality, mechanisms that regulate the selective uptake of HDL-cholesterol and reverse cholesterol transport, the role of scavenger receptors in uptake of HDL-cholesterol, the relationship between scavenger receptor expression and changes in membrane lipids, the role of CD36 in the uptake of very long chain fatty acids
Biological and biochemical characterization of antimicrobial peptides, EPR site-directed spin labeling, and the structure and function of member proteins
Innate mucosal immunity, host-pathogen-microbiota interactions in the GI tract, the role of the intestinal microbiota in health and disease
Genetic regulation of exotoxin synthesis
Mechanistic study of gene transcription and its regulation in eukaryotic cells using structural and biochemical methods
Genetic control of inner ear and olfactory system development
Cellular mechanisms that regulate the activation of autoreactive B cells in autoimmune diseases such as lupus
Molecular genetics of hereditary eye disease
Effect of arachidonic acid products on smooth muscle relaxation of small resistance arteries
We study the molecular and cellular pathogenesis of common vascular disorders, including thrombosis, atherosclerosis and cancer angiogenesis. We focus on the role of a specific cellular receptor, CD36, expressed on platelets, macrophages, capillary endothelial cells and adipocytes, using mouse models of vascular disease and in vitro models with human cells, with a particular interest in characterizing receptor-ligand interactions, intracellular signaling pathways, and genetic regulatory pathways
Cellular and molecular mechanisms of synaptic plasticity
My laboratory is interested in identifying novel genes involved in the development and progression of type 2 diabetes. To this end, we use an outbred rat model for fine-mapping genetic loci, followed by sequencing and expression to narrow candidate genes.
Elucidation of pro-survival vs. pro-death signaling cascades in tumor cells and other mammalian cells exposed to oxidative challenges, including therapeutic challenges, with a special interest in nitric oxide-mediated pro-survival signaling
Dr. Sorokin's research is focused on mechanisms of initiation and progression of proliferative kidney diseases. Research in his laboratory is primarily focused on 1) understanding the role of endothelin signaling in hypertension induced nephropathy and proliferative glomerulonephritis; 2) cellular regulation of prostaglandin production with an emphasis on regulation of Cox-2 activity on the level of catalysis by proteins spatially co-localized with the enzyme in its natural environment; 3) elucidation of BK virus entry pathways and prevention of polyomavirus nephropathy after renal transplantation
Therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells in brain injury and neurodegenerative disorders
The Strande Lab is using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to study dystrophic cardiomyopathy, which is a type of heart failure that patients with Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy develop
The Grayson Lab is studying how viral respiratory infections drive the development of allergic diseases, like asthma, and how the microbiome affects the respiratory immune system
Molecules that sense touch and pain
Interface of stem cell biology and analytical protein biochemistry to better understand pluripotent stem cells and their derivatives in context of cardiac development and disease
Virus-host interaction: manipulation of the DNA damage response by gammaherpesviruses and herpesvirus kinases, regulation of viral chromatin, mouse models of human DNA damage response-associated diseases
A major focus of the Herrmann lab aims to understand retinal function on a cellular and molecular level.
Human cytomegalovirus-host cell protein interactions during infection
Type 1 diabetes, innate immunity, autoimmunity, functional genomics
Druggability of proteins involved in mitochondrial homeostasis in healthy and diseased cells to identify molecular mechanism and novel therapeutic routes
Cellular, molecular, and genetic changes that contribute to the process of lung tumorigenesis
Biochemical mechanisms involved in the synthesis, release, and degradation of the endocannabinoids, the role of endocannabinoid signaling in the regulation of mood and responses to stress and their effects on metabolic functions in the brain
Vaccinia virus: replication, morphogenesis, and the role of dynamic phosphorylation. VRK protein kinases: the role of the cellular VRKs in cell structure, function and proliferation
Mechanisms by which nitric oxide affects cellular functions at the level of individual protein modifications
Elucidation of the role of proteinases and proteinase inhibitors in corneal wound healing and corneal ulceration and exploration of the effects of maspin in corneal wound healing and in carcinogenesis
Superoxide generation from eNOS, regulation of NO production in the heart, and tetrahydrobiopterin in fetal brain development
Development of EPR instrumentation and extension of ways in which existing EPR and MRI can be used for new categories of biomedical problems
Elucidation of mechanisms by which eicosanoid metabolites influence cardiovascular function
Identify the particular susceptibility genes involved in the tumor promotion process and describe their mechanism of action
Transcription within a eukaryotic cell is not process in which RNA polymerase can freely access the DNA for either initiation or elongation of the transcript
NMR and crystallographic analysis of ligand binding and conformational dynamics in chemokines and other signaling proteins; structure-based drug discovery of novel anti-metastatic compounds
Viral genetics, virus-host cell interactions
Study signal transduction pathways that regulate hematopoietic stem cell and B cell biology
Leveraging molecular and cellular technologies, mouse models, and clinical specimens, my research focuses on understanding signaling pathways in tumor initiation, tumor progression, and therapeutic response and resistance with particular emphasis on prostate cancer and skin cancer
Cardioprotection (preconditioning and postconditioning) against ischemia and reperfusion injury by pharmacological agents including volatile anesthetics, neovascularization of ischemic myocardium by coronary collateral vessels, and actions of anesthetic agents and positive inotropic agents on left ventricular mechanisms in the absence and presence of disease states such as congestive heart failure
Cancer immunotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation immunology
Molecular mechanisms governing development of the mammalian central nervous system
Application of EPR in free radical biology and understanding the role of free radicals in signal transduction and apoptosis
Mechanisms of vascular endothelial dysfunction in humans with type 2 diabetes and/or hypertension
Structure-function relationships of enzymes and receptors by X-ray crystallography combined with various biochemical methods
Cell Biology and directional migration of the developing vasculature
Site-directed spin labeling EPR spectroscopy technique to study the functional dynamics of bacterial membrane and retinal proteins
Regulatory T cell development and function
Signal transduction and antibiotic resistance in gram-positive bacteria
Biochemical signaling pathways and cellular processes regulated by the Ras and Rho families of small GTPases
Electrophysiology of inherited cardiac arrhythmias; role of ion and nucleotide transport across the outer mitochondrial membrane in cardioprotection
Coupling of neuronal activity and energy metabolism at the cellular and molecular levels. Critical period of neurochemical and metabolic development in brain stem respiratory neurons. Photobiomodulation of neurons functionally inactivated by toxins
Understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms of synaptic plasticity
Identification of candidate lung cancer susceptibility genes by capture-sequencing of targeted regions or jeans and frequent somatic mutations in lung adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas by exome sequencing
Interactions between sensory nerves, mast cells, and fibroblasts in the heart and the role that these interactions play in the development of heart failure
Bacterial pathogenesis and host-cell interactions
Genetics and cell biology of ocular development and disease
Study the mechanism of receptor transmembrane signaling using structural, biochemical, and cell biology methods. Structure-based design of small molecules for disturbing receptor function.
Understand the mechanism of cocaine addiction