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Research Interests

Abigail Agoglia

Elizabeth Andersen

My research interests involve the manifestation and neurobiological mechanisms underlying abnormal human behavior, emotional disturbances and disabling mental health conditions, including schizophrenia, depression and eating disorders. Specifically, my research goal is to assess the neural circuitry and structural abnormalities of individuals at high-risk for neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopment disorders by utilizing magnetic resonance imaging, electrophysiological scalp recordings and other appropriate research techniques, and to ultimately devise innovative treatment methods and potential preventative measures for these disorders.

Yunus Annayev

My research interest is studying the mechanism and regulation of protein function using biochemical and biophysical techniques.

My research interest is understanding basic life processes at the cellular and molecular level, especially the way cells of eukaryotes, prokaryotes and their associated viruses carry out and regulate essential processes such as transcription, genome replication, protein translation and signal transduction.

Jeanette Baran-Gale

My research interest is to explore how parts of the immune system function both normally and under the influence of a disease such as Cancer. I am also interested in exploring the causes and effects of Cancer as well as exploring possible therapeutics.

My research interest is in regulation of cellular proteins and how that affects cellular processes. In particular, improper regulation of cellular proteins can cause a disruption in the cell cycle and replication and lead to cancer.

My research interests involve using genetics to solve real world problems that will benefit the world in which I live. One of my research interests involves elucidating the system of siRNAs in vertebrate species, humans in particular. Using this knowledge, I hope to assist in the use of siRNAs for treatment of disease in the human population. Another research interest of mine involves the genetic basis of aging.

Erin Borchardt

My research interests fall broadly within the genetics and molecular biology of bacteria but I’d like my education to be as interdisciplinary as possible. In the long term, I’d like to apply the skills and experience I gain through graduate school to the field of synthetic biology.

Hailey Brighton

My research insterests involve focusing on cellular motility and/or cellular division. I wish to use a broad range of scientific tools and techniques such as live cell imaging, genetics, and biochemistry in order to further investigate the role and regulation of cytoskeletal dynamics during these processes.

Krizia Cabrera Toro

My research interests are mostly on DNA. I enjoy topics related to DNA such as DNA replication and recombination and chromosome stability, among others, no matter the model organism used. Nevertheless, I am open to learning about a variety of scientific topics.

Marissa Cann

My research interests involve the application of laboratory research into human medicine. I'd like to understand human diseases at a molecular level in order to identify potential drug targets and develop new therapeutic agents. Specifically, I am interested in signal transduction pathways and cancer biology.

Nicole Capik

My research interests lie in the neural mechanisms of learning and memory, and how these contribute to drug seeking behavior and drug addiction in animal models. Specifically, I am interested in how alterations in synaptic plasticity within the basal ganglia are caused by and contribute to drug-seeking and drug-taking behavior, utilizing experimental techniques such as microdialysis, whole-cell and field potential recording, voltammetry, and operant behavior.

My research interests are in researching mechanisms by which cancer cells adapt and modify cellular machinery to promote tumor formation and evade apoptosis. In addition, I am interested in developing screens to look for novel therapeutic targets or treatments for aggressive cancers.

Aaron Cook

My research interestes lie in three main areas of study that I would like to explore. 1. de novo blood vessel formation and development, 2. Neuronal migration related to brain development, and 3. cancer growth, progression and metastisis. Ultimately, I would like to focus my studies in order to further
elucidate mechanisms related to the cell‐cell and cellcytoskeleton biology related to the normal development and pathologies involved one of the three areas.

John Croft

My research interests involve using biochemical and spectroscopic techniques to better understand the macromolecular interactions involved in cellular pathogenesis.

Danielle Cunningham

My research interests focus on the interaction between pathogenic bacteria and DNA tumor viruses and the effect these interactions have on disease outcome. I am interested in investigating the disease process of DNA tumor viruses and other host or environmental factors involved in the development of certain cancers types.

Trisha Dant

My research interests lie with the immune system’s ability to not only prevent many detrimental diseases but to also cause them. While pursuing my PhD, I hope to discover some of the elusive elements of the immune system which, when faulty, cause disease in humans. I hope that my research will be therapeutically relevant and lead to new treatment options for patients.

Heather Decot

My research interests include genetics and the nervous system, especially the suspect genes being investigated for their roles in the etiologies of brain disorders such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. Another goal of mine is to increase public awareness and education on mental illness in the hopes to diminish the stigma associated with it.

Qing Duan

My research interests are understanding the relationship between genetic factors and complex diseases utilizing statistical genetics and bioinformatics approach. I hope to contribute to the prevention or treatment of human disease.

My research interest focuses on studying the roles of cellular signaling through membrane bound receptors, specifically GPCR’s, in human disease and the development of potent receptor specific drugs.

Brian Garrett

My research interests are in investigating the ways in which protein structure determines function and how this is played out in biological processes.

Jacob Gauer

My research interest is to learn more about the application of quantitative techniques to understanding biology. I want to achieve this by by applying the knowledge gained in one specific system of study to a better, more general theoretical understanding of the way biology works.

Christopher Givens

My research interest is to study on the cutting edge of genetics, genomics, and molecular biology. Eventually, I would like to take this interest and use it to impact the field of either medicine or agriculture.

Daniel Goulet

My research interests are cellular processes such as transcription initiation, protein folding and cell signaling require protein complexes which assemble into specific conformations. I hope to further understand the nature of specificity and promiscuity in protein-protein interactions, and how this may change over evolutionary time.

Melinda Grosser

Jon Hagar

My research interests are in the elucidation of host-pathogen interactions and potential platforms therein for translational medicine development.

Jane Hartung

My research interest is in studying cell signaling mechanisms within the context of the nervous system. Some of the major questions I would like to address are how and why a cell in the nervous system responds to an outside stimulus in a specific manner. Further, how can the knowledge of this cellular activity provide insight into solving various nervous system-related diseases?

Cassandra Hayne

My research interest is in protein involvement with cell signaling pathways that are associated with human diseases, particularly cancer. I am also interested in other oncogenesis mechanisms. Through my research, I hope to be involved with translational medicine.

Sur Herrera Paredes

My research interest is in the study of complex systems through the integration of computational and experimental approaches. I am particularly interested in systems where interactions occur at multiple temporal and spatial scales. I am interested in using the modern wealth of biological information an turning it into meaningful insight.

Natalie Holman

My research interests include mechanistic toxicology, drug interactions, chemical biology, and protein-ligand interactions. I hope to use a physiological approach and analytical methods in an interdisciplinary project that addresses at least two of these research topics as they relate to human disease.

Julie Holsclaw

My research interests are in translational medicine research models for diseases that affect developing nations (HIV, malaria, etc). I have experience with yeast as a model organism but I am looking forward to branching into other model systems as well. I hope to utilize computational methods such as GWAS and comparison studies to elucidate and counteract rapid mutation rates in an effort to find effective and affordable treatments.

Julianne Huang

My research interests are with the various topics within translational research. I am interested in the possibility of clinical application at the result of my research.

Bin-Jin Hwang

My research interests are in immunology and its application in immunotherapy and vaccine design. I am also interested in tumor/ microenviroment interaction, host/pathogen interaction and virology. Also, I wish to participate in translation research.

David Irvin

My research interest is the study of cancer at the molecular level. I am broadly interested in gene regulation, tumor-stromal interactions, the metastasis cascade, and signal transduction.

Joshua Jennings

My research interest is to elucidate the role of distinct neural circuits underlying addiction and psychiatric disorders using fast-scan voltammetry, optogenetics, and whole-cell patch clamp physiology.

Bryan Johnson

My research interest is understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms which cause disease. In graduate school, I hope to work on a project that deals directly with understanding these mechanisms and applying the knowledge gained for developing cures and treatments for the disease in question. Finally, I have a special, but by no mean exclusive interest in viral diseases.

Desinia Johnson

My research interests are to study environmental toxicants and their effect on cells' processes and signaling mechanisms resulting in health related diseases. However, I am also interested in pathogen-host interaction in many diseases as well. Whichever research path I choose, my hope is that my research can be translated from the bench to the bedside.

Chintan Kapadia

My research interest lies in designing novel nanoparticulate drug delivery system to target early stage of cancer. I am also interested in designing a dual device which can detect/ diagnosed even single cancer cell in the early stage of disease and to prevent them from invading surrounding tissue by killing them with control release of drug.

My research interests are computational protein design and related applications. I want to deepen the understanding of protein structure and create new values from it. I pursue a multidisciplinary approach to accomplish these goals.

Nicole Kurhanewicz

My research interests are in exploring the links between exposure and adverse health effects, with a focus on improving risk assessment and response. I am particularly interested in working with novel technologies being developed in the “-omics” fields. I hope to participate in projects with a multidisciplinary approach and a positive environmental or human health outcome.

Thomas Lane

Jin Li

My research interests are to make use of clinical data and apply the method of molecular epidemiology to study the association between the polymorphism of susceptible genes and risk of certain diseases especially cancer, nutrient
deficiency disorders, and toxicant-induced injury. I want to study on biomarkers for disease diagnosis and prognosis. Besides, I am also interested in studying the effects of therapeutic and preventive interventions in populations as well as genetically engineered models.

Brandon Linz

My research interests are geared towards studying host-pathogen interactions during a bacterial infection with my interests lying more on the bacteriology side.

Julia Malik

My research interests are in joining a project with the potential for informing drug design or other treatments for infectious disease. This includes studying the host-pathogen interaction, the functioning of the immune system and factors that can affect it. In pursuing this goal, I would like to utilize or even develop new techniques in order to expand the set of tools available to researchers.

My research interests is in studying the mechanisms of how the cell works in a “macromolecular” environment. By this I refer to the study of processes like intracellular trafficking, movement of the cell by the cytoskeleton and other cell biology-related phenomena.

Christopher Mazzone

My research interests are in studying the effects of both disease and chronic drug use on the morphology and plasticity of excitatory synapses. Specifically, I would like to focus my research on biochemical alterations in dendritic spine composition and resulting electrophysiological properties. Moreover, I would like to investigate how aberrations in cell signaling affect behavioral characteristics in an animal model of disease or addiction.

Patrick McCarter

My research interest is in learning about the different methods of conducting biological and medically relevant research. I am hoping to learn how to build a long term research projects for diseases that have not been well studied and understood. It is my goal to obtain exceptional knowledge of several biological and medical research techniques that will provide a plethora of investigative options for the next generation of biomedical research.

Robert McNeill

My research interest is in two broad areas of research. One area of research I am interested in, is to understand the dysregulations that lead to the development of cancer in hopes to help develop new treatment methods. The other area of research I am interested in, is the interaction between viruses and infected host cells.

Charles Miller

Giridhar Murlidharan

My research interests come from an engineering background (Undergraduate Major:Biotechnology) and having worked on the genetics and molecular biological aspects of Parkinson's disease at the Dept. of Neuroscience for my MS Thesis in Biomedical engineering, University of Florida, my current research goals are to rotate laboratories working on the areas of my research interest i.e. Genetics and Molecular Biology, Neurobiology and Immunology during the first year of the BBSP and to choose the right research project/path for myself.

Denis Okumu

Daniel Oreper

My research interests is in studying protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions, both at the individual interaction level, and at the network level. I'm also interested in studying regulation of gene expression.

Karen Plevock

My research interest is in fundamental questions related to cellular and developmental biology, especially in understanding the role of cytoskeleton during cell migration. Focal adhesions, the microtubule cytoskeleton, and the actin cytoskeleton are dynamic organelles comprised of hundreds of proteins that contribute to cellular architecture and dynamicity. I hope to focus on further understanding the mechanisms by which these organelles contribute to directional movement. My goals are to broaden and strengthen my knowledge of fundamental principles in this program, while learning about the intricate mechanisms of molecular cellular processes as they relate to the global cytoskeletal network to affect cell motility.

Mrinalini Ramanan

Kyle Roche

My research interest is to investigate the genetic factors affecting adult multipotent stem cells.

Danielle Rogers

My research interest is in studying the relationship between protein structure and function and the role of this relationship in disease and cancer states.

Daniel Rojas

My research interest is to become involved with or have significant exposure to each of the steps associated with the drug development process: from drug design and drug discovery to patenting and clinical trials. I’m also interested in developing strong relationships with clinical professionals at the university. It is my desire to gain a better insight into the clinical aspects of disease to better address the needs of the patients through my research.

My research interests are in the study of cancer biology and the genetic events involved in the transition from normal to malignant tissue. More specifically, I am interested in the development of therapeutics and the identification of novel targets and signaling pathway components that tumor cells are dependent upon.

Leigh Samsa

My research interests are GI disease, stem cell biology, and angiogenesis. Within these broad fields, I am particularly interested in how cell to cell interactions are perturbed in disease. I would like my research to be interdisciplinary and have clear clinical relevance.

Erich Scheller

My research interests are to better understand how respiratory viruses, particularly Influenza, infect the lungs and the effects that these infections have on immune response. Additionally, I am interested in exploring secondary infection models that would follow a primary Influenza infection and the resulting effects on immune response. Lastly, I am also intrigued by the immune system's role in asthma exacerbation.

Sara Selitsky

My research interests are to do research in genomics or maybe structural biology. I want to gain database, programming, and statistical experience in a biological setting.

Kristin Sellers

My research interests is in the neural correlates of stress and emotion regulation in children and adolescents. I would like to contribute to a better understanding of neural processes during development in order to develop more effective interventions for children and adolescence suffering from clinically significant emotion regulation problems.

James Shellhammer

My research interest is to conduct research in the field of pharmacology that focuses on treating a disease through methods other than synthetic drugs. I also have an interest in neuroscience, so combining both fields would be ideal.

Sierra Stringfield

My research interests fall within the area of neurobiology, and include elucidating the effects of drug abuse on behavior and cell functioning. I am also interested in understanding the causes of many neurodegenerative
disorders, and the development of new and innovative treatments.

My research interest includes study of structural dynamics of proteins and protein interactions using molecular simulations and to develop molecular simulation techniques as they are applied in structural biology and biochemistry.

Matthew Tegowski

My research interests are ones that have possible applications in real life. I am interested in chemistry and molecular biology.

Sophia Tintori

My research interests are in early embryonic development as well as the evolution of developmental mechanisms. I have previously been focusing on the evolution of germ-line segregation in Cnidaria, and am looking forward to improving my genetics and bioinformatics skills in the next few years. I have also been making animations for science communication projects (such as CreatureCast.org), and am always looking out for good stories.

Leah Townsend

My research interest is to make a meaningful contribution to the understanding of human diseases that impact the nervous system. In order to meet that goal, I want to take a translational approach to my research, focusing on building the bridge between basic science and human health.

Li-Chung Tsao

My research interests is in studying viral pathogenesis as well as viral gene therapy. My goal is to focus on translational research, where I can apply my findings to the practice of medicine.

Phillip Wages

My research interest is to become more proficient in research associated with toxicology themes. Once results are obtained I also plan to improve and develop communication skills to not only allow for continuing work, but also ensure that the research is understandable to fields outside my immediate peers.

Aminah Wali

My research interests is in the genetic and epigenetic factors affecting regulation of gene expression. I would like to study how these factors affect cancer development and how they can be altered to prevent cancer.

Dana Walsh

My research interests are broadly in infectious disease, with a possible specific interest in virology, gene therapy, and vaccine development. My desire is to do research I find interesting (which currently involves microbiology and genetics) that can be translated to the clinic. I am more interested in developing a drug or vaccine that can help people affected by disease rather than investigating basic mechanisms. I am also interested in multi-disciplinary approaches to disease.

Rebecca Werlau

My research interests include genetics, human disease, and translational medicine. My research goals include improving the outcomes of genetic childhood diseases through clinical genetic research and translational medicine.

Cortney Winkle

My research interest during graduate studies is research in neuropathic pain. This field excites me because it has the potential to affect the treatment and understanding of the pain suffered by millions of people on a daily basis. Some questions I am interested in are: how can chronic pain be best managed pharmacologically? How can the immune system be harnessed to decrease pain sensation and increase healing? Is there a ‘signature’ that delineates pain caused by disease versus acute injury?

David Wyatt

My research interests lie in the study of the pathogenic mechanisms used by virulent bacteria and viruses to spread. Through the elucidation and understanding these mechanisms of infectious disease, new treatments, preventative measures and other therapies can be discovered. Some of my specific interests include the host-bacteria interactions that affect pathogenesis as well as the effect of the environment on virulence.

Lin Xiao

My research interests are disease-related research, especially in cancer biology. I hope to translate our understanding of the molecular and cellular aspects of disease into improvement of clinical therapeutics. I am also deeply fascinated by developmental biology and would like to study the regulatory pathways involved in cell differentiation.

Bowen Xu

My research interests are in understanding how epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, contribute to gene regulation, cancer development and cell differentiation. I also hope to apply these basic researches to treatment of human diseases.

Zhixian Yu

My research interests are in pathogen-host interactions, especially those involve viral infection. I’m trying to get a better understanding about how pathogens successfully hijack their hosts and how hosts control or expel the pathogens.

Guosheng Zhang

My research interests is to develop new statistical methods and bioinformatic tools, use them to analyze high-throughput data and finally understand the mechanism of biological system or complex diseases, such as cancer.

Bingying Zhou

My research interest, as it stands right now, is to delineate the pathways and mechanisms by which proteins are modulated in CNS-related diseases. In addition, I would like to find a clue to the cure of one of those diseases based on stem cell research, which may lead the brain to recover “on its own”.

Seth Zimmerman

My research interest is in computational biology and in particular computational modeling. This is important to me because I believe that through computational modeling hypothesis can be derived quickly, cheaply, and without the sacrifice of life.

Katelyn Zulauf

My research interests lie in the study of the interaction between hosts and pathogens. I am especially interested in diseases that affect third world countries.