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Expertise. Innovation. Collaboration.

Who We Are

Members Advocacy Classification Email
Christopher Gregory Chair christopher_gregory@med.unc.edu
Li Qian Animal Models li_qian@med.unc.edu
John Sondek Biochemistry sondek@med.unc.edu
Neeta Vora Clinical/Translational neeta_vora@med.unc.edu
Terry Furey Genomics tsfurey@email.unc.edu
Richard Cheney Imaging richard_cheney@med.unc.edu
Jennifer Brennan Office of Research jenbren@med.unc.edu
Meghan Kraft LCCC meghan_kraft@med.unc.edu 
James Cahoon College of Arts and Sciences jfcahoon@ad.unc.edu 
Kara Clissold Office of Research Technologies kara_clissold@med.unc.edu

 

Christopher Gregory

CFAC Chair
Chris Gregory is Director of the Office of Research Technologies and serves on CFAC as the committee chair.  He came to the Department of Genetics after a career in industry and now also serves as the Director of Research and a Research Professor in the Department of Genetics.  

 

 

 

Li Qian

Animal Cores Representative

Li Qian serves as the CFAC representative for the Animal Models cores.  She joined UNC School of Medicine in 2012 in the Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine where she is now an Associate Professor and she also currently serves as Associate Director of the McAllister Heart Institiute on top of running a successful research lab investigating cellular reprogramming in the context of cellular regeneration and repair in heart disease.  

Animal Model cores Li advocates for:

  • Animal Clinical Chemistry
  • Animal Models Core
  • Animal Studies Core Facility
  • Biomedical Research Imaging Center – Small Animal Imaging
  • Cardiovascular Physiology and Phenotyping Core
  • CGIBD Gnotobiotic Core
  • CGIBD Histology Core
  • Histology Research Core Facility
  • Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Core Facility
  • Mouse Behavioral Phenotyping Core
  • Mutant Mouse Resource and Researach Center
  • NORC Animal Metabolism Phenotyping Core
  • Pathology Services Core
  • UNC Systems Genetics Core
  • Zebrafish Aquaculture Core Facility

 

John Sondek

Biochemistry Cores Representative

John Sondek serves as the CFAC representative for the Biochemistry cores.  He is a Professor in the Departments of Pharmacology and Biochemistry & Biophysics and is the Director of the Structural Biology Center. His active research lab studies protein complexes involved in signal transduction systems as potential targets for new therapeutics against cancer and neurological diseases.  Additionally, he is part of a new NIH program project to develop high-throughput technologies to study protein-protein interactions.  

Biochemistry cores John advocates for:

  • Biomarker Mass Spectrometry Facility
  • Chemistry Mass Spectrometry
  • Chemistry NMR Facility
  • Chemistry X-Ray Core
  • Cryo-EM Core
  • High-Throughput Modified Peptide Library & Arrayer Facility
  • Macromolecular Crystallography Core Facility
  • Macromolecular Interactions Facility
  • MH Proteomics Facility
  • Nanomedicine Characterization Core Facility (NCore)
  • NORC Metabolism and Metabolomics
  • Pharmacy NMR Facility
  • R.L. Juliano Structural Bioinformatics Core
  • UNC Biomolecular NMR Lab

 

 

Neeta Vora

Clinical Cores Representative

Neeta Vora serves as the CFAC representative for the Clinical cores.  She is an Associate Professor in the departments of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Genetics and is the Director of Reproductive Genetics at UNC. Dr. Voora also has an active research program in prenatal genetics. 

Clinical cores Neeta advocates for:

  • Biobehavioral Laboratory
  • Biospecimen Processing Facility
  • CFAR HIV/STD
  • CFAR Clinical Pharmacology & Analytical Chemistry
  • CIPHR
  • Connected Health Applications & Interventions
  • Cytokine Analysis Facility
  • MLI Tissue Procurement and Cell Culture
  • NORC Clinical & Community Human Assessment and Intervention
  • NORC Behavioral Assessment Core
  • NORC Precision Nutrition Core
  • Organ Injury Biomarker Core
  • Patient Reported Outcomes Core
  • Rapid Case Ascertainment
  • Surgery Simulation Core

 

Terry Furey

Genomics Cores Representative

Terry Furey serves as the CFAC representative for the Genomics cores. He joined UNC in 2011 and is now a Professor in the Departments of Genetics and Biology and has a thriving research lab. His lab focuses on computational genomic research in the areas of chromatin and gene regulation, inflammatory bowel disease, and environmental toxicogenomics. 

Genomics cores Terry advocates for:

  • CGIBD Advanced Analytics
  • Functional Genomics Core
  • High-Throughput Genome Sequencing Facility
  • Lenti shRNA
  • Mammalian Genotyping Core
  • CGIBD Microbiome Core
  • RNAi Screening Facility
  • Translational Genomics Lab
  • Vector Core
  • Vironomics Core

 

Richard Cheney

Imaging Cores Representative

Richard Cheney serves as the CFAC representative for the Imaging cores.  He is a Professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology in the School of Medicine. His lab’s research focuses on molecular motors and filopodia, notably myosin-X and it’s role in cancer invasion as potential anti-cancer therapeutic target.  

Imaging cores Richard advocates for:

  • Biomedical Research Imaging Center (Human Imaging)
  • Biomedical Research Imaging Center (Image Storage & Analysis)
  • Chapel Hill Analytical and Nanofabrication Lab
  • Clinical Translational Core in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center
  • Mass Cytometry Core
  • Flow Cytometry Core Facility
  • Hooker Imaging Core
  • Microscopy Services Laboratory
  • Neuroscience Imaging Core Facility

 

Jennifer Brennan

Director, Office of Research

Jen Brennan is the Director of the Office of Research in the School of Medicine.  She is instrumental in developing and implementing a strategic plan for research in the SOM and provides support for core research facilities in that capacity.  

 

 

Meghan Kraft

non-voting

Meghan Kraft is the Assistant Director of Research Operations in the Lineberger Comprehensive Cantcer Center at UNC.  She is a non-voting member of CFAC.  

James Cahoon

non-voting CAS representative

Jim Cahoon serves on CFAC as a non-voting representative for the cores from the College of Arts and Sciences.  He joined UNC in the Department of Chemistry in 2011.  His research centers around understanding and controlling the physical properties of semiconductor nanomaterials through chemical synthesis.  These nanomaterials have applications in solar and thermal energy, electronics, and photonics. 

 

Kara Clissold

non-voting member
Kara Clissold is the Associate Director of the Office of Research Technologies within the Office of Research in the School of Medicine.  She is a non-voting member of CFAC.