BBS PhD Program

Biochemistry and Cell Biology

Our faculty and their research areas
Faculty Research Area(s)
Pic of Carolyn Adler
Carolyn Adler
Stem cell biology in planarian flatworms; organ regeneration; transcriptional and cell biological responses to tissue injuries; animal behavior - lab
Pic of Hector Aguilar-Carreno
Hector Aguilar-Carreno

Entry, egress, and interactions of enveloped viruses with host cells, with emphasis on emerging paramyxoviruses, vaccine and antiviral strategies -  lab

Pic of Nicolas Buchon
Nicolas Buchon

Host/microbe relationships and control of intestinal stem cell behavior in homeostasis and disease - lab

Pic of Soon Hon Cheong
Soon Hon Cheong

Cellular and molecular medicine; developmental and reproductive biology; infectious diseases; population medicine and epidemiology; structural and functional biology - lab
Pic of Theodore Clark
Theodore Clark
Cutaneous immunity; host-parasite interaction; DNA vaccines; genetic factors underlying resistance to infectious disease
Pic of Paula Cohen
Paula E. Cohen
Etiology of spontaneous birth defects in mammals; mechanisms of meiotic recombination; DNA repair proteins in meiosis and recombination; germ cell development; ovarian development - lab
Pic of Ruth Collins
Ruth Collins
Pharmacology; cancer cell biology; small GTPase regulation of intracellular traffic and cellular growth control - lab


Brian Crane

Protein redox chemistry; electron-transfer reactions; mechanisms of signal transduction; circadian clocks; protein photosensors; bacterial chemotaxis; receptor signaling; nitric oxide enzymology; metallobiochemistry - lab

Susan Daniel
Dr. Daniel leads a research group of biomolecular engineers working to understand cell membrane functions and the biological processes that happen within them. Her group pioneered the use of “cell-free” biomembrane platforms for re-creating cellular processes on chip. Much of the work they do has impact in human health or advancing biotechnologies for the good of humankind.
Pic of Robin Dando
Robin Dando
Taste and sensory science, the biology of how we perceive foods, obesity and metabolic diseases – lab
Pic of Charles Danko
Charles Danko
Medical genetics and genomics and cancer biology research

A portrait headshot of Dr. Arunika Das

Arunika Das

Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of chromosome inheritance and aging during meiosis and early development.

Pic of Michelle Delco
Michelle Delco

Investigating mitochondria as a link between cartilage trauma and osteoarthritis to understand how joint injury leads to arthritis in horses and humans
Pic of Matthew DeLisaMatthew DeLisa Molecular biotechnology; protein biogenesis and folding pathways; protein engineering - lab
Pic of Tobias DoerrTobias Doerr Cell envelope biology of Gram-negative pathogens; antibiotic resistance; tolerance and mechanism of action; microbial stress responses - lab
Pic of Maria Julia Bevilaqua FelippeMaria Julia Bevilaqua Felippe Cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in B cell response; neonatal immunology and response to vaccination; immunomodulation using biologic response modifiers; cancer immunotherapy; characterization of primary and secondary immunodeficiencies - lab
Pic of Andrew FlyakAndrew Flyak human antibody response to viral pathogens; use immunologic and biochemistry assays and use structural biology techniques to “see” how antibodies bind and neutralize viral pathogens - Lab
Pic of Chun Han
Chun Han
mechanisms of dendrite morphogenesis and neurodegeneration using Drosophila sensory neurons as a model system - lab
Pic of Kei Hayashi
Kei Hayashi
Pathology of ligament/tendon injury and wound healing; evaluation of total joint replacement systems; molecular profiling of osteoarthritis; comparative orthopedics and sports medicine
Pic of Gunther HollopeterGunther Hollopeter Molecular mechanisms of membrane trafficking in multicellular systems, in vivo imaging and CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering in C. elegans, protein biochemistry and structural biology of clathrin adaptor complexes - lab
Pic of Fenghua HuFenghua Hu Molecular and cellular mechanisms of neurodegeneration - lab
Pic of Kelly Hume
Kelly Hume 

Cancer biology; veterinary oncology; clinical oncology; molecular oncology; DNA damage; chemosensitivity and novel therapeutics


Saki Ichikawa
My group integrates chemical biology, organic chemistry, and chemical proteomics to explore the intricacies of protein modifications and their impacts on biological systems - lab
Pic of Elizabeth JohnsonElizabeth Johnson bioactive lipids shape host-microbe interactions; host-microbe molecule exchange and bioactive lipids in infant nutrition
Pic of Toshi Kawate
Toshi Kawate
Structures and mechanisms of membrane proteins that regulate extracellular signaling - lab

Satoshi Kimura
Kimura lab focuses on translation mechanisms in bacterial pathogens.

Pic of Gary Koretzky
Gary Koretzky

Aims to better understand the signal transduction events that occur following engagement of the T cell antigen receptor; study more globally the molecular events important for immune cell development, differentiation and function
Pic of Natasza Kurpios Natasza Kurpios Tissue morphogenesis; cell shape and architecture; organ development; gut morphogenesis; mammary gland biology; breast cancer - lab
Pic of Jan LammerdingJan Lammerding Cellular biomechanics; mechanotransduction; cell migration; muscular dystrophy and cancer cell biology - lab

Pic of Esak Lee
Esak Lee

The laboratory is currently focused on further advancing the novel 3D organ-on-chip systems, as well as developing both cellular and molecular tools and in vivo models, to better understand the mechanisms through which cells regulate their response to biological and mechanical cues - lab
Pic of Cynthia Leifer
Cynthia Leifer
Understanding innate immunity from the receptors that detect microbes to how innate immune cells react to changes in their environment during inflammatory processes - lab
Pic of Karl LewisKarl Lewis we interrogate how the acute sensing mechanisms in musculoskeletal cells relate to tissue level changes in healthy and disease states - lab
Pic of David Lin
David Lin
Axon guidance; neurodevelopment; epilepsy; autism; genomics - lab
Pic of Hening Lin
Hening Lin
Protein post-translational modifications with a focus on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) dependent modifications and diphthamide - lab
Pic of Maurine Linder
Maurine Linder
Regulation of cell signaling by protein lipidation
Pic of Sabine MannSabine Mann Metabolic diseases and insulin signaling; nutrition; epidemiology; metabolic and nutritional immunology
Pic of Eirene Markenscoff-PapadimitriouEirene Markenscoff-Papadimitriou gene-regulatory mechanisms that generate diversity during brain development; probe function of human genetic variants linked to autism - lab
Pic of Katharyn MitchellKatharyn Mitchell Large Animal Internal Medicine

Zeribe Nwosu

Cancer metabolism and therapeutic opportunities

Pic of John ParkerJohn Parker Cell biology/biochemistry with a focus on cellular translation and the effect of viral infection
Pic of Joseph Peters
Joseph Peters

We are generally interested in genomic stability and chromosome evolution, especially how these are impacted by mobile DNA elements.  We have a special interest in molecular mechanisms mobile elements capable of moving between positions in the genome called transposons use to limit damage to the host and maximize the process of horizontal transfer. 
Pic of Shu-Bing Qian
Shu-Bing Qian
Translational control of gene expression; signaling pathways in stress response; protein quality control in metabolic diseases - lab
Pic of Heidi ReesinkHeidi Reesink Comparative and translational orthopedics; metabolism and musculoskeletal disease; osteoarthritis; regenerative medicine
Pic of Richa Sardana Richa Sardana membrane protein trafficking and quality control mechanisms - lab
Pic of Luis SchangLuis Schang Role of cellular protein, lipids, and glycans play in viral infection
Pic of Carolyn Sevier
Carolyn Sevier
Signaling of cellular oxidative stress; molecular mechanisms used by cellular pathways that sense and signal redox imbalances within the cell 
Pic of Marcus SmolkaMarcus Smolka Cell signaling and genome maintenance; DNA replication stress; Phosphoproteomics
Pic of Jeongmin SongJeongmin Song Bacterial toxins; Salmonella Typhi; bacterial pathogenesis - lab
Pic of Alexander J. TravisAlexander J. Travis Comparative biology of male germ cells; signaling and metabolism of sperm during capacitation; organization of lipid raft membrane sub-domains in sperm; applications of technologies using reproductive stem cells for wildlife conservation - lab
Pic of Meng Wang
Meng Wang
We use molecular biology, genetics and animal models to dissect how our metabolism gives rise to chemicals that damage our DNA- Wang Lab
Pic of Robert WeissRobert Weiss Molecular mechanisms for the maintenance of genomic stability; cellular responses to DNA damage; mouse models of human cancer - lab
Pic of Andrew C. WhiteAndrew C. White Cancer biology; stem cell biology; biochemistry and cell biology - lab
Pic of Gary R. Whittaker
Gary R. Whittaker
Role of nuclear import and export in influenza virus infection - lab
-haiyuan-yu
Haiyuan Yu
The Yu group performs research in the broad areas of Network Systems Biology. We use integrated computational-experimental systems biology approaches to determine protein interactions and complex structures on the scale of the whole cell. In particular, we focus on protein-protein and gene regulatory networks and seek to understand how such intricate systems evolve and how their perturbations lead to human diseases, especially autism spectrum disorder and cancer.
Pic of Mariana WolfnerMariana Wolfner Molecular and genetic mechanisms of reproductive processes, specifically functions and evolution of seminal proteins and (separately) mechanisms of egg activation and early embryogenesls - lab