Genetics and Developmental Biology Graduate Program

Faculty

Hector Leonardo Aguila, Ph.D., Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Associate Professor of Immunology. Hematopoiesis and bone marrow microenvironment; lymphoid cell development; stem cell biology.

Alexander Amerik, M.S., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology. Role of the ubiquitin system in protein degradation and sorting.

Andrew Arnold, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Genetics and Developmental Biology, Murray-Heilig Chair in Molecular Medicine. The molecular genetic underpinnings of tumors of the endocrine glands. Role of cyclin D1 in tumorigenesis.

Peter Benn, Ph.D., Director, Diagnostic Human Genetics Laboratories. Clinical cytogenetics, molecular cytogenetics and molecular genetics services. Prenatal risk evaluation through maternal serum screening.

Michael Blinov, Assistant Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Ph.D., Weizmann Institute of Science. Computational Biology: Modeling of signal transcription systems and protein-dna interactions. Bioinformatics: Data mining and visualization. Developing software tools and mathematical methods for rule-based modeling of signal transduction systems.

Gordon Carmichael, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular, Microbial and Structural Biology, Regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes.

Stormy J. Chamberlain, Assistant Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology. Ph.D., University of Florida. Human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell models to study 15q11-q13 imprinting disorders.

Kevin Claffey, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Physiology. Angiogenesis in cancer progression and metastasis; Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression; Hypoxia-mediated gene regulation.

Stephen Clark, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology. Characterization of mutations affecting connective tissues; molecular genetic mapping; generation and analysis of transgenic mice.

Soheil (Sam) Dadras, Assistant Professor of Dermatology, and Genetics and Developmental Biology, M.D.-Ph.D. Northwestern University. Discovery of small RNAs (including microRNA) as novel biomarkers in human melanoma progression and metastasis using next generation sequencing.

Asis K. Das, Professor of Molecular, Microbial and Structural Biology, B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., University of Calcutta. Genetics, genomics and mechanisms of bacterial adaptive response; genetic control of bacteriophage lysogeny and lysis; and non-coding RNAs in prokaryotic development.

Caroline N. Dealy, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biostructure and Function. The molecular regulation of limb development in the vertebrate embryo, from early stages where the limb is initially formed, to limb patterning and outgrowth, to skeletogenesis.

Paul Epstein, Associate Professor of Cell Biology; Ph.D., Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Targeting the cAMP signaling pathway for treatment of leukemia and breast cancer.

Guo-Hua Fong, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Cell Biology. Developmental biology of the vascular system, VEGF-A receptor signal transduction, embryonic stem cells and gene knock-out in mice.

Brenton R. Graveley, Ph.D., Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology. Regulation of alternative pre-mRNA splicing.

Arthur Günzl, Ph.D., Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology and Center for Microbial Pathogenesis. Transcription and Antigenic Variation in the mammalian parasite Trypanosoma brucei.

Marc Hansen, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine. Molecular genetics of osteosarcoma and related bone diseases.

Laurinda Jaffe, Ph.D., Professor of Cell Biology. The cell biology of fertilization, and the regulation of meiosis in oocytes.

Barbara Kream, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine and Genetics and Developmental Biology. Hormonal regulation of bone remodeling.

George Kuchel, M.D., Professor of Medicine. Role of hormones and cytokines in geriatric disability. Pathogenesis of impaired detrusor contractility and urinary retention. Molecular mechanisms of bladder muscle survival.

Marc Lalande, Ph.D., Professor and Head of Genetics and Developmental Biology. Epigenetics including the control of gene expression in embryonic carcinoma stem cells and genomic imprinting and its association with neurogenetics disorders.

James Li, Ph.D., Assistant Professor. Mechanisms underlying normal and abnormal development of the central nervous system; stem cell biology.

Alexander Lichtler, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology. Regulation of collagen gene transcription; retrovirus vectors; role of homeobox genes in limb development.

Bruce J. Mayer, Associate Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Ph.D., Rockefeller University, Mechanisms of signal transduction.

Mina Mina, D.M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Pediatric Dentistry. Characterization of genetic and epigenetic influences involved in pattern formation and skeletogenesis of the chick mandible and mouse tooth germ.

William A. Mohler, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology. Developmental cell fusion; C. elegans genetics; multidimensional imaging of developmental and cell biological processes.

D. Kent Morest, M.D., Professor of Neuroscience. Role of cell and tissue interactions in the migration and differentiation of neurons; structure and function of neurons during development and synapse formation.

John J. Peluso, Ph.D., Professor of Cell Biology. Hormonal control of ovarian follicular growth and atresia (apoptosis); characterization of a putative membrane receptor for progesterone.

Carol C. Pilbeam, Professor of Medicine; Ph.D., Yale University, 1982. M.D., Yale School of Medicine. Mechanisms of regulation of bone formation and resorption.

Justin D. Radolf, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Center for Microbial Pathogenesis. Molecular pathogenesis and immunobiology of spirochetal infections.

Blanka Rogina, Associate Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Ph.D., Zagreb University School of Medicine. Biology of aging including the molecular genetic determinants of aging and longevity.

Daniel W. Rosenberg, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine. Molecular genetics of colorectal cancer; signaling pathways in the development of tumors; toxicogenomics,

Edward F. Rossomando, D.D.S., Ph.D., Professor of BioStructure and Function. Control of gene expression in tumor and nontumor cell lines in response to stimulation by monokines; coding, transmission, and processing of environmental signals in normal and abnormal development.

Mansoor Sarfarazi, Ph.D., Professor of Surgery. Positional mapping and mutation analysis of human genetic disorders; primary open angle glaucoma, primary congenital glaucoma, synpolydactyly, dyslexia, mitral valve prolapse and ascending aortic aneurysm.

Petros Tsipouras, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics. Heritable disorders of connective tissue, nosology, and genetics; genetic linkage studies; molecular mechanisms of mutations in human collagen genes.

William B. Upholt, Ph.D., Professor of BioStructure and Function. Regulation of gene expression during embryonic development; procollagen gene expression and regulation in limb chondrogenesis and skeletogenesis; pattern formation; homeobox genes.

Bruce White, Ph.D., Professor of Cell Biology. Control of prolactin gene expression at pretranslational level in GH3 cells; control of aromatase gene expression in ovarian and testicular tissues.

Ren-He Xu, Associate Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology and Director, Human Embryonic Stem Cell Facility, Ph.D., University of Tokyo, M.D., Hengyang Medical College. The biology of human embryonic stem cells.

Ji Yu, Assistant Professor of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin. Optical imaging technology; regulation mechanisms in dendritic RNA translation; cytoskeletal dynamics.