First name,Last name,Preferred title,Overview,Position,Department,Individual
James,Samuel,Regents Professor and Head,"Our laboratory works with the obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen, Coxiella burnetii, the etiologic agent of Q fever and a category B biothreat agent. The long-term goal of this research is to understand the molecular pathogenic mechanisms involved in the host-pathogen interaction. To accomplish this broad goal, project in the lab are designed to test the molecular mechanisms employed by both the host and pathogen. Current pathogen studies include 1) broad survey of proteins secreted via a type 4 secretion system (T4SS) followed by determination of essentiality of each substrate for virulence and detailed analysis of mechanism of host modulation 2) survey of essential virulence loci identified by specific mutant screens, and 3) definition of the relative virulence of phylogenetically distinct isolate groups.",Regents Professor and Head,Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n01c3216f
Aniruddha,Datta,Professor,"My research focuses on adaptive control, parametric robust control, and genomic signal processing and control.",Professor||Faculty Affiliate,Energy Institute||Electrical and Computer Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n01f8748c
Sing-Hoi,Sze,Associate Professor - Term Appoint,"Our work focuses on the application of computational techniques to solve problems in biology. Current research projects cover diverse areas in computational biology, including multiple sequence alignment, motif finding with applications to predicting transcription factor binding sites, biological network analysis, and identification of gene clusters within genomes.",Associate Professor - Term Appoint,Computer Science and Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n0248d9df
Madhav,Erraguntla,Associate Professor of the Practice,,Associate Professor of the Practice,Industrial and Systems Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n051dff75
Dorothy,Shippen,Professor,"We are taking biochemical, molecular genetic and cytological approaches to study the structure, function and maintenance of telomeres. Telomeres are higher order nucleoprotein complexes that cap the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes and play essential roles in conferring genome stability and cell proliferation capacity. The protective cap of the telomere is comprised of specific telomere binding proteins that regulate the length of telomeric DNA tract and allow the cell distinguish the chromosome terminus from a double-strand break. Telomeric DNA is synthesized by the action of telomerase, an unusual reverse transcriptase that replenishes telomeric DNA lost as a consequence of replication by conventional DNA polymerases. We have developed the genetically tractable flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana as a model system for studying telomeres in higher eukaryotes. With its sequenced genome, abundant genetic and transgenic tools, and extraordinarily high tolerance to genome instability, Arabidopsis has proven to be an excellent model for investigating fundamental processes in telomere biology. Current studies focus on defining the function and molecular evolution of telomere capping proteins and components of the telomerase ribonucleoprotein complex.",Professor,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n07e86cac
William,Murphy,Professor,"Mammalian comparative genomics, phylogeny, biogeography, and molecular evolution, with a specific emphasis on feline evolutionary genomics, including: gene mapping, sex chromosome genetics, speciation and mechanisms of male hybrid sterility.",Professor,Veterinary Integrative Biosciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n08093092
Mathias,Martins,Virology Section Head,"Martins comes to TVMDL from Cornell University where he served as a research associate. While there, much of Martins' research focused on the development of reagents. He also established multiple in vitro assays and in vivo models to better understand the characteristics and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
In addition to his diagnostic expertise, Martins also served as an assistant professor at the University of Western Santa Catarina in Brazil and postdoctoral associate at Cornell University.",Virology Section Head,Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n0cc7ea3e
James,Womack,Distinguished Professor,"Comparative mammalian genomics with emphasis on bovids and laboratory animals. Study of evolution of gene families and genomic variation underlying disease resistance. Investigation of genetic mechanisms in innate immunity with focus on livestock, select agents, and agricultural biosecurity.",Distinguished Professor,Veterinary Pathobiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n0e1a49e2
Erchin,Serpedin,Professor,"My research interests include signal processing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, biomedical engineering, cybersecurity, and smart grids.",Professor,Electrical and Computer Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n17ba83f2
David,Russell,Professor,"My research focuses on proteomics, lipidomics, biophysical chemistry and application and development of mass spectrometry, such as ""label-free"" nano-particle based biosensors and novel peptide/protein isolation and purification strategies. We are also investigating the structure(s) of model peptides in an effort to better describe folding/unfolding and structure of membrane and intrinsically disordered (IDP) proteins. Peptides take on very different 2?, 3? and 4? structure, which determine or influence bio-activity. In the presence of lipid vesicles peptides can exist as solution-phase species, ""absorbed"" on lipid bilayers or ""inserted"" (as a monomer or multimer) in lipid bilayers. By what mechanism do peptides interact with lipid membranes to affect these structural changes, how do peptide-lipid interactions promote self-assembly to form intermediates that eventually yield aggregates, i.e., amyloid fibrils, or how does metal ion coordination affect the structure of metalloproteins? Mass spectrometry-based experiments, hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange, chemical 'foot-printing' and gas-phase (ion-molecule and ion-ion reaction chemistry) and solution-phase chemical modifications, have expanded our abilities to address such questions, and new instrumental approaches, esp. ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) combined with enhanced molecular dynamics simulations (MDS), have become standard tools for structural-mass spectrometry studies. Over the past several years we have either acquired or developed novel, next-generation IM-MS instruments that are redefining cutting-edge structural-mass spectrometry research as well as cutting-edge computational tools essential to carry out these studies. Our new laboratories in the Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building (ILSB) provides exciting opportunities for collaborative, interdisciplinary research with chemical-biologists, biochemists and other chemists.",Professor,Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n280e03e6
Deborah,Bell-Pedersen,Professor,"Research in the Bell-Pedersen lab focuses on determining how the circadian clock functions in organisms to regulate daily rhythms in gene expression, behavior, and physiology. The molecular clock in higher eukaryotes involves a master clock in the brain regulating clocks in peripheral tissues, posing significant obstacles for understanding circadian output mechanisms. Thus, a major strength of our work is using a single-celled model eukaryote, Neurospora crassa, to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of rhythmic gene expression and protein synthesis. Clock dysfunction in humans is associated with a wide range of diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, metabolic disorders, mental illness, sleep disorders, and aging. In addition, daily changes in metabolism and cell division rates influence the efficacy and toxicity of many pharmaceuticals, including cancer drugs. Therefore, knowing how clocks work to control rhythmic gene expression, and what they regulate, is critical for the development of therapeutics. Research to understand clock-controlled rhythmic gene expression has focused primarily on transcriptional mechanisms, and little was known about posttranscriptional control. We discovered that the clock regulates highly conserved translation initiation and elongation factors, tRNA synthetase levels, and ribosome heterogeneity. This regulation determines what mRNAs are rhythmically translated and the accuracy of the translation process (translation fidelity). We are capitalizing on these exciting discoveries to determine how the clock regulates translation fidelity. These studies will provide the foundation for understanding the impact of daily rhythms in translation fidelity on protein diversity beyond what is encoded for in the genome.",Professor and Associate Department Head,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n2a2bfb97
Thomas,Ioerger,Professor - Term Appoint,"Dr. Ioerger's research interests are in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, Intelligent Agents, and Machine Learning. His work has covered diverse areas, from spatial reasoning, to simulating team-work, to modeling emotions. Currently, his primary focus is on designing multi-agent system architectures to simulate collaborative behavior and teamwork. He also applies AI and machine learning methods to various problems in the area of Bioinformatics, including the improvement of protein sequence alignments, molecular modeling, and X-ray crystallography. The latter research has lead to the development of an automated software system for protein model-building called TEXTAL, which is currently being used by crystallographers throughout the world.",Professor - Term Appoint,Computer Science and Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n36a51a43
Sara,Lawhon,Professor,"My research group studies zoonotic bacterial pathogens and focuses primarily on salmonellosis and staphylococcal infections with emphasis on molecular host-pathogen interactions and antimicrobial resistance. We are particularly interested in how bacteria sense environmental signals, communicate with each other (quorum sensing), cause disease, and resist antimicrobial therapy. These fundamental processes are common to the organisms in which we work. We use basic, applied, and clinical science approaches in our studies. Salmonella, Staphylococcus, and Campylobacter infect a broad range of animal host species as well as humans thus making our work relevant to both human and animal health. In addition to this work, we conduct clinical research projects to support the mission of our veterinary teaching hospital and we provide support to other researchers who need microbiology expertise or access resources for their work. Our work has been funded by the FDA, CDC, and several foundations focused on diseases in veterinary species.",Professor,Veterinary Pathobiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n370f31f1
Paul,Samollow,Professor,"Comparative functional genomics and genome evolution in vertebrates; structural organization of genetic material and its relationship to patterns of gene regulation and expression within and among species. Epigenetics of meiotic recombination; patterns and epigenetic determinants of sexual dimorphism in meiotic recombination rates and chromosomal distributions. Population genomics: genetic and ecological processes that influence the distribution of genetic diversity within and among populations in nature; population structure, isolation, and speciation. QTL mapping: linkage mapping to detect genes that influence physiologic and health-related traits. Research in my laboratory focuses primarily on the genome of the gray, short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis domestica, the world's primary laboratory marsupial model for genomic, biomedical, and evolutionary research. We also study isolated desert populations of pupfishes of the genus Cyprinodon in west Texas.nature, and their roles in promoting population structuring, isolation, and speciation. QTL mapping: linkage mapping to detect genes that influence physiologic and health-related traits. Research in my laboratory focuses primarily on the genome of the gray, short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis domestica, the world's primary laboratory marsupial model for genomic, biomedical, and evolutionary research. We also study isolated desert populations of pupfishes of the genus Cyprinodon in west Texas.",Professor,Veterinary Integrative Biosciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n38c16b10
Douglas,Baxter,Instructional Professor,,Instructional Professor,Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n3e6ac00a
Robert,Chapkin,Distinguished Professor,"Research in the Chapkin lab focuses on dietary/microbial modulators related to the prevention of cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases.
Our central goal is to (1) understand cancer chemoprevention at a fundamental level, and (2) to test pharmaceutical agents in combination with dietary/microbial (countermeasures to the Western diet) to more effectively improve gut health and reduce systemic chronic inflammation. Since diet influences gut microbiota composition and metabolite production, to unravel the interrelationships among gut health and the structure of the gut microbial ecosystem, we are in the process of evaluating (using transgenic mouse, Drosophila models and humans) how the gut microbiome modulates intestinal cells, innate immune cells and tumors. As part of this endeavor, we are modeling at the molecular level the dynamic relationship between diet and gut microbe-derived metabolites which modulate chronic inflammation and the hierarchical cellular organization of the intestine, e.g., stem cell niche.",Distinguished Professor||Professor,Biochemistry and Biophysics||Nutrition,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n3fbb59f8
Kenneth,Ramos,Professor and Executive Director,,Professor of Medicine||Professor and Executive Director||Executive Committee||Associate Vice President for Research||Assistant Vice Chancellor for Health Services,The Texas A&M University System||Institute of Biosciences and Technology||Global Institute for Hispanic Health||School of Medicine||Health Science Center,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n47de353a
Jackie,Rudd,Professor,"I am the project leader of the hard winter wheat breeding program for the High Plains and Rolling Plains of Texas. Responsibilities include management of the cultivar development project, graduate student training, and conducting research relevant to wheat genetic improvement. My current research interests are breeding for water use efficiency, introgression of forage and grain yield traits from synthetic hexaploid wheat, high throughput phenotyping for biomass production, marker assisted breeding for biotic and abiotic stress resistance, and enhanced bread-making quality.","Professor||Project Leader, Wheat Breeding Program",Soil and Crop Sciences||Amarillo Research and Extension Center,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n48d095ec
Erin,Giles,Assistant Professor,"I am currently building a research program that uses an integrative, translational approach to understand the mechanisms by which obesity promotes postmenopausal breast cancers. My work focuses on understanding how the obese microenvironment, when combined with the metabolic and hormonal changes associated with menopause, promote tumor development, survival, and growth. In parallel, I am investigating the role of adipose tissue inflammation in the development of metabolic disease after menopause. My hope is that the knowledge gained from studying the 'normal' adipose and breast environments during menopause will also help us understand the changes that occur to create a tumor-promoting environment in the breast of obese women during this same window of time.",Assistant Professor,Nutrition,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n4ccf1988
Sankar,Chaki,Associate Research Scientist,"As a proficient Cell and Molecular Biologist, I bring extensive knowledge in basic and translational research, teaching, and effective biosafety management in high-containment laboratories. Our collaborative efforts are driven by the primary goal of making substantial contributions to public and animal health. This entails advancing comprehensive countermeasures against infectious diseases, including the development of diagnostic tools, vaccines, antivirals, and disease study models, as well as providing training for working in high-containment laboratories.",Associate Research Scientist,Division of Research,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n4e7e5001
Christine,Merlin,Associate Professor,"Our research broadly lies in understanding how organisms respond and adapt to changing environments, with an emphasis on circadian biology. Organisms from bacteria to humans use circadian clocks to control a plethora of biochemical, physiological and behavioral rhythms. These clocks are synchronized to daily and seasonal environmental changes to allow organisms to tune specific activities at the appropriate times of day or year.
In our laboratory, we use the eastern North American migratory monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) as a model system to study animal clock mechanisms and the role of circadian clocks and clock genes in a fascinating biological output, the animal long-distance migration. Every fall, like clockwork, millions of monarch butterflies start migrating thousands of miles from North America to reach their overwintering sites in central Mexico. During their journey south, migrating monarchs use a time-compensated sun compass orientation mechanism to maintain a constant flight bearing. Circadian clocks located in the antennae provide the critical internal timing device for compensation of the sun movement across the sky over the course of the day. The recent sequencing of the monarch genome and the establishment of genetic tools to knockout clock genes (and others) in vivo using nuclease-mediated gene targeting approaches provides us with a unique opportunity to uncover the molecular and cellular underpinnings of the butterfly clockwork, its migratory behavior and their interplay.",Assistant Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n5a23a5d7
Israel,Liberzon,Professor and Department Head,,Professor and Department Head,Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n5a37dec0
Wenshe,Liu,Bovay Chair and Professor in Chemistry,"Our research interest is to design methods for the genetic incorporation of noncanonical amino acids into proteins in living cells and apply these methods in three major directions: deciphering functions of protein posttranslational modifications, small molecule sensing, and expanding chemical diversities of phage display libraries. To study protein posttranslational modifications, we have constructed methods for the site-specific installation of lysine acetylation and methylation in proteins and will apply them to study functional roles of these two modifications on p53, a tumor suppressor protein. We have also developed a strategy to site-specifically install two noncanonical amino acids into one protein in E. coli and are applying this approach to construct biosensors for small organic molecules and metal ions. Phage display is an efficient method to identify peptides for therapeutic interventions. However, a phage display peptide library has limited structure motifs and functional groups because only 20 natural amino acids can be used to generate a library. We plan to expand the chemical diversity of a phage display library by incorporating multiple noncanonical amino acids and chemically modifying them to extend functional diversities. Screening this unnatural phage display library against therapeutic targets such as c-Abl tyrosine kinase is expected to identify highly potent inhibitors.",Professor,Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n5d9506ea
Stephen,Maren,University Distinguished Professor,"My research focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying emotional learning and memory in animals and the relevance of these mechanisms to clinical disorders of fear and anxiety, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).",Professor,Psychological and Brain Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n606b4fd1
Weihsueh,Chiu,Professor,,Professor,Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n6e29f354
Endang,Septiningsih,Associate Professor,"My current research focus is plant genetics, genomics, and gene editing, with an emphasis on rice and several other crops. This covers various traits, including abiotic and biotic stresses, grain quality, yield and important agronomic traits that are important to Texas and the rest of the world. Different sources of genetic donors, including exotic germplasm will be used to increase the diversity of research material. Local, national and international research collaborations will be pursued to accelerate progress for crop improvement and broaden the research impacts.",Associate Professor,Soil and Crop Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n74b30548
Leslie,Adams,Senior Professor,"My research is focused on the: 1) investigation of the comparative molecular pathogenesis of zoonotic intracellular bacterial pathogens in natural animal models, particularly brucellosis, salmonellosis, and mycobacterial diseases; 2) development of vaccines and host gene expression-based diagnostics for zoonotic and select agent caused diseases, and especially 3) development of in silico host:pathogen interactome predictive models based upon bi-directional in vivo host (bovine/murine) and Brucella spp., Mycobacterium spp.and Salmonella enterica Typhimurium interactions. We developed an in silico computational infection biology model based on actuall temporal in vivo bovine model microarray-based transcriptomic and proteomic profiling of the acute infectious process. We developed a systems biology analysis of both host and pathogen comprehensive transcriptomic and proteomic datasets derived from our in vivo biological model. We computationally fused the datasets based on actual Salmonella, Brucella and Mycobacterium data and computationally predicted bovine host structural proteins to identify maximum likelihoods of host and pathogen protein:protein interactions as the basis for our preliminary in silico interactome model to predict mechanistic genes and linked perturbed cellular pathways.",Senior Professor,Veterinary Pathobiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n75fee121
Xu,Peng,Associate Professor,"Our long-term goal is to explore and define novel genetic mechanisms that are involved in cardiovascular disease which can ultimately translate into potential strategies for its treatment. To achieve this goal, we will use a comprehensive approach including mouse genetics and molecular and cellular biology methods to explore the mechanisms involved in the regulation of cardiovascular development and disease.",Associate Professor,Medical Physiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n78b50f7c
Yanan,Tian,Associate Professor,Transcriptional control of the Ah receptor-regulated gene expression. Interaction between the Ah receptor and NF-kB signal transduction pathways. lncRNAs and their role in regulation of gene expression,Associate Professor,Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n7f54d80b
Martial,Ndeffo,Assistant Professor,"My research uses transdisciplinary modeling approaches to address public health challenges for a wide range of infectious diseases. A focus of my research has been to develop data-driven models to 1) understand and predict epidemiological risk, patterns, and burden of infectious diseases, 2) identify and evaluate optimal strategies for disease control and prevention, and 3) perform economic analyses of public health intervention measures for preventing or curtailing disease outbreaks. Such research is paramount for informing public health policy for infectious diseases prevention and control and ultimately saving lives.",Assistant Professor,Veterinary Integrative Biosciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n7f958dd8
Peter,Davies,Professor,,Interim Department Head||Professor and Director,Center for Translational Cancer Research||Translational Medical Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n83f40a4a
Harvey,Scott,Professor,"Dr. H. Morgan Scott is a graduate veterinarian holding a PhD in epidemiology and post-doctoral training in public health. In addition to private veterinary practice, he has worked in both government (food safety surveillance) and academic settings. He is currently professor of epidemiology in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology at Texas A&M University. He was recruited to Texas A&M University in 2014 as part of the Texas A&M University System Chancellor's Research Initiative and the University President's Initiative on One Health and Infectious Diseases. He relocated from Kansas State University, where he previously held the E.J. Frick Professorship in Veterinary Medicine. Much of his research emphasis has been on studying factors impacting antimicrobial resistance among commensal and pathogenic enteric bacteria in food animal production systems, with a program spanning the realm from the molecular to the sociological. In particular, he is interested in applying both epidemiological and ecological approaches to quantify the emergence, propagation, dissemination, and persistence of resistant enteric bacterial strains in integrated populations of animals, their food products, and humans. Using this knowledge, he hopes to identify opportunities to prevent and intervene against resistance among enteric pathogens in animal agriculture; preferably, by developing readily adoptable and cost-effective management practices suited to modern animal and food production systems.",Professor,Veterinary Pathobiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8499539d
Alex,Keene,Professor and Department Head,,Professor and Department Head,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8650c3cf
Hongbin,Zhang,Professor,"My research is focused on genomics and systems biology in crop plants, particularly development of genomic and systems biological knowledge and new or advanced technologies for enhanced crop research and breeding. These include re-establishing of the molecular basis and mechanisms of genetics and biology; cloning and characterization of genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) controlling traits of agronomic importance; deciphering of the molecular mechanisms of biological phenomena or traits of importance such as quantitative genetics, epigenetics, crop yield, crop quality, heterosis and plant polyploidization; and development of molecular toolkits and associated pipelines for next-generation enhanced crop breeding such as gene-based breeding and crop production such as molecular precision agriculture.",Professor,Soil and Crop Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8ad1df35
Mark,Packard,Professor,,Professor,,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8c1e0820
Michael,Polymenis,Professor,"The promise for the treatment of proliferative disorders, with incalculable potential benefits to human health, has driven basic research into the genetic control of cell division for decades. However, what determines when cells initiate their division remains mysterious. It is as if we are staring at a beautiful engine, with little knowledge about what turns it on. How cells are set off to a new round of cell division, remains as one of the most fundamental, unanswered questions. It is virtually unknown which cellular pathways affect initiation of division, which factors operate within each pathway, the extent of interactions between pathways, and how each pathway is molecularly linked to the machinery of cell division. Our studies aim to answer these questions using baker's yeast. This model organism has a machinery of cell division that is very similar to that of human cells, and it is suited for genetic and biochemical studies.",Professor,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8c9420b2
Sumana,Datta,Assistant Provost,"We are currently investigating how organismal level cues regulate the onset of stem cell division during development. Our primary system is the neuroblasts in the brain of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. The trol gene of Drosophila encodes the fly homolog of the mammalian heparan sulfate glycoprotein, Perlecan. Perlecan is found in mice, humans, and C. elegans, and is widely known as a co-receptor for the growth factor FGF. We have shown that Trol, the Drosophila Perlecan homolog, is required for signaling by FGF. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that Trol is also a likely candidate for the Hedgehog co-receptor. Hedgehogs are peptide growth factors which are conserved in mammals and require heparan sulfate glycoproteins for their movement and long-range signaling; however, until now the identity of the protein core was unknown. Our studies demonstrate genetic interactions between trol and hedgehog or patched mutations (patched is the Hedgehog receptor). Further studies reveal that both FGF and Hedgehog signaling activate stem cell division. Current projects involve determining how Trol stimulates FGF and Hedgehog signaling through genetic, molecular, and biochemical analyses.",Assistant Provost,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8ce436a7
James,Cai,Professor,"Dr. Cai's research lies at the interface of single-cell biology, computational statistics, and data science. Current research focuses on using machine learning, network science and quantum computing to better understand the diverse behaviors of cells. Dr. Cai's group develops novel algorithms and analytical frameworks to study single-cell omics data from various types of cells, and the genetic basis of phenotypic variability to identify genetic variants that modulate complex phenotypic traits and susceptibility of genetic disorders.",Professor||Professor||Faculty,Veterinary Integrative Biosciences||Center for Statistical Bioinformatics||Electrical and Computer Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8d287cea
David,Threadgill,Professor,"Our laboratory uses the mouse as an experimental genetic model to investigate factors that contribute to inter-individual differences in health and disease. Ourcurrent research activities include the identification and functional characterization of alleles contributing to cancer susceptibility, the function of theErbbgenefamily in development and disease, and the role of genetic variation in response to environmental stimuli. To support these investigations, we also aredeveloping new genetic tools to support mammalian systems genetic approaches to phenotypes with complex genetic and environmental etiologies.",Director||Professor||Professor||Professor,Cell Biology and Genetics||Institute of Genome Sciences and Society||Biochemistry and Biophysics||Nutrition,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8ee0b54f
James,Sacchettini,Professor,"My lab uses X-ray crystallography to better understand the relationship between proteins and ligands. Tiny differences in the structure of a molecule can radically change the interaction between a protein and ligand and we are only begining to understand how many factors play a role in this interaction. By manipulating the individual components of a compound it is possible to create a chemical that binds to the protein better than the natural substrate, and prevent the natural reaction from occurring. This is the basis for rational drug design. Our efforts have lead us to collaborations with other labs and scientists in many disciplines as our approach to directed compound design has applications not only in basic research but also in pesticide development, health research and clinical research.",Professor,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n90385563
Hisashi,Koiwa,Professor,,Professor,Horticultural Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n931bc4cc
Terje,Raudsepp,Professor,"Comparative genomics and molecular cytogenetics of animals, birds and other vertebrates organization, function and evolution of sex chromosomes; equine genomics - genomics of genetic diseases and disorders of sexual development and reproduction; alpaca and camelid genomics.",Professor,Veterinary Integrative Biosciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n970d3a82
Vincent,VanBuren,Assistant Professor,,Instructional Assistant Professor,School of Medicine,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n98068f16
Masako,Suzuki,Assistant Professor,,Assistant Professor,Nutrition,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n9fd0c6a8
Aaron,Tarone,Professor,"The Tarone laboratory is interested in factors that lead to local adaptations of fly development times and body sizes. These traits are influenced by numerous genetic and environmental factors. They are also ecologically important life history traits for any organism and are frequently found to be under differential selection across populations of numerous fly species. Accordingly, there are many applied and theoretical reasons for dissecting the causes of variation in these phenotypes in flies that influence human activities.",Professor,Entomology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nae6767b7
Stephen,Safe,Distinguished Professor,The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a nuclear helix-loop-helix transcription factor which forms a ligand-induced nuclear heterodimer with the AhR nuclear translocator (Arnt) protein. Research in this laboratory is focused on the molecular mechanism of crosstalk between the AhR and estrogen receptor (ER) signaling pathways in which the AhR inhibits estrogen-induced gene expression. The antiestrogenic activities of some AhR agonists are also being developed as drugs for clinical treatment of breast and endometrial cancers in women. Research on estrogen-dependent gene expression in various cancer cell lines is focused on analysis of several gene promoters to determine the mechanisms of ERa and ERb action. This includes several genes that are activated through interactions of the ER with Sp1 protein and other DNA-bound transcription factors.,Distinguished Professor||Distinguished Professor||Syd Kyle Chair,School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences||Biochemistry and Biophysics||Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nb20fdbd9
Ivan,Rusyn,Professor,"My laboratory has an active research portfolio funded by the National Institutes of Health and the US EPA with a focus on the mechanisms of action of environmental toxicants and the genetic determinants of the susceptibility to toxicant-induced injury. Through a combination of in vivo animal studies and experiments that utilize cellular and molecular models, we aim to better understand why certain chemicals cause cancer or organ damage in rodents and whether humans in general, or any susceptible sub-population in particular, are at risk from similar exposures.
The main focus of our inter-disciplinary research is on improving the linkages between exposures and adverse health effects Specifically, we develop innovative experimental methods and computational tools which enable analysis of data across multiple dimensions including SNPs, -omic endpoints, multiple chemicals and traditional toxicity phenotypes.","Professor, Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology",School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nb3daa5ce
Warren,Zimmer,Scott Exter Professor,"Our research interests are directed towards understanding the complex mechanisms which regulate the expression of specific gene sequences in development. We have focused our studies upon the factors that influence the smooth muscle component of the developing gastrointestinal (G.I.) tract. It has been shown that smooth muscle cells are predominantly derived from mesodermal precursor cells, however the factors regulating the selection of the smooth muscle myogenic pathway is not well defined.",Scott Exter Professor,Medical Physiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nb6da0749
Mariana,Mateos,Associate Professor,,Associate Professor,"Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management||Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences",https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nb7331dd1
Rachel,Smith,Assistant Professor,,Assistant Professor,,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nbe30d9b5
Shiqing,Xu,Assistant Professor,"Our research aims to develop innovative synthetic methodologies and therapeutic approaches, and apply them to solving pressing problems of biological and medical importance. New synthetic methodologies and strategies (e.g. non-traditional disconnections and C-H functionalization) have great impacts on the discovery of transformational medicines by enabling the rapid and efficient synthesis of novel, diverse, and complex biologically active molecules. New therapeutic approaches (e.g. targeted covalent inhibition and targeted protein degradation) provide new opportunities to address traditionally ""undruggable"" disease targets.
We anticipate that the combination of the efforts in the development of novel synthetic methodologies and therapeutic approaches will advance drug discovery in diseases of unmet need, and achieve the research goal of identifying small-molecule probes and drug candidates that specifically remove/inhibit disease-causing proteins in cells and animal models and ultimately impact human health. Representative research directions include:
1. COVID-19 drug discovery via small-molecule-induced targeted protein inhibition and degradation
2. Late-stage functionalization of drugs and peptides & its applications in drug discovery
3. Organoboron chemistry and its medical applications",Assistant Professor,Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ncd983c6e
David,Wright,Professor,"Recent research in my lab has focused on the how practice context mediates efficient planning of movement timing. The contribution of a variety of practice factors (e.g., schedule, composition, and environmental characteristics) for effective organization of both the structural and scaling properties of movement timing have been investigated.",Professor||Faculty Fellow,Center for Health Systems and Design||Kinesiology and Sport Management,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nce97a826
Brian,Anderson,Assistant Professor,,Assistant Professor,Psychological and Brain Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nd469b920
Sarah,Hamer,Professor,,Professor,Veterinary Integrative Biosciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ndc2c4e3e
Zachary,Adelman,Professor,,Associate Professor,Entomology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ndc81a8e5
Valen,Johnson,Professor,,Professor,Statistics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ndd7ffe32
Keith,Young,Research Professor,,Research Professor,Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nde753d2d
Brett,Mitchell,Professor,Our research focuses on understanding the mechanisms by which immune system activation causes organ dysfunction and various forms of hypertension.,Professor,Medical Physiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ne0d93385
Julian,Leibowitz,Professor,We have two projects in my lab. The first project is focused on identifying evolutionarily conserved RNA secondary structures in the coronavirus RNA genome and functionally examining their role in viral replication through reverse genetic and biochemical approaches. We have previously done this for a number of RNA secondary structures contained within the 5? and 3? regions of the genome and shown that they function as cis-acting elements in replication. Studies in my laboratory have identified a structurally dynamic region of the 5'UTR that interacts with the 3'UTR to facilitate transcription.
A second project in my laboratory has been to develop a reverse genetic system for MHV-1. In collaboration with investigators in Toronto and Pennsylvania my laboratory has demonstrated that MHV-1 infection of susceptible mice provides a safe and convenient rodent model for severe coronavirus infections such as SARS and MERS. The development of a reverse genetic system will allow us to investigate the contributions of individual viral genes to the pathogenesis of the severe pulmonary disease caused by this virus.,Professor||Professor,Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology||Veterinary Pathobiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ne2185aa0
Deborah,Siegele,Associate Professor,"Phenotypes are observable characteristics of an organism that result from the expression of a particular genotype in a particular environment. Examples of phenotypic traits in microbes are motility, sporulation, ability to perform anaerobic respiration, and resistance/sensitivity to an antibiotic.
Until recently, phenotypic information has been captured as free text descriptions in research papers. Ambiguities in natural language confound attempts to retrieve information across sources. For example, ""serotype"" and ""serovar"" both refer to the same phenotype, but a simple text-based query with either word alone would miss the other. Or a single term, such as ""sporulation"" is used to refer to multiple, distinct processes in different organisms. Issues such as these hamper the ability to integrate different phenotypic data sets for the same organism or to use phenotypic information in one organism to predict possible phenotypes in another organism. Ideally, phenotype information should be stored in a consistent, computable format for ease of data integration and mining.
Controlled vocabularies are used to provide both consistent terminology and a structured data format for the capture of biological information. Ontologies are controlled vocabularies of defined terms with unique identifiers and precise relationships to each other. There are phenotype ontologies available for many eukaryotic organisms, including fungi. However, when the OMP project was initiated, none of the existing ontologies was appropriate to comprehensively capture phenotypes for Bacteria or Archaea or to enable comparisons across microbial taxa.
The Siegele lab and our collaborators at TAMU and the Univ. of Maryland (IGS) are developing a formal Ontology of Microbial Phenotypes (OMP). Our lab is focused on term development and annotating microbial phenotypes. OMP can be accessed at microbialphenotypes.org. Releases of OMP are available at github.com/microbialphenotypes.",Associate Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ne333d587
Darrell,Pilling,Research Assistant Professor,,Research Assistant Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ne8a9ecc1
Leif,Andersson,Professor,,Professor,Veterinary Integrative Biosciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ne8ae2a28
Ryland,Young,Professor,"Most bacterial viruses (phages) cause lysis of their host cell to release the progeny virions. Large phages elaborate an enzyme (""endolysin"") to degrade the cell wall and also a small membrane protein (""holin""). The holin accumulates in the membrane and then, at a precisely scheduled time, suddenly forms a hole to allow release of endolysin through the cytoplasmic membrane to gain access to the wall. We use molecular genetics and biochemistry to study how this small protein is able to act as a molecular ""clock"" and punch holes in membranes. Small phages make single proteins which cause host lysis in a different way. This strategy is to target the host cell wall synthesis machinery; that is, the virus makes a ""protein antibiotic"" that causes lysis in the same way as antibiotics like penicillin by inhibiting an enzyme in the multi-step pathway of murein biosynthesis. Thus, when the infected cell tries to divide, it blows up, or lyses, because it can't make the new cell wall between the daughter cells. Remarkably, each of three different, small phages blocks a different step in the pathway. These small lysis proteins are models for a completely new class of antibacterial antibiotics. Also, the E. coli SlyD protein is required for this mode of lysis in one case. SlyD is a member of an ubiquitous family of proteins related to human ""immunophilins,"" the targets of immune-suppression drugs. We study SlyD to learn about the role of this class of proteins in biology.",Professor,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nea775348
John,Mullet,Professor,"Functional genomics, bioinformatics, and DNA chip technology are fundamentally changing research on biological systems. Knowledge of complete genome sequences and high resolution genome technology provide an extraordinary opportunity to understand complex biological processes and to relate detailed understanding of protein structure and biochemical mechanism to the function of whole organisms and biological systems in nature.
Our research team is helping to build genome maps and DNA diagnostic microarrays/chips for analysis of global gene expression and biodiversity. This new technology is being used to explore the molecular basis of several fundamental plant responses: (1) light responsive genetic systems that help protect plants from damage by high intensity UV/blue light; (2) genetic systems that allow plants to adapt to the environment; (3) genes and signal transduction pathways that help protect plants from insects and disease; and (4) genes that regulate plant development (flowering time, fertility restoration, chloroplast development/number).",Professor,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nf1c81fcb
Noah,Cohen,Distinguished Professor and Associate Department Head,,Distinguished Professor and Associate Department Head,Large Animal Clinical Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nf22c59c1
Paul,Hardin,Distinguished Professor,"A diverse array of organisms including prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes, plants, and animals display daily rhythms in physiology, metabolism and/or behavior. These rhythms are not passively driven by environmental cycles of light and temperature, but are actively controlled by endogenous circadian clocks that are set by environmental cycles, keep time in the absence of environmental cues, and activate overt physiological, metabolic and behavioral rhythms at the appropriate time of day. This remarkable conservation of circadian clock function through evolution suggests that maintaining synchrony with the environment is of fundamental importance. Our understanding of the circadian clock is particularly important for human health and well-being. The clearest examples of circadian clock dysfunction are those that result in abnormal sleep-wake cycles, but clock disturbances are also associated with other ailments including epilepsy, cerebrovascular disease, depression, and seasonal affective disorder. The realization that disorders of the sleep-wake cycle such as Familial Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome can result from alterations in clock gene function underscores the clinical importance of understanding the molecular organization of the circadian system.
Work in my laboratory focuses on defining the molecular mechanisms that drive circadian clock function in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. We previously found that the core timekeeping mechanism is based on core and interlocked transcriptional feedback loops. Our studies currently focus on (1) defining post-translational regulatory mechanisms that operate in the core loop to set the 24 hour period, (2) determining whether interlocked loops are important for circadian timekeeping and/or output, (3) understanding how circadian oscillator cells are determined during development, and (4) defining mechanisms that control rhythms in olfactory and gustatory physiology and behavior.",Distinguished Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nf27056c4
Richard,Gomer,Distinguished Professor,"Our laboratory is working on three areas of biomedicine, trying to move observations from basic research into the clinic. First, we are studying how the sizes of tissues and tumors are regulated, and how this can be manipulated for therapeutic purposes. As a model system, we are using the simple eukaryote Dictyostelium discoideum, which allows us to combine techniques such as biochemistry, genetics, computer modeling, and cell biology to study tissue size regulation. We have found that a secreted protein as well as the unusual molecule polyphosphate are signals in negative feedback loops that inhibit Dictyostelium cell proliferation, and we are studying the signal transduction pathway to understand similar mechanisms in humans.
Second, we are studying how some secreted proteins can make cells move away from the source of the signal. We found such a signal (called a chemorepellent) in Dictyostelium, and then found a similar signal in humans. We are working to understand the signal transduction pathway for both. The human signal repels neutrophils, and we found that this can be used therapeutically in mouse models of neutrophil-driven diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Third, we have found that a human blood protein called Serum Amyloid P (SAP) regulates a key step in the formation of scar tissue as well as the formation of the scar-like lesions in fibrosing diseases such as congestive heart failure and pulmonary fibrosis. We are studying this mechanism, and a biotech company (Promedior, now sold to Roche) we co-founded is testing SAP as a therapy for fibrosis in patients in a Phase 3 trials.",Distinguished Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nf41f3898
James,Erickson,Associate Professor,"Alternative developmental fates are often determined by small differences in the concentrations of signaling molecules. In many cases, cells respond to these signals within narrowly defined temporal windows and are unresponsive to the same signal molecules at other times in development. A number of aspects of Drosophila sex determination make it an ideal experimental system to study how strict temporal controls and small quantitative differences in protein concentration can elicit different developmental fates.",Associate Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nf4575bc8
Edward,Dougherty,Distinguished Professor,My research focuses on genomic signal processing and image analysis.,Distinguished Professor,Electrical and Computer Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nf4ef0ac5
Justin,Moscarello,Assistant Professor,,Assistant Professor,,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nf616de5c
Jerome,Menet,Associate Professor,"Most organisms from bacteria to humans exhibit 24-hours rhythms in their biochemistry, physiology and behavior. Best exemplified by the sleep/wake cycle, these rhythms are remarkably widespread and include in humans hormonal (e.g., melatonin, insulin, cortisol), metabolic (e.g., glucose, cholesterol), physiological and behavioral oscillations. In fact, most biological functions are rhythmic and are set to perform optimally at the most appropriate time of the day. For example, the human digestion process performs better during the day when we are supposed to eat.
These circadian rhythms are generated by ""molecular clocks"", which consist of a few ""clock genes"" interacting in feedback loops, and which drive the rhythmic expression of a large number of genes, i.e. ~10% of the transcriptome in any tissues. This wide impact of clock genes in regulating gene expression is underscored by the surprisingly large number of pathologies developed by clock-deficient mice. In addition to being arrhythmic, these mice indeed develop pathologies as diverse as mania-like behaviors, learning and memory defects, depression, drug addiction, insomnia, metabolic diseases, arthropathy, hematopoiesis defects and cancers.
Research in our lab aims at characterizing how circadian clocks and clock genes regulate gene expression to provide insights into how and why clock dysfuntion leads to a wide spectra of pathologies. To this end, we are using a wide-range of molecular and biochemical techniques to investigate the circadian clock function at the genome-wide level (e.g., next-generation sequencing). We are currently extending some of our recent results and focus on 1) how clock genes rhythmically regulate chromatin environment and 2) the mechanisms involved in rhythmic post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression.",Associate Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nf680fb91
Uel,Mcmahan,Professor,"McMahan and his research group provide one of the cornerstones for Texas A&M's new Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building and its related teaching and research efforts. His work focuses on how the nervous system's synapses form in the embryo and function in the adult in various animal species. It relies on high-resolution imaging, chemical characterization and experimental manipulation of specific macromolecules and organelles, which altogether provide insights unobtainable via any other approach. The findings bear directly on the problems of understanding the molecular basis of human brain diseases and restoring brain function after trauma.",Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nfc3672e7
J,Johnston,Professor,"I estimate genome size for sequencing projects for a very wide range of vertebrates, invertebrates and plants..
I work on genome size evolution, & genomics.
My other areas of research include cytological, ecological and population genetics of arthropods.",Professor,Entomology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nfc3f68fb
Darwin,Prockop,Professor,,Professor,Cell Biology and Genetics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nfcfd0990
Matthew,Sachs,Professor,"Understanding the mechanisms by which upstream open reading frames (uORFs) in mRNA transcripts control gene expression is currently the major focus of my laboratory. A substantial component of this work is focused on the uORF-encoded fungal arginine attenuator peptide (AAP). The major goal of this work is to understand the mechanism by which a nascent peptide encoded by this uORF controls the movement of ribosomes on mRNA and regulates gene expression. Control mechanisms mediated by uORFs and nascent peptides exist in mammals, fungi, plants, viruses, and bacteria, but relatively little is known of the molecular details of such control. The AAP is encoded by a uORF in the 5?-leader regions of mRNAs specifying the first enzyme in fungal arginine (Arg) biosynthesis. Synthesis of the AAP rapidly reduces gene expression in response to Arg. AAP-mediated regulation is observed in vivo in both Neurospora crassa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae and in vitro, using fungal, plant and animal extracts. The nascent AAP causes the ribosome to stall when the concentration of Arg is high.",Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nfe74574c
David,Stelly,Professor,"My scientific research, graduate and post-graduate programs employs multi-disciplinary approaches to conduct and study use of naturally occurring germplasm for crop improvement. Elements of the research include wild-species germplasm introgression, chromosome substitution, reproductive and ploidy manipulations, conventional cytogenetics and fluorescence in situ hybridization, genetic analysis, DNA marker and assay (SNP) development, marker assisted selection, reproductive cytology and genetics, and various types of genome mapping, sequencing, and their integration for genome sequencing and assembly. Most of my research aims to enhance the germplasm, knowledge, science and technologies for genetic improvement Upland cotton, e.g., economic yield and sustainability; some, however, is devoted to sorghum and peanut, especially wide hybridization and germplasm utilization.",Professor||Chair,Soil and Crop Sciences||Molecular and Environmental Plant Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nfec36db0
Phillip,Kramer,Professor and Director,,Professor and Director,Biomedical Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nffafc708