First name,Last name,Preferred title,Overview,Position,Department,Individual
R. Stanley,Williams,Professor,,Professor,Electrical and Computer Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n00f3c2fd
Karuppiah,Chockalingam,Research Assistant Professor,,Research Assistant Professor,Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n015218cf
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
Orencio,Duran Vinent,Assistant Professor,,Research Assistant Professor - Term Appointment||Assistant Professor,Ocean Engineering||Ocean Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n01e2c9eb
Yuxiang,Sun,Professor,"Dr. Sun is an expert on ""hunger hormone"" ghrelin. She generated the first set of ghrelin and ghrelin receptor knockout mice, and discovered novel roles of ghrelin signaling in diabetes, thermogenesis, and inflammation. Her laboratory uses state-of-the-art tools to study ghrelin system in energy sensing, metabolism and immunity, and aging. Her work suggests that ghrelin signal might be a promising drug target for obesity, diabetes, inflammation, and Alzheimer's disease.",Professor,Nutrition,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n0228c22e
Zhilong,Yang,Associate Professor,"The overarching research goal of the Yang laboratory is to understand the mechanisms governing viral replication, with the rationale that the discoveries will expand the knowledge of both viruses and their hosts, and facilitate the development of novel strategies to combat viral and non-viral diseases. A parallel goal of Yang lab is to provide a highly supportive environment to train the next generations of scientists. The ongoing research focuses on how viruses interact with two cellular housekeeping processes: protein synthesis and metabolism using vaccinia virus as the research model. Vaccinia virus is the prototype poxvirus. Poxviruses significantly impact public health, with many presently causing morbidity and mortality in humans and many economically important animals, including deadly zoonotic pathogens (e.g., monkeypox virus). In addition, despite the eradication of smallpox, one of the most (if not the most) devastating diseases in human history, smallpox resurgence remains a serious biothreat. Poxviruses are also widely developed as veterinary and human vaccine vectors and as cancer treatment agents. Poxviruses provide numerous precious tools to understand many aspects of cell biology and dissect complex life processes, as their large DNA genomes encode hundreds of genes that engage many key nodes of cellular life. Yang's research integrates biochemical, molecular, and omics approaches. Taking advantage of their in-depth knowledge of the poxvirus replication and virus-host interactions, the Yang lab also develops vaccinia virus-based utilities and anti-virals.",Associate Professor,Veterinary Pathobiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n02daa01b
Vishal,Gohil,Associate Professor,"Despite the fundamental role of the mitochondrion in cellular energy production and its involvement in numerous human diseases, we still do not know the function of nearly 20% of the known mitochondrial proteins. My laboratory applies genomic, genetic, and biochemical tools to uncover the role of these uncharacterized proteins in the mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) biogenesis. MRC is the main site of cellular respiration and energy production and since the core components of the MRC are evolutionarily conserved, we reason that the assembly factors required to build the MRC should also be conserved. Therefore, we utilize multiple models systems, including yeast, zebrafish, and human cell lines, to determine the role of these conserved, uncharacterized mitochondrial proteins in bioenergetics, organismal development, and human disease pathogenesis.
Another poorly understood aspect of the mitochondrial energy metabolism is the role of phospholipids in maintaining the structural and functional integrity of the MRC. Although it is well known that the MRC is localized in the inner mitochondrial membrane, how the unique lipid milieu of the mitochondrial membrane influences the assembly and activity of the MRC is not fully understood. We have constructed yeast mutants with defined mitochondrial phospholipid compositions to systematically determine each lipid's role in MRC assembly and activity. Ultimately, defining the roles of mitochondrial proteins and phospholipids will allow us to develop better diagnostic and therapeutic options for human disorders resulting from mitochondrial dysfunction.",Faculty Affiliate||Assistant Professor,Energy Institute||Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n03100e49
Raymond,Carroll,Distinguished Professor,,Distinguished Professor,Statistics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n032647a0
Patricia,Pietrantonio,Professor and Texas AgriLife Research Fellow,"We work with important pests that are critical to Texas and the world focusing on public and animal health and on pests of cotton. We are interested in elucidating the functions of arthropod neuropeptides that signal through G protein-coupled receptors. Many of these neuropeptides are pleiotropic and many of their multiple functions are still unknown. We utilize loss-of-function experiments through RNAi, peptidomimetics, the discovery of antagonists through target-based high-throughput screening of small molecules on recombinant receptors expressed in mammalian cells, immunohistochemistry, and develop physiological in vitro and in vivo assays towards advancing arthropod endocrinology. The laboratory has pioneered the discovery of the first neuropeptide receptor in the Acari and the first insect prostaglandin receptor. The molecular and cell culture laboratories are BL2 and the Insect toxicology laboratory is BL1. We use state-of-the-art technologies and the lab is well equipped to do almost everything in-house.",Professor,Entomology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n0555af9d
Gregory,Reeves,Associate Professor,,Associate Professor,Chemical Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n05d3cae9
Limei,Tian,Assistant Professor,,Assistant Professor,Biomedical Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n05e20d80
David,Lee,Distinguished Professor,"Liquid and Solid Helium, Spin Polarized Hydrogen Gas, Superconductivity, Magnetic Resonance, Impurity-Helium Solids, Solid Hydrogen.",Distinguished Professor,Physics and Astronomy,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n0796fad3
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
Christopher,Seabury,Associate Professor,"Mammalian molecular genetics, genomics, and population genetics; animal disease genomics; utilization of population and quantitative genetics to elucidate host loci and relevant variation influencing differential susceptibility to disease, adaptability, and feed efficiency; next generation sequencing and de novo genome assembly as a mechanism to enable novel research programs in non-model mammalian and avian species of interest.",Associate Professor,Veterinary Pathobiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n08037241
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
Hubert,Amrein,Professor,"My broad research interests are concerned with the sensory perception of the external chemical world. The central questions investigated in our laboratory are concerned with how animals detect and discriminate among the thousands of different chemical signals that ""flood"" the olfactory and taste organs. Our laboratory uses Drosophila as a model to study these problems because the Drosophilachemosensory systems are structurally and functionally very similar to those of mammals, yet they are smaller and somewhat less complex, which makes them excellent models to investigate the molecular and neural basis of olfaction and taste.",Senior Associate Dean of Research||Professor||Professor,Cell Biology and Genetics||School of Medicine||Nutrition,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n0839ec95
Peter,Rentzepis,Professor,My research interest include lasers and their application to science and technology.,Faculty Affiliate||Professor,Energy Institute||Electrical and Computer Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n08418952
Mark,Westhusin,Professor,My laboratory is interested in developing transgenic animal models of disease and novel platforms for the production of biopharmaceuticals. We are currently exploring methods to produce vaccines in the milk of transgenic animals.,Professor,Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n088680ea
Rajesh,Miranda,Professor,"My research is focused on fetal brain development, stem cells, microRNAs, and teratology. Our laboratory is interested in understanding the biological steps that transform uncommitted stem cells into neurons or a glial cells, and identifying key microRNAs that control the transformation of stem cells into neurons. We are also currently investigating what role teratogen-sensitive microRNAs play in fetal brain growth, and the spatial patterning of the emerging forebrain.",Professor,Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n0b271ea8
Carolyn,Cannon,Associate Professor,"Our goal is to develop novel, non-toxic antimicrobial formualtions with efficacy against gram-positive and gram-negative multi-drug resistant pathogens.",Associate Professor,Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n0b3870aa
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
Thomas,Yancey,Professor,My research focuses on the study of carboniferous and Permian marine shelf paleoenvironments and paleooceanography.,Professor||Faculty Affiliate,Geology and Geophysics||Energy Institute,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n0e0dbd40
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
Erin,Van Schaik,Research Assistant Professor,,Research Assistant Professor,Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n0f17ac3a
Qian,Wang,Associate Professor,"Dr. Wang's earlier work focused on the comparative morphology of craniofacial skeletons of Mid Pleistocene hominin fossils. During his postdoctoral training, he was involved in a number of studies examining the internal structure of craniofacial bone and suture morphology and how it is related to skeletal growth, function and adaptation. His recent research focuses on the functional morphology and biomechanics of the craniofacial skeleton. He has incorporated a range of methods, including geometric morphometrics (e.g., 3D Euclidean Distance Matrix Analysis and Generalized Procrustes Analysis/GPA), experimental approaches (e.g., in vitro strain measurements and ultrasonic techniques), computer-aided modeling and biomechanical analysis ( e.g., Finite Element Analysis), as well as phenotypic analyses. He has worked intensively on the various primate skeletal collections and has developed protocols for data collection and analyses of museum skeletal collections. In addition, he is a member of a multi-institutional research team made up of anatomists and anthropologists who have specialized in various aspects of functional morphology in order to systematically reassess the reconstruction and biomechanical interpretation of the face of early human types, based on current morphological and phylogenetic evidence and advances in biomechanical methods.",Associate Professor,Biomedical Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n10bc652f
Timothy,Devarenne,Associate Professor,"We study the biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying the control of programmed cell death (PCD) in plants and how PCD is manipulated during plant-pathogen interactions. Specifically we study the interaction between tomato and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) the causative agent of bacterial spot disease. Resistance to this disease is conferred by the host Pto serine/threonine protein kinase which recognizes Pst strains expressing the type III effector protein AvrPto.
PCD is induced during both resistant and susceptible plant-pathogen interactions. In the case of a resistant interaction, PCD induced by the plant, known as the hypersensitive response (HR), and acts to limit the spread of the pathogen. In susceptible plant-pathogen interactions plant PCD is induced by the pathogen after infection leading to death of the host. Studies have indicated that the genes controlling host PCD during the HR are the same genes that are manipulated by the pathogen during susceptible interactions. The difference lies in the timing of controlling the activity of these genes; HR PCD occurs within 12 hours of pathogen recognition while pathogen-induced PCD occurs several days after infection.
Many of these genes that control plant PCD are serine/threonine (S/T) protein kinase. We are interested in studying a specific class of S/T protein kinases that control PCD in plants called AGC kinases and how they are regulated in both resistant and susceptible plant-pathogen interactions. Additionally, when plants are not attacked by pathogens, PCD is a process that requires constant control so that cell death does not occur. We are looking at the signaling mechanisms and pathways employed to keep PCD under check in non-pathogen challenged plants.",Faculty Affiliate||Associate Professor,Energy Institute||Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n11411275
Michael,Criscitiello,Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies,"My Comparative Immunogenetics Laboratory studies immunology, molecular genetics and evolution. Most of our group's research focuses on the natural history and future application of the vertebrate adaptive immune system, with particular attention given to the genetics of lymphocyte antigen receptors. Particular expertise lies in the evolution of vertebrate immunoglobulin loci, T cell receptor loci and the major histocompatibility complex. Additionally, we are interested in the evolution of diversification mechanisms at work there (e.g., recombination activating genes (RAG), activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), and the high allelic polymorphism maintained by classical MHC genes). Most recently, we have been working on lymphocyte development in shark thymus that suggests plasticity across the B lymphocyte/T lymphocyte divide, immunoglobulin heavy and light chain isotype pairing in an amphibian system, immunogenetics in marine mammals of conservation importance, mucosal humoral immunity in diverse tetrapods and cattle antibodies with an unheralded domain extending for novel antigen binding possibilities.",Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies||Professor,School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences||Veterinary Pathobiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n11e21ca8
Roger,Smith,Professor,,Professor,Mathematics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n11e5dd7d
Mary,Bryk,"Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences",,Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs,College of Agriculture and Life Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n145a2ab4
Jorge,Cruz-Reyes,Professor,"We combine approaches in molecular genetics, structural biology, biochemistry, proteomics, and bioinformatics to study the amazing RNA biology of trypanosome parasites. One research line is on an RNA editing process by uridine insertion and deletion that creates amino acid coding triplets in most mRNAs. Yet a single error in the U-changes yields a frame-shift. Trypanosomes split from other eukaryotic lineages over a hundred million years ago, yet this editing has analogies with RNAi, CRISPR/Cas9, mRNA splicing and other systems directed by small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs).",Professor||Professor,Texas A&M AgriLife Research||Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n147e77ee
Ceyhun,Eksin,Assistant Professor,"My research interests are in the areas of distributed optimization, network science, game theory and control theory. Current research focuses on game theoretic modeling and optimization of multi-agent systems in biological, communication and energy networks.",Faculty Affiliate||Assistant Professor,Energy Institute||Industrial and Systems Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n15218a48
Guoyao,Wu,Distinguished Professor,"Dr. Wu teaches graduate courses in protein metabolism and nutritional biochemistry. He conducts research in protein and amino acid metabolism at molecular, cellular, and whole body levels . The animal models used in his research include cattle, chicks, pigs, rats, sheep, fish, and shrimp. He has also conducted research on amino acid nutrition in humans.",Faculty Fellow||University Faculty Fellow||Distinguished Professor||Senior Faculty Fellow||Distinguished Professor,Veterinary Integrative Biosciences||Animal Science||Texas A&M AgriLife Research||Texas A&M AgriLife Research||Nutrition,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n169f9a74
Hans,Schuessler,Professor,"Atomic physics and laser spectroscopy: on-line spectroscopy of short-lived isotopes, measurement of nuclear moments, spins nd charge distributions, cross-sections for spin dependent atomic collisions, ion storage spectroscopy and laser cooling, low energy ion and atom collisions, highly charged ion spectroscopy and Wigner crystals.",Faculty Affiliate||Professor,Physics and Astronomy||Energy Institute,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n18880b39
Zhenhuan,Yi,Research Assistant Professor,"Dr. Zhenhuan Yi is a Research Assistant Professor in the Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering and the department of Physics and Astronomy at Texas A&M University. He got his Ph.D in physics from Texas A&M, and B.S. and M.S from Tsinghua University. Dr. Yi's research focuses on light-matter interaction and spectroscopy study of biomaterials. He works extensively on coherent Raman spectroscopy and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy techniques. He is an experienced experimentalist with expertise in laser and optical systems, electronics, spectroscopic techniques, quantum optics and quantum informatics. He collaborates and mentors graduate and undergraduate students in research labs of the institute, teaches in small study groups of students interest in atoms, molecules and optics as well as spectroscopic techniques.",Research Assistant Professor,Institute of Quantum Science,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n18fc51dc
Lanying,Zeng,Professor,"Living systems make decisions by integrating information from their environments in order to optimize their own fitness. This decision-making process has many intricacies, with a dual nature characterized by stochasticity and determinism, and considerable effort has been dedicated to characterizing the factors contributing to cell-fate heterogeneity. Our primary goal is to determine how multiple environmental and genetic factors, some deterministic and some stochastic, impact developmental outcomes. We choose to study paradigms of cellular decision-making such as bacteriophage lambda lytic-lysogenic development to simplify the complicated nature of cell-fate selection. By distilling the study of a ubiquitous and vital process into basic questions, we hope to generate new insights into how decision-making affects cellular development and differentiation in higher organisms.
We utilize high-resolution live-cell fluorescence microscopy, single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, quantitative data analysis, and simple mathematical modeling to mechanistically dissect the decision-making processes at single-cell/molecule levels. Our favorite biological models are the lysis-lysogeny systems of bacteria and their viruses, like E. coli being infected by paradigm phages lambda and P1. By revisiting established systems with a new, technologically advanced perspective, we are able to reveal previously hidden complexities to better understand the nature of living cells.",Professor,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n1954b72f
Donald,Brightsmith,Associate Professor,"My research focuses on the conservation, ecology, health, and welfare of parrots and their relatives in both the wild and captivity.",Professor||Associate Professor,Veterinary Pathobiology||Veterinary Pathobiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n19a331cf
Michael,Golding,Associate Professor,,Associate Professor,Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n19ac3c74
Xiaowei,Chen,Associate Professor,,Associate Professor,Geology and Geophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n1c3f97d9
Dominique,Wiener,Clinical Assistant Professor,"I am an anatomic veterinary pathologist from Bern, Switzerland with broad experience in macroscopical and histological evaluation of tissues from various animal species. I am specialized in Dermatopathology and I provide diagnostic service in the Dermatopathology Speciality Service as well as diagnostic service to the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at TAMU. My research focuses on understanding the pathogenesis of non-inflammatory alopecia in dogs. I am investigating the molecular pathways involved in the activation of follicular stem cells and the regulation of the hair cycle. Our research group in Bern could establish a method to investigate the colony forming capacity of canine follicular stem cells and transit amplifying cells. In Utrecht, The Netherlands, I established the culturing of canine skin organoids (derived from interfollicular epidermis and hair follicles). This model system recapitulates in vitro skin stratification more faithfully than currently used 2D lines. These organoid lines provide the basis to explore epidermal function, to investigate culture conditions necessary for the development of organoids with a HF signature and to address cutaneous disorders in dogs and potentially human patients.",Clinical Assistant Professor,Veterinary Pathobiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n1c67c8f3
Franco,Marcantonio,Jane and Ken R. Williams Chair in Ocean Drilling Science,,,,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n1c975597
Charles,Long,Professor,"My laboratory is currently working on a number of projects involving genetic engineering in cattle, goats, sheep and horses. We use CRISPR/Cas gene editing to specifically alter the coding sequence of genes in sheep to produced biomedical models of human disease, specifically hypophosphatasia. My lab is actively working on projects to produce gene edited cattle that are resistant to respiratory disease. We have also successfully used gene editing to correct the glycogen branching enzyme deficiency mutation in horses. We are also interested in altering the carcass characteristics of beef cattle by genetic engineering genes specifically related to meat tenderness in Bos indicus cattle. Other projects in the lab involve the use of mesenchymal stem cell-based therapies for treatment of equine disease and in particular methods for using these cells to over express proteins that can modulate the inflammatory response. We also have interest in using livestock as bioreactors to produce biotherapeutics and vaccine antigens in their milk. I have extensive experience in using genetic engineering in combination with assisted reproductive technologies (including somatic cell nuclear transfer) to produce live animals.",Professor,Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n1dc326d5
Kayla,Bayless,Associate Professor,"My laboratory conducts research in two areas of molecular and cellular medicine: the mechanism through which primary human endothelial cells invade into 3D matrices, and communication between invading endothelial cells and their surrounding 3D collagen matrix.",Associate Professor,Cell Biology and Genetics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n1dd3799c
Hongbin,Wang,Professor and Co-Director,,Professor and Co-Director,Center For Biomedical Informatics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n1e81bc0e
Paul,Dechow,Regents Professor and Associate Dean,"My research activities at the College of Dentistry (COD) have a focus on (1) the development of translational and clinical research in dentistry and (2) research on the development and biomechanics of mineralized tissues from a translational and organismal perspective. Research in my laboratory includes studies of phenotypic assessment of skeletal tissues, with an emphasis on material properties, gross and micro structure, biomechanics, and temporal and evolutionary adaptations. Methods that we use include techniques for determining 3D material properties (ultrasound, nanoindentation), 2D and 3D bone histomorphometry, 3D scanning technologies (cone beam CT, micro CT), and various biomechanical modeling techniques, such as finite element analysis. Recent projects have included studies of cranial bone adaptation during wound healing and distraction osteogenesis, and studies of phenotypic adaptations in mouse genetic models related to alterations of pathways associated with Wnt/?-catenin signaling in osteoblasts (with J. Feng) and osteoclasts (with Y. Wan).
Mentoring Experience: 4 Postdocs; 18 PhD; 21 MS; 22 Undergrad DDS Research; 8 Undergrad BS Research; 53 Grad Advisor (as Graduate Program Director); 2 KL2 scholars",Associate Dean||Regents Professor,Office of Academic Affairs||Biomedical Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n1ec430cb
Taylor,Ware,Associate Professor,,Associate Professor,Biomedical Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n1f43628f
Sarbajit,Banerjee,Professor,"Much of our research program is directed at understanding the interplay between geometric and electronic structure at interfaces as well as in solid-state materials and to examine how this translates to functional properties. Our research thus spans the range from materials synthesis, mechanistic understanding of crystal growth processes, and structural characterization to device integration and mechanistic studies of catalysis and intercalation phenomena. We further seek to translate fundamental understanding of interfaces and materials to develop functional thin films and devices for a wide range of applications ranging from Mott memory to thermochromic window coatings and thin films for the corrosion protection of steel.",Professor||Faculty Fellow||Faculty Affiliate,Center for Health Systems and Design||Energy Institute||Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n1fff3688
Irtisha,Singh,Assistant Professor,,Assistant Professor,Cell Biology and Genetics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n21de339d
Xiuren,Zhang,Professor,"Our laboratory focuses on systemic analysis of biochemical, molecular and biological functions of AGO family proteins (AGOs-mics) in genetically tractable Arabidopsis and economically important crops (i.e. rice). We'd like to identify the small RNAs, mRNA targets and protein components which associate with these AGOs. We will study protein/RNA and protein/protein interactions in these RISC assembly events. Our goal is to understand how these AGOs are functionally specialized or redundant corresponding to endogenous development cues and external environmental stimuli. Particularly, we'd like to learn how plants reprogram their gene expression through the small RNAs and AGOs to construct a new cellular niche in responses to environmental challenges and biotic stresses.
Another aspect of our research involves host/virus interaction. Plants take advantage of RNA silencing pathways to defend themselves from exogenous nucleic acid invaders (i.e. viruses). As an anti-host defense mechanism, viruses encode suppressors that can block RNA silencing responses. We have recently demonstrated that CMV 2b disables AGO1 cleavage activity to inhibit RNA silencing and to counter host defense. We are now extending our study to suppressors of several other viruses and the molecular mechanisms of their suppression.",Associate Professor,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n220933ad
Peter,van Hengstum,Associate Professor,"Our team diagnoses how global coastal systems responded to previous climate, sea-level and anthropogenic changes with the goal of predicting how these systems will respond to future changes in these forcings. This is typically achieved through a combined field (piston coring, vibracoring, advanced technical SCUBA diving, geophysical surveying) and laboratory approach (sedimentology, micropaleontology, and isotopic geochemistry). Of particular interest are climate-coastal dynamics on tropical and subtropical carbonate landscapes, where sinkholes, blueholes, and underwater caves provide a vast untapped library of paleoenvironmental information archived in their sediments. Some of the projects our team are currently investigating include: tropical precipitation and vegetation variability, cave and sinkhole sedimentology, biogeochemical cycling in the coastal carbonate zone, how aquifers in carbonate platforms respond to climate forcing, the landscape usage (e.g., groundwater, agriculture) of prehistoric populations (Mayans, Lucayans), coastal sea surface temperature variability, coastal cave ecosystem dynamics, and hurricane variability and coastal flooding.",Associate Professor,Texas A&M University at Galveston,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n2241eb84
Jack,Smith,Professor,,Professor and Director,Center For Biomedical Informatics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n225d0918
Gregory,Johnson,Professor,,Professor,Veterinary Integrative Biosciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n22b3a445
Umesh,Bageshwar,Research Assistant Professor,Our current work focuses on identifying the interaction site(s) between the Tat precursor pre-SufI and the TatBC receptor complex based on chemical crosslinking and the complementation of the Escherichia coli Tat pathway by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Tat pathway.,Research Assistant Professor,Cell Biology and Genetics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n23071727
Junqi,Song,Assistant Professor,,Assistant Professor,Texas A&M AgriLife Research,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n24849ee5
Lisa,Even,Manager Laboratory,,Manager Laboratory,Small Animal Clinical Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n24b36cbf
Yassin,,Distinguished Professor,,Professor||Professor and Head||Faculty Affiliate,Mechanical Engineering||Energy Institute||Nuclear Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n24b7e601
Blanca,Lupiani,Professor,"Research in my laboratory focuses on better understanding the molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis of Marek's disease virus, a chicken oncogenic alphaherpesvirus. We study gene function using biochemical techniques and by introducing mutations into the viral genome. The knowledge obtained from these studies is used to develop vaccines to control this critical poultry pathogen. In addition, we are investigating the use of Marek's disease vaccines as viral vectors to control other viral diseases of poultry.",Professor,Veterinary Pathobiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n255741f6
Susie,Dai,Associate Professor,"My research group is interested in evaluating environmental hazard substances, their interactions with the environment and species, and biological systems that can degrade and detoxify the pollutants. We have established broad analytical platforms to survey a wide spectrum of natural or man-made toxic chemicals such as mycotoxins, microcystins, agricultural, and industrial chemicals.
We integrate electrocatalysis/photoelectrocatalytic processes and material engineering with biological systems for 1) chemical degradation and 2) energy storage. Meanwhile, our laboratory has built a modern analytical tool suite, which includes mass spectrometry-based platforms for monitoring and surveillance, hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry for protein structure dynamics analysis, and gel free mass spectrometry-based proteomics analysis. We develop qualitative and quantitative methods for molecular characterizations, protein analysis and proteomics when working in different environmental systems.",Associate Professor,Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n27690618
Muhammad,Zubairy,Professor,Prof. Zubairy's research interests include quantum optics and laser physics. He has been interested in quantum optical applications to quantum computing and quantum informatics. He has also been interested in quantum state measurement of the radiation field and sub-wavelength atom localization. His other interests include coherent atomic effects and quantum thermodynamics.,Professor,Physics and Astronomy,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n279be03a
William,Dees,Senior Professor,,Senior Professor,Veterinary Integrative Biosciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n27f7a2f5
Sanjay,Reddy,Professor,"The long-term goal of my laboratory is to understand the molecular basis of pathogenesis of Marek's disease virus (MDV), a potent oncogenic herpesvirus that causes T-cell tumors in chickens. MDV codes for a protein (Meq), which shares significant resemblance with the Jun/Fos family of transcriptional factors. We have shown that this gene plays a critical role in latency and transformation of T-lymphocytes. Understanding the basic mechanism of viral pathogenesis will aid in the development of improved vaccine. We are also interested in other important poultry disease like avian influenza.",Professor,Veterinary Pathobiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n28054661
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
Maheedhar,Kodali,Research Scientist,,Research Scientist,Cell Biology and Genetics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n283c3c68
Mariappan,Muthuchamy,Professor,"The main goal of our laboratory is to understand the molecular mechanisms of cardiac muscle dynamics in normal and diseased states. Particularly, our interests focus on the relationships between thin filament activation and crossbridge kinetics, and how the mechanotransduction signaling transmits to myofilament activation. We use multiple techniques, molecular, cellular, biochemistry, structural and biophysical, to obtain information on the fundamental regulatory mechanisms of cardiac muscle contraction.
Our lab group is also investigating the role of lymphatics in different tissue beds, including mesentery, skeletal muscle, and brain using various animal models.",Professor,Medical Physiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n2877399b
Tahir,Cagin,Professor,"My research interests include: computational materials science and nanotechnology with emphasis on design; characterization and development of multifunctional nano-structured materials for device and sensor applications; fundamental studies on transport phenomena (heat, mass and momentum) at nanoscale and in confined media; thermal, mechanical, electronic and magnetic properties and phase behavior of materials; materials for thermal management, power generation and energy harvesting; and development and application of multiscale simulation methods.",Faculty Affiliate||Professor,Energy Institute||Materials Science and Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n299235a8
Eun,Park,TTI Senior Research Scientist,"Dr. Park has over 24 years of experience in conducting advanced research on environmental concerns and transportation-related statistics issues. Her expertise includes environmental modeling and assessment of health effects of multiple air pollutants, modeling and analysis of transportation data, high-dimensional data analysis, latent variable models and factor analysis, spatial-temporal modeling and analysis, Bayesian hierarchical modeling, Bayesian model selection, and uncertainty assessment.
Dr. Park has led air pollution research projects for developing enhanced statistical methods for assessing health effects of multiple air pollutants and for estimating traffic-related air pollution. She is currently serving as multi-PI on a four-year, $2.16 million study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to evaluate the impact of source-specific multi-pollutant exposures and the neighborhood context on disparities in stillbirth. She is also developing Bayesian hierarchical models accounting for exposure measurement errors to estimate associations between ambient pollutants and cognitive decline for another NIH-funded study, as well as serving as PI on a project sponsored by Seoul National University for predicting unobserved source contributions for PM2.5 in South Korea.
Dr. Park has been leading modeling and data analysis tasks in numerous transportation research studies for Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP), and Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). She is currently serving as Co-PI on an FHWA project for developing crash modification factors along with uncertainty estimates for pedestrians, left turn lanes, curves, and roadway departure safety improvements.
Dr. Park has authored or co-authored over 150 refereed journal papers and technical reports as well as a transportation statistics textbook titled 'Transportation Statistics and Microsimulation.' She was the recipient of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Pedestrian Committee Outstanding Paper awards in 2006 and in 2009, the TTI/Trinity Researcher Award in 2010, and is the winner of the 2010 Patricia F. Waller Award (TRB), the 2011 D. Grant Mickle Award (TRB), the 2019 TRB Paratransit Committee Best Paper Award, and the 2021 TRB Safety Methods Committee Best Paper Award. Dr. Park is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association (ASA), an Elected Member of the International Statistical Institute (ISI), a Member of the TRB Statistical Methods Committee, and Editor for Statistics of the journal Chemometrics and Intelligent Laboratory Systems.",TTI Senior Research Scientist,Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI),https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n2a18b79e
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
Pushkar,Lele,Assistant Professor,"We combine sensitive biophysical techniques such as single-molecule fluorescence and force-spectroscopy with mechanistic modeling and molecular genetics to study bacterial motility, adaptability and antibiotic resistance.",Assistant Professor,Chemical Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n2a9b2ef2
Robert,Rosa,Research Professor,,Research Professor,Medical Physiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n2ab0c984
Jian,Feng,Professor and Assistant Dean,,Assistant Dean for Research and Professor,Biomedical Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n2b3403fd
Joseph,Sorg,Professor,"My lab is focused on the mechanisms of spore germination and bile acid resistance in Clostridium difficile. C. difficile is a Gram-positive, spore forming, anaerobe that causes infections in people who have undergone antibiotic regimens. Previously, we had shown that certain bile acids promote C. difficile spore germination while others inhibit germination. Bile acids are small molecules made by the liver that help the absorption of fat and cholesterol in the GI tract while also serving as a protective barrier against invading pathogens. Because C. difficile spores use the ratios of bile acids as cues for germination, the actively growing bacteria must have adapted means to avoid their toxic properties. We are currently focused on identifying these factors and the mechanisms by which C. difficile spores germinate.",Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n2b4d6c14
Ramalingam,Saravanan,Professor,"I study the mathematical and physical aspects of the climate system. I use computer models of varying degrees of complexity to analyze weather and climate phenomena. My recent research is focused on the following scientific questions:
- What is the influence of large-scale phenomena such as El Nino and the Atlantic Meridional Mode on tropical cyclone activity?
- Do swirling eddies in the ocean affect atmospheric storms in the middle latitudes?
- Can statistical and machine learning approaches be used to analyze the relationship between atmospheric state and rainfall?
My broader interests include philosophy of science, especially in the context of climate prediction, as well as the innovative use of computers for research and teaching.",Professor,Atmospheric Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n2bf78472
Libo,Shan,Professor,"Earth is the planet of the plants. Being autotrophic, sessile, and long-living entities, plants have evolved fascinating strategies to cope with various environmental stresses. Our research is driven by the desire to understand the fundamental principles underlying plant disease resistance, and pathogen virulence, and to improve crop resilience to pathogen infections. We are probing the biochemical and genetic basis of plant signal transduction pathways from cell surface receptors sensing the presence of pathogens to signaling cascades and target genes and proteins that are central to launch effective immune responses in the context of balanced growth and development. We deploy cutting-edge molecular and biochemical technologies coupled with powerful genetic tractability of plants for discovering regulatory networks of living organisms fending off infections. In addition to the acquisition of foundational principles in biology, we further translate knowledge and platforms into the areas for the improvement of crop stress adaptation.",Professor,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n2c655431
Herman,Scholthof,Professor,,Professor,Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n2c6ec1cb
Xiaoning,Qian,Associate Professor,"Xiaoning Qian's research interests include machine learning and Bayesian experimental design as well as their applications in computational network biology, genomic signal processing, and biomedical signal and image analysis. He is affiliated with the Center for Bioinformatics and Genomic Systems Engineering and the Center for Translational Environmental Health Research at Texas A&M.",Associate Professor,Electrical and Computer Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n2c8e24e9
Natalie,Johnson,Associate Professor,"My research focuses on evaluating exposure to air pollutants in susceptible populations, such as pregnant women and children, and investigating mechanisms underlying prenatal air pollution exposure and offspring respiratory dysfunction.",Associate Professor,Environmental and Occupational Health,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n2d4035f8
Dana,Gaddy,Professor,"My laboratory has been engaged in multiple areas of NIH-funded musculoskeletal research since 1996. We were the first to identify the non-steroidal gonadal inhibin hormones in regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal-skeletal axis in mice, and the role of changes in inhibins that signal the onset of menopause (reproductive aging) to the onset of increasing bone turnover. We also demonstrated the anabolic effect of continual Inhibin exposure in normal mice and in bone repair. Our cellular focus on Inhibins and the related factor, Activin A revealed that Activin A suppresses local bone resorption through suppression of osteoclast formation, motility and survival. Our ongoing work is in the area of specific inhibin/betaglycan receptor interactions that mediate the effects on bone cells. We are also greatly interested in improving the low bone mass that we were the first to identify in both humans with Down Syndrome (DS) and in mouse models of DS as a low bone turnover disease. Our current NIH-funded research is working to identify the mechanisms of reduced fracture healing and compromised bone regeneration in Down Syndrome. We have demonstrated the efficacy of both PTH and SclAb in DS, and are now actively testing nutriceuticals to increase bone mass in mouse models of Down Syndrome. The limitations of using mouse models to study bone disease led us to our most recent and exciting endeavors in collaboration with TAMU experts in reproduction and embryo transfer technologies to develop a large platform model of bone disease, using sheep. We have generated the first large animal model of hypophosphatasia (HPP) via high efficiency gene editing of a knock-in point mutation in the ALPL gene, whose musculoskeletal and dental phenotypes are consistent with human HPP. We are now using this model to determine the etiology of mineralization deficiencies, muscle weakness and premature tooth loss by analysis of longitudinal biopsies and analysis of muscle, bone and dental specimens using CT, microCT, mechanical testing, immunohistochemistry, histomorphometry and ex vivo bone marrow cultures.",Professor||Adjunct Professor,Veterinary Integrative Biosciences||Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n2dc10a1a
Yu Kelvin,Xie,Assistant Professor,Dr. Kelvin Xie's research focuses on understanding and designing materials at nano- and atomic-scales using
advanced microstructural characterizations (e.g. TEM and atom probe tomography).,Assistant Professor,Materials Science and Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n2de76814
Asko,Noormets,Professor,,Professor,Ecology and Conservation Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n2e5b93a0
Delbert,Gatlin,Professor and Associate Department Head,,Professor and Associate Department Head,"Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management||Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences",https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n2eb4270c
Edward,Vargo,Professor,"We use molecular genetic tools, primarily microsatellite markers and mtDNA sequence data, to conduct basic and applied studies of termites and other insect pests of human structures. Our work on termites encompasses the breeding structure of colonies, colony and population genetic structure, invasion biology, foraging areas, colony densities and population dynamics. Research on other structural pests, mainly ants, cockroaches and bedbugs, focuses on population genetic structure, invasion biology, and dispersal.",Professor,Entomology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n3165cf9e
Pingwei,Li,Professor,"The research in my lab focuses on elucidating the structural basis of innate immune responses towards microbial nucleic acids. The cGAS/STING pathway plays a central role in innate immunity toward bacterial and viral DNA. cGAS is activated by dsDNA and catalyzes the synthesis of a cyclic dinucleotide cGAMP, which binds to the adaptor STING that mediates the recruitment and activation of protein kinase TBK1 and transcription factor IRF-3. Activated IRF-3 translocates to the nucleus and induces the expression of type I interferons (IFN), an important family of antiviral cytokine. To elucidate the mechanism of cGAS activation, we determined the structures of cGAS in isolation and in complex with DNA. The cGAS/DNA complex structure reveals that cGAS interacts with DNA through two binding sites. Enzyme assays and IFN-? reporter assays of cGAS mutants demonstrate that interactions at both DNA binding sites are essential for cGAS activation. To investigate how cGAMP activates STING, we determined the structures of STING in isolation and in complex with cGAMP. These structures reveal that STING forms a V-shaped dimer and binds cGAMP at the dimer interface. We have also determined the structures of TBK1 in complex with two inhibitors, which show that TBK1 exhibits an I?B kinase fold with distinct domain arrangement. To elucidate the mechanism of IRF-3 recruitment by STING, we determined the structure of a phosphorylated STING peptide bound to IRF-3. To understand how phosphorylation activates IRF-3, we solved the structure of an IRF-3 phosphomimetic mutant bound to CBP, which reveals how phosphorylation induces the dimerization and activation of IRF-3.",Professor,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n31ebad17
Ping,He,Professor,"Our laboratory is interested in elucidating novel plant immune signaling pathways as well as studying the myriad actions of pathogen virulence factors that intercept host immune responses. In order to provide a complete view of host-microbe interactions, we are using cellular, functional genomic, genetic, biochemical and bioinformatic approaches. In addition, plant immunity is inextricably linked with plant development and environmental stresses. We are also interested in understanding the signaling crosstalk that orchestrates plant responses to different extrinsic and intrinsic signals. Ultimately, knowledge gained from studying model plants, such as Arabidopsis, will be applied to improve crop plants for resistance against different biotic and abiotic stresses.",Professor,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n330081c7
Vladislav,Panin,Professor,"It has been long recognized that glycans play a wide spectrum of essential roles in metazoan organisms, while defects in glycosylation are involved in numerous human diseases and abnormalities, from cancer to brain malformation and defects of immune system. However, the complexity of glycosylation pathways and limitations of genetic and in vivo approaches available for studying glycosylation in higher animals significantly impede the research in mammals. We are using the advantages of Drosophila model system, including its decreased genetic redundancy, powerful arsenal of molecular genetic approaches, and comprehensively characterized development, to elucidate mechanisms underlying the function of glycosylation in development and physiology. We employ a multidisciplinary approach to study the roles of several novel glycosyltransferase genes at molecular, cellular, and organismal levels. Currently, our laboratory is involved in two main projects: one project focuses on studying the function of sialylation in the central nervous system, while another project is aimed at elucidation of molecular mechanisms of protein O-mannosylation.",Professor,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n337aaa32
Jessica,Galloway-Pena,Assistant Professor,"Dr. Galloway-Pena's studies incorporate the genetic basis of pathogenesis as well as the molecular epidemiology of clinically relevant gram-positive pathogens, focusing on those with multi-drug resistance. She has more recently shifted her focus to microbiome dynamics during cancer treatment and the intense antibiotic therapy seen in the hematological malignancy setting to determine the microbiome's impact on cancer treatment outcomes, toxicities, and colonization/infection by antibiotic resistant organisms. Applications of her research include determining genetic and chemical markers for microbial diversity that can be used in the clinical setting, designing predictive risk models for antibiotic resistant infectious risk during chemotherapy, and promoting antimicrobial stewardship and microbial conscious treatment.",Assistant Professor,Veterinary Pathobiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n339da0fb
Laurel,Childress,Expedition Project Manager/Staff Scientist,,Expedition Project Manager/Staff Scientist,International Ocean Discovery Program,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n33f756bb
Kathrin,Dunlap,"Associate Department Head, Academic Programs",,Instructional Professor,Animal Science,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n3469d15f
Sheela,Athreya,Associate Professor,"I have research interests in Hominin Evolution and Systematics, Asia, Human Variation, Quantitative Methods, Craniofacial Biology, and History of Physical Anthropology.",Professor,Anthropology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n35699060
Jennifer,Herman,Associate Professor,"The study of how bacteria organize important cellular processes and determining the functional/physiological implications of this organization for the cell is one of the most exciting areas of research in microbiology. In the Herman lab, we utilize the model organism Bacillus subtilis, a bacterium with superb molecular, genetic and cell biological tools, that that can also differentiate into a resting cell type called a spore. Our research goal is to elucidate how bacteria coordinate key biological processes, with their cellular architecture using molecular, biochemical, and cell biological techniques.",Associate Professor||Associate Professor,Texas A&M AgriLife Research||Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n359e91fd
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
Gloria,Conover,Instructional Assistant Professor,"Dr. Conover is interested in the cellular processes that govern cytoskeletal crosstalk in myocytes and the subversion of the endocytic pathway during intracellular bacterial infection. She showed that nebulette and nebulin sarcomere proteins functionally integrate desmin intermediate filaments to the actin cytoskeleton. During her PhD studies, using genetics and screen she discovered LidA, a Legionella pneumophila effector exported into macrophages through bacterial Icm/Dot Type IV secretion system. As a research scientist, she lead an interdisciplinary team to develop a live-cell multi day microfluidics platform to study the temporal response to stress of persistent Mycobacteria. Currently, she is interested in the vertical integration of the basic science medical curriculum and interprofessional research practices into medical curriculum to advance the next generation of medical treatments.",Instructional Assistant Professor||Director,Health Science Center||Health Science Center,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n3706f4f0
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
Bharathi,Hattiangady,Assistant Professor,,Assistant Professor,School of Medicine,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n37cbdcf0
Yangyang,Xu,Assistant Professor,,Faculty Affiliate||Assistant Professor,Atmospheric Sciences||Energy Institute,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n3d9f7a92
Douglas,Baxter,Instructional Professor,,Instructional Professor,Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n3e6ac00a
Karl,Aufderheide,Emeritus Associate Professor,"Cell/Developmental Biology. Developmental Genetics. Intracellular differentiation of eukaryotes, especially ciliates. General interests in: intracellular pattern formation and morphogenesis; molecular aspects of gene expression in ciliate protozoa; development of organelles, including intracellular motility and organelle localization. Specific interests in: signal transduction, regulation of cytoskeletal organization, and motility in the social amoeba Dictyostelium; organization, patterning and morphogenesis of surface-related cytoskeletal and membranous structures of ciliates, especially Paramecium; applications of laser optical force trap technology to developmental problems in Paramecium tetraurelia and Tetrahymena thermophila; 2 molecular aspects of serotype gene expression in P. tetraurelia; development of exocytotic organelles (the trichocysts) in P. tetraurelia. General approach involves use of classical and modern light and electron microscopic techniques, integrated with genetic, molecular, mechanical or physiological manipulations of the cells.",Associate Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n3ed65e09
Jianrong,Li,"Professor, Neurobiology and Neuroimmunology, Veterinary Integrative Biosciences","The central goal of our research is to understand how oligodendroglial development and function in the mammalian central nervous system is regulated in health and disease. Specifically, we are interested in molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in oligodendrocyte damage/dysfunction in white matter injuries such as multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy and in aging-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Because in most CNS diseases, multiple cell types including neurons, glial cells and vascular cells are involved via complex interactions, we investigate, at the cellular and molecular level, the role of microglia and astrocytes in the process of oligodendrocyte development, differentiation and damage. We use a variety of methods including primary cell cultures and transgenic and knockout animals to elucidate cellular pathways mediating oligodendrocyte injury.
The second focus of our laboratory is to elucidate the signals that promote oligodendrocyte survival and regeneration/remyelination after injury, and to study cell-cell interactions that regulate remyelination. These studies should contribute significantly to our understanding of mechanisms of oligodendrocyte development and injury, and provide new clues for potential prevention and treatment of human white matter diseases.",Professor,Veterinary Integrative Biosciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n3ef91dcf
Michael,Waters,Professor,My research focuses on the following topics: Peopling of the Americas; Geoarchaeology; Late Quaternary history; and Americas and Northeast Asia.,Professor||Professor,Anthropology||Geography,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n3f6d9098
Beiyan,Nan,Assistant Professor,"I am interested in understanding the mechanisms of fundamental biological processes in bacteria. My lab uses soil bacterium Myxococcus xanthus as the model organism. Several aspects of M. xanthus make it an ideal model for understanding bacterial physiology. First, M. xanthus cells utilize sophisticated systems to move on solid surfaces, which involve cytoplasmic and periplasmic proteins, filamentous cytoskeletons, membrane channels, cell wall, and cell surface components. Second, cells constantly communicate with each other and with their environment. Cells usually move in coordinated groups but also as isolated ""adventurous"" individuals, which allows this bacterium to feed on soil detritus and prey on other microorganisms. Third, when the availability of nutrients or prey decrease in the environment, most cells exhibit behaviors that include aggregation into fruiting bodies and conversion of individual cells into spores.
I have been using the super resolution photo-activated localization microscopy (PALM) to track single molecule dynamics of proteins in live bacterial cells. With this technique, I have achieved 10 millisecond time resolution (100 frames per second) and 80 nm spatial resolution. These studies were initiated because the most widely used fluorescence microscopy techniques (including confocal, deconvolution, etc.) can only provide resolution to about 200 nm due to the diffraction of light, which is often insufficient for many studies because of the small size of bacterial cells (usually a few hundred nanometers in diameter).
Our research topics cover motility, development (fruiting body formation and biofilm formation), cytoskeleton, and cell wall assembly.",Assistant Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n3fe4c57e
Ryang,Lee,Associate Professor,"Our group specializes in determining the cellular and molecular mechanisms of beneficial effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in diseases that include heart disease, diabetes, and peritonitis. The goal is to develop a cellular therapy for human diseases either (a) with adult stem/progenitor cells (MSCs), or (b) with therapeutic factors that MSCs produce in response to signals from injured tissues.",Associate Professor,Cell Biology and Genetics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n3ffcdcc1
Qinglei,Li,Professor,"My long-term research goal is to identify the cellular and molecular basis of pregnancy failure and uterine dysfunction, thereby contributing to a framework for developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to improve reproductive potential. To benefit human and animal health, research in my lab focuses on defining the mechanism underlying uterine development and the pathogenesis of gynecologic cancers. My laboratory has created mouse models that harbor genetic modifications of critical transforming growth factor ? (TGF?) signaling components using conditional loss-of-function and gain-of-function approaches in the uterus. These models have yielded new insights into the fundamental roles of TGF? signaling in reproductive tract development and function. We have also developed pre-clinical mouse models for ovarian granulosa cell tumor and endometrial cancer. These disease models may be harnessed to uncover new opportunities for cancer treatment.",Professor||Professor,The Texas A&M University System||Veterinary Integrative Biosciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n408645cd
Muthukumar,Bagavathiannan,Associate Professor,"My research interests fall within the broader area of Weed Science and Agronomy, with particular emphasis on weed ecology and management. The threat of herbicide resistance is immense in broad-acre systems, leading to loss of effective herbicide options, increased herbicide use and unintended impacts on the broader environment. To this effect, the prime goal of my research program is to understand the evolutionary biology and dynamics of herbicide resistance in weed communities and develop integrated pest management (IPM) solutions encompassing chemical and non-chemical tactics to prevent/effectively manage herbicide resistance. I particularly use simulation modeling tools to answer some of the fundamental research questions surrounding herbicide resistance evolution and guide management decision-making. My research takes an inter-disciplinary approach in addressing knowledge gaps (problem-centric rather than discipline-centric) by integrating tools and knowledge from a wide range of disciplines. I actively collaborate with eminent research groups within and outside the United States.",Associate Professor,Soil and Crop Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n40b31913
Micky,Eubanks,Professor,,Professor,Entomology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n40f09614
Thomas,Meek,Professor,"Marketed drugs have been developed for representatives of all six classes of enzymes, and comprise essential therapies for the treatment of cancers, HIV/AIDS, hypercholesterolemia, and bacterial infections. The availability of known point mutations that are causative of human cancers , as well as the full genomic descriptions of many pathogens, such as parasitic protozoa and infectious bacteria, provides an emerging means to identify new or known enzymes that would constitute potential drug targets. Likewise, the availability of crystal structures of many of these enzymes or their analogues, provides a means to rationally design new inhibitors of enzyme drug targets via the use of molecular modelling and a full understanding of the chemical mechanism of the target enzymes, as an important adjuvant to inhibitor discovery via high-throughput screening.
Our laboratory will initially focus on the detailed study of the mechanisms of cysteine proteases such as cathepsin C, the isocitrate lyase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and human ATP-citrate lyase, by the use of pre-steady-state and steady-state kinetics, as well as by use of existing crystal structures of these enzymes, to inform the design of both covalent and other mechanism-based modes for the inactivation of these enzymes. We will design and synthesize candidate inhibitors, and test them against these and other enzyme targets, and determine their suitability as potential drug candidates.",Professor,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n41081941
Geoffrey,Kapler,Professor and Chair,"Dr. Kapler's broad research interests are concerned with the replication and transmission of eukaryotic chromosomes. The failure to completely replicate the genome during S phase or partially re-replicate chromosomes leads to genome instability- a hallmark of cancer cells. The central questions investigated in the laboratory are concerned with how replication initiation sites are established in chromosomes and how they are regulated during conventional (G1/S/G2/M) and alternative cell cycles, including endoreplication (gap-S-gap-S...) and locus-specific gene amplification. The current focus of the lab is to use high throughput (nascent strand) DNA sequencing to generate a comprehensive map of replication initiation sites under different physiological conditions.",Professor and Chair||Professor,Cell Biology and Genetics||Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n4128afa1
James,Batteas,Professor,"The research in our group is organized around three main projects: nanoscale materials and devices, biological surfaces and interfaces and nanotribology,
with the overarching goal of developing custom engineered surfaces and interfaces. This requires obtaining a fundamental (molecular level) understanding of the underlying chemistry and physics of the systems in question to afford rational approaches to test and develop new technologies. In much of our research we employ a range of scanned probe microscopies such as scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to probe structure and to manipulate materials at the nanoscale.",Faculty Affiliate||Professor||Faculty Fellow||D. Wayne Goodman Professor of Chemistry,Center for Health Systems and Design||Energy Institute||Chemistry||Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n413d1dff
Charles,Criscione,Professor,"I examine fundamental ecological and evolutionary questions in parasite systems and consider my research to be at the interface of ecology, evolution, and genetics. Parasitology provides a rich subject area for studies of ecology and evolutionary biology. Numerous topics such as ecosystem dynamics, mating systems, or coevolution can be addressed because parasites are extremely diverse. By diversity, I include not only the myriad of taxa that have independently evolved a parasitic lifestyle, but also the diversity in life cycles, modes of reproduction, host species, and ecosystems utilized by parasites. This diversity also allows for comparative studies to address theories or unifying principles that span ecosystems or taxonomic groups. Furthermore, there are many practical applications such as studying the evolution of drug resistance, or using parasite community structure to assess ""ecosystem health"". My research interests address both basic and applied questions, and span three overlapping subject areas: 1) Evolution: Population Genetics, Mating Systems, and Molecular Epidemiology, 2) Ecology: Biodiversity, Conservation, and Natural History, and 3) Genetics and Ecological Genomics.",Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n41a8b584
Loren,Skow,Professor,Comparative genomics of mammals with emphasis on organization and evolution of the mammalian genome; molecular analysis of the major histocompatibility complex of hoofed animals; genetic mechanisms of inherent resistance to infectious diseases.,Professor,Veterinary Integrative Biosciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n4326eaa3
Joseph,Szule,Research Assistant Professor,,Research Assistant Professor,Veterinary Pathobiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n43b79a10
Maria,King,Research Associate Professor,"My interdisciplinary studies focus on the development of the wetted wall cyclone aerosol collector technology to monitor potential health hazards and improve surveillance efforts by collecting aerosols released from agricultural and industrial facilities and modeling particle dispersion. Within a coal mining industry study we aim to determine the influence of particle size distribution, chemical composition and morphology of airborne respirable mine dusts and diesel particulates on lung disease. My projects involve fluid mechanics, computational flow modeling and metagenomics to study biofilms in oil fields and nuclear reactors and mitigate microbial contamination in drilling equipment, hydraulic fracturing water and cooling systems.",Assistant Professor||Faculty Affiliate||Faculty Affiliate,Biological and Agricultural Engineering||Energy Institute||Institute for Engineering Education and Innovation,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n44870816
Travis,Hein,Professor,"My laboratory studies the regulation of microvascular function at the level of arterioles in the retinal and coronary circulations. Sufficient blood flow supply of oxygen and nutrients to tissues to maintain normal function is controlled in large part by changes in the diameter of arterioles. Vasoconstriction or vasodilation of these small arteries will decrease or increase blood flow and nutrient delivery to the tissue, respectively. Two key chemical factors that are produced within the endothelial cells of blood vessels to control their diameter are nitric oxide (NO), a vasodilator, and endothelin-1, a vasoconstrictor. An imbalance in the production and/or release of these vasoactive factors has been implicated in the early stages of several cardiovascular diseases, but the underlying mechanisms contributing to these pathophysiological changes remain unclear. To address this knowledge gap, our research focuses on identifying cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to the vasomotor responses of arterioles to NO and endothelin-1 under conditions of health and disease. Current approaches that we use to investigate these mechanisms in the microcirculation include isolated and perfused arterioles, cultured vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells, biochemical and molecular techniques (for detection of NO, superoxide anion, protein, and mRNA in arterioles), pharmacological and silencing RNA (siRNA) treatments, and blood flow velocity assessment via Doppler ultrasound.",Professor,Medical Physiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n45051e1b
Sakhila,Banu,Professor,"My long-term goals are two-fold: 1) to understand the molecular mechanism of prenatal CrVI exposure on placental and fetal development, ovarian and uterine function, and pregnancy outcome, and; 2) to understand the protective effects of various natural and synthetic antioxidants (such as edaravone, glutathione, vitamin C and resveratrol) against the deleterious effects of heavy-metals, CrVI in particular. Current research in my lab is focused on the study of reproductive and developmental toxicity of CrVI. Drinking water contamination with CrVI in the United States is a growing problem due to increased usage of CrVI and improper disposal of Cr waste into the environment. Significant contamination with CrVI has been found in the drinking water sources of all the states in the U.S. Effects of Cr on reproductive health in women and development in children have received less attention. Epidemiological data document that women exposed to Cr in environmental or occupational settings suffer from infertility, gynecological problems, congenital malformation of fetuses, neonatal mortality, and premature abortions with increased levels of Cr in their blood, urine and placenta. Cr can bind directly to DNA and nuclear proteins, cause DNA strand breaks and mutations, alter the balance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidants, and activate several cell signaling pathways. Therefore, my current research objective is to determine molecular pathways and identify target genes/proteins by which Cr alters prenatal development and organogenesis of female reproductive system in the offspring.",Professor,Veterinary Integrative Biosciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n4783d1f1
Gonzalo,Rivera,Associate Professor,"My laboratory is interested in the role played by cytoskeletal remodeling in development and disease, particularly, angiogenesis and tumor progression and invasion. The long-term goal of our research is to understand how extracellular signals that alter tyrosine phosphorylation and the metabolism of inositol phospholipids modulate actin dynamics and cell motility. Areas of interest include the biogenesis of actin-based structures of invasion, intracellular trafficking, and three-dimensional tissue morphogenesis in vitro. Our research employs a combination of molecular genetics, cell biology, proteomics, and high-resolution optical imaging.",Associate Professor,Veterinary Pathobiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n47ddea15
Van,Wilson,Professor,"My area of specialization is the molecular biology of papovaviruses, with a primary focus on how viral proteins modify the host cell environment. Recently, we determined that the viral replication proteins, E1 and E2, are post-translationally modified by addition of 1 or more SUMO moieties. Sumoylation is a widespread modification whose biological functions are only recently becoming understood. Studies are in progress to 1) determine the role of sumoylation in the viral life cycle, 2) evaluate the effect of sumoylation on the structure and activity of the E1 helicase, 3) understand the mechanism by which sumoylation influences E2 stability and transcriptional activity, and 4) determine how sumoylation is modulated by the viral E6 oncoprotein. In addition to the role of sumoylation in the viral life cycle, we are also exploring how sumoylation participates in normal keratinocyte differentiation. We have developed a keratinocyte cell line inducibly expressing a tagged SUMO moiety to facilitate proteomics studies of sumoylation changes and regulation during controlled differentiation.",Professor,Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n4837bbf9
William,Lamb,Dr.,"My research focuses on metamorphic petrology and geochemistry; the characterization of metamorphism in the earth's crust and mantle including temperatures, pressures and, in particular, fluid compositions and movements. This research includes fieldwork, petrography, microprobe analyses, fluid calculations over a wide range of pressures and temperatures, fluid inclusion work and stable isotopic analyses. Recent research includes the production and microthermometric examination of synthetic fluid inclusions. Additional interests include crustal genesis, Precambrian geology, economic geology, and metasomatic transport of crustal materials.",Professor,Geology and Geophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n49131ef8
Tadhg,Begley,Distinguished Professor,"The Begley Group is interested in the mechanistic chemistry and enzymology of complex organic transformations, particularly those found on the vitamin biosynthetic pathways. We are currently working on the biosynthesis of thiamin, molybdopterin, pyridoxal phosphate and menaquinone. Our research involves a combination of molecular biology, protein biochemistry, organic synthesis and structural studies and provides a strong training for students interested in understanding the organic chemistry of living systems and in pursuing careers in biotechnology, drug design or academia.
Thiamin pyrophosphate plays a key role in the stabilization of the acyl carbanion synthon in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. The biosyntheses of the thiamin pyrimidine and thiazole are complex and are different from any of the characterized chemical or biochemical routes to these heterocycles. We are particularly interested in cellular physiology and the mechanistic enzymology of thiamin biosynthesis. As an example of one of the complex transformations on this pathway, the figure below shows the structure of the pyrimidine synthase catalyzing the complex rearrangement of aminoimidazole ribotide (left) to the thiamin pyrimidine (right).",Distinguished Professor,Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n498aa35b
Thomas,Kent,Professor,"Neurologist and clinician scientist with a basic, translational and clinical research program, focused mostly on stroke and other brain injuries. The laboratory utilizes a variety of cell free, tissue culture and in-vivo techniques to design and characterize a series of carbon nanomaterials that possess the ability to act as catalytic antioxidants as well as support key mitochondrial functions. This NIH-supported research is in collaboration with synthetic nano-chemists at Rice University (Tour Lab) and biochemists at University of Texas Health Science Center Houston (Tsai Lab). The group is testing a variety of engineered modifications of these versatile, non-toxic materials to address specific cell injury and death mechanisms including ferroptosis and interruption in electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation.
A major interest of ours is the role of diabetes in worsening outcome from stroke, a condition that affects minority and rural Texans disproportionally. With a range of research from molecular interactions to whole animal and clinical studies, the work in this lab is deeply translational, leveraging the group's clinical training and experience to insure that conclusions have direct relevance to the disease state, with the ultimate goal of facilitating the identification of new therapies for these major contributors to disability and mortality.",Professor,Institute of Biosciences and Technology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n4acd1da6
Tanmay,Lele,Professor,"Dr. Tanmay Lele's research is in the area of mechanobiology with a focus on cancer mechanobiology. His lab is interested in the molecular mechanisms by which cell generated mechanical forces and associated signaling pathways enable cell and tissue functions, and how these relationships become altered in cancer. Current research projects in the laboratory include quantitative measurements of nuclear forces, the effect of mechanical stresses on nuclear functions and gene expression, cellular adaptation to mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix, and the mechanics of cancer tissue development.
Lele is a scholar in cancer research at the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.",Professor,Biomedical Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n4c5b9ade
Luis,Garcia,Professor,"I am interested in understanding how behavioral states are regulated at the molecular and genetic level. My lab addresses this complex question in the well-studied nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Several physical aspects of this worm make it convenient for integrating whole organism system biology studies with genetic/molecular analysis of neurobiology and behavior. C. elegans is an anatomically simple organism; it is 1mm in size, and it contains ~ 1000 somatic cells, a third of which are neurons. The worm is also transparent, and thus every cell can be visualized by light microscopy. Behavioral mutants can be efficiently generated through standard chemical mutagenesis. In addition, gene functions involved in motivational and behavioral regulation can be determined by transgenic techniques.
My lab investigates the interplay between feeding and sex-specific mating behavior to understand how chemo/mechano-sensory and motor outputs are controlled under various physiological conditions. We study male mating by using genetics to de-construct this behavior into its fundamental sensory-motor components. We then use a combination of transgenics, pharmacology, classical genetics and laser microsurgery to understand how individual motor sub-behaviors are coordinated to produce gross behaviors during periods when the animal is food deprived, and when it is food satiated.",Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n4cd2f794
Michelle,Lawing,Associate Professor,"Dr. Lawing is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology. She is primarily interested in using methods and models from modern ecology and evolutionary biology combined with evidence from the fossil record to inform our understanding of how species and communities respond to environmental change through time. Her work includes the investigation of geographic, evolutionary, and morphological responses of species and communities to environmental changes in the Late Pleistocene and throughout the Miocene to present. She is involved in developing species distribution models (SDM), geometric morphometric methods (GMM), and phylogenetic comparative methods (PCM). Before becoming an Assistant Professor, Dr. Lawing was a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS). She earned a PhD double major in Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior and in Geological Sciences from Indiana University, Bloomington.",Associate Professor,Ecology and Conservation Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n4d1c74b5
Shuang,Zhang,Assistant Professor,"I am an interdisciplinary geochemist, modeler, and data scientist. My research broadly uses data-driven and model-driven approaches to quantify the patterns of water and element flux involved in the global carbon and biogeochemical cycles, especially under periods of climatic perturbations. My group uses extensive data mining, data assimilation, large-scale spatial-temporal statistical analysis, and machine learning.",Assistant Professor,Oceanography,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n4df0ce51
Zhenyu,Li,Professor,My research focuses on the mechanism of platelet activation and arterial thrombotic diseases such as heart attack and stroke. We are also interested in the crosstalk between thrombosis and inflammation in sepsis.,Professor,Pharmaceutical Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n4e244e5e
Philip,Hemmer,Professor,"I have research interests in solid materials for quantum optics, especially ""dark resonance"" excitation, materials and techniques for resonant nonlinear optics, phase-conjugate-based turbulence aberration and compensation, spectral hole burning materials and techniques for ultra-dense memories and high temperature operation, quantum computing in solid materials, quantum communication and teleportation in trapped atoms, holographic optical memory materials, smart pixels devices, optical correlators, photorefractive applications, atomic clocks, and laser trapping and cooling.",Professor||Faculty Affiliate,Energy Institute||Electrical and Computer Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n529066de
Cynthia,Meininger,Professor,"My research focuses primarily on the vascular complications of diabetes. Using animal models of human diabetes, we have demonstrated that an inability of endothelial cells to produce nitric oxide may be partly responsible for these vascular complications. We are developing a gene/drug therapy approach for treating cardiovascular disease associated with diabetes. Targeted nanoparticles will deliver either the gene for GTPCH or BH4 itself into endothelial cells oxidatively damaged by diabetes to correct endothelial GTPCH deficiency, increase tetrahydrobiopterin levels, restore nitric oxide production and reverse the vascular dysfunction seen in diabetes. Our endothelium-targeting nanoparticle approach will not only reverse the damage caused by disease but will increase antioxidant levels to protect the endothelial cells from future damage and/or dysfunction.",Professor,Medical Physiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n531a623d
Arthur,Laganowsky,Associate Professor,"A long-term research goal of our group is to determine the molecular basis behind protein-lipid interactions and how these interactions can modulate the structure and function of membrane proteins, including their interactions with signaling molecules. What determines the selectivity of membrane proteins towards lipids, and the coupling between lipid binding events and function remains a key knowledge gap in the field; one that if addressed will significantly advance our understanding of how lipids participate in both normal and pathophysiological processes of membrane proteins. Therefore, there is a critical need to expand our fundamental knowledge in this emerging field by applying and developing innovative approaches to elucidate how lipids modulate the structure function of membrane proteins. To this end, we are studying a number of ion channels, receptors and other types of membrane proteins.",Associate Professor,Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n542411e4
Paul,Straight,Associate Professor,"Our goal is to understand how microorganisms interact in complex communities. Specifically, we study how small molecules produced in a microbial community affect the growth, development and metabolic output of the organisms. We use a combination of microbiology, genetic, genomic, and biochemical approaches to dissect complex interspecies interactions. Currently, our research focuses on the interactions of the soil bacteria Bacillus subtilis and members of the genus Streptomyces, known for their prolific production of bioactive small molecules and development of aerial structures and spores.",Associate Professor,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n5540637b
Candice,Brinkmeyer-Langford,Research Associate Professor,"My research focuses on the roles of genetic diversity on neurological conditions resulting from environmental agents, such as viral infections. We use Theiler's Murine Encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV), a neurotropic virus affecting mice, and the genetically diverse Collaborative Cross mouse resource, to study the mechanisms underlying neuropathological outcomes to infection.",Research Associate Professor,Veterinary Integrative Biosciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n55d547f4
David,Bapst,Assistant Instructional Professor,"I am an analytical paleobiologist, focused how we infer evolutionary relationships in the fossil record, date when lineages diverge from each other, and how we can use relationships among extinct organisms to say something about evolutionary processes in deep time. I work on whatever group of organism is best for a particular question (because every fossil record is different), so my research includes everything from living brachiopods to fossil birds. I most often work on the planktonic graptolites, a group of colonial zooplankton that diversified rapidly and went extinct during the Ordovician, Silurian and Devonian periods, hundreds of millions of years ago. Graptolites have a fantastically detailed fossil record for asking evolutionary questions, but they have also long been important as a biostratigraphic tool in economic geology in the early Paleozoic.",Assistant Instructional Professor,Geology and Geophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n56db717f
Arthur,Dogariu,Associate Professor,,Associate Professor,Aerospace Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n5741b313
Joseph,Bernardo,Research Associate Professor,"I am an Integrative Evolutionary Ecologist, meaning that my research addresses a range of fundamental questions in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from a multi-disciplinary, integrative perspective and using a diverse array of tools including field experiments, phylogenetically-rooted comparative statistical analyses, quantitative estimates of physiological performance, experimental analyses of reproductive behavior, and molecular genetics. I often work at the nexus of typically disparate fields of study, for example combining genetic, phylogenetic, physiological and macroecological perspectives in a single analysis of distribution and dispersal (Bernardo et al. 2007). Because multiple causality is inherent in understanding ecological and evolutionary problems, my research emphasizes a strong inference approach that therefore relies on both large datasets and multivariate statistical models to evaluate competing hypotheses. Most of my active work involves vertebrates and insects and other major invertebrate groups.
General areas of interest include: o determinants of range size and position o biodiversity conservation in the face of climate change o detection, and ecological and conservation implications of cryptic speciation and diversity o vertebrate ecology and life history o biology of amphibians and reptiles, especially salamanders and lizards o speciation and evolution of reproductive isolation o evolutionary ecology of body size including its role in species packing and community assembly o clinal variation in life history and physiological traits o comparative animal physiology and physiological ecology especially as they relate to life history variation and range occupation (macrophysiology) o life history evolution o evolution and implications of maternal effects, especially propagule size o experimental ecology",Research Associate Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n5787076f
Matthew,Papanikolas,Professor,"I have research interests in number theory and arithmetic geometry. I'm interested in elliptic curves and Drinfeld modules, and in particular I work on special values of analytic functions, including L-series, modular forms, and hypergeometric functions, and their connections with periods and logarithms.",Professor,Mathematics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n579c3af3
M,Benson,Associate Professor,,Associate Professor,Biomedical Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n58e9bd13
Simi,Gunaseelan,Director of Assessment and Instructional Associate Professor,,Director of Assessment and Instructional Associate Professor,Pharmaceutical Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n591eec4c
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
Linglin,Xie,Associate Professor,,Assistant Professor,Nutrition,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n5aa6a1af
Jianxun,Song,Professor,T cell biology
T cell-based immunotherapy
Cell metabolism,Professor,Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n5b9879a8
Thomas,Mcknight,Professor and Head,"My lab is currently investigating mechanisms that regulate telomerase activity in plants. We previously showed that the pattern of telomerase expression in plants is remarkably similar to the pattern seen in humans, despite fundamental differences in development between plants and animals. Telomerase is abundantly expressed in reproductive organs but is undetectable in most vegetative organs (Fitzgerald et al., 1996). Additionally, telomerase can be induced in leaves and other vegetative organs by exposure to exogenous auxin.
To isolate genes that regulate telomerase, we screened a large population of activation tagged lines of Arabidopsis thaliana, and found that several lines that ectopically express telomerase in leaves. The first line we characterized over-expressed a gene encoding a small zinc finger transcription factor we designated TELOMERASE ACTIVATOR 1 (Ren et al., 2004). This factor does not bind to the promoter for TERT, which encodes the catalytically active subunit of telomerase. Instead, it binds to and activates transcription of BT2, a gene encoding a component of a ubiquitin ligase (Ren et al., 2007). Our working model is that the BT2 ubiquitin ligase marks a telomerase repressor for destruction, thereby allowing expression of telomerase. Efforts in the lab are currently focused on identifying the presumed telomerase repressor protein and other proteins that interact with BT2.",Professor and Head,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n5c3b294a
Darryl,de Ruiter,Professor,"I am a paleoanthropologist whose research focuses on the ecology and evolution of the early hominins of Africa. My research centers on the origin of the genus Homo, and on early representatives of that genus. In 2010, my research team and I announced the discovery of a new hominin species - Australopithecus sediba - from the site of Malapa in South Africa. Australopithecus sediba represents a curious mixture of both australopith-like and Homo-like morphologies, and based on this mosaic of characters, we hypothesized that it represents the australopith ancestor of the genus Homo. In 2015 my research team and I announced the discovery of another new hominin species - Homo naledi - from the site of Rising Star, also in South Africa. This species is especially fascinating in that it was likely contemporaneous with the earliest representatives of Homo sapiens, and, perhaps even more remarkable, that they appear to have deliberately disposed of their dead. I am also involved in a series of studies investigating the isotope ecology of modern South Africa in order to better contextualize the isotope ecology of the extinct hominins of South Africa.
I originally arrived at Texas A&M University in 2003, after receiving my PhD in Anatomical Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg in 2001. In 2009 I was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure, and was appointed to a Ray A. Rothrock '77 Fellowship for my efforts in research, teaching, and service leading up to tenure. In 2013 I was promoted to Full Professor, and in 2014 I was appointed to a Cornerstone Faculty Fellowship in Liberal Arts. In 2016 I was honored to receive a Distinguished Achievement Award in Research from the Association of Former Students at Texas A&M. I have been serving as the Department Head of Anthropology since July of 2019.",Professor||Department Head,Anthropology||Anthropology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n5ce75bd8
Kevin,Myles,Professor,,Associate Professor,Entomology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n5d73717b
Kirk,Winemiller,Professor,"The Winemiller Aquatic Ecology Lab investigates fish ecology and evolution, community ecology, and ecosystem ecology in aquatic habitats. Our research is strongly field oriented, with studies conducted at sites throughout Texas, Latin America, Africa, and, more recently, Southeast Asia. Our field research is conducted mostly in fluvial ecosystems (streams, rivers, estuaries) and adopts descriptive, comparative and experimental approaches. The research is strongly oriented towards advancement of both basic scientific understanding as well as options for better conservation of biodiversity and the ecosystems that support it.",Professor,"Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management||Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences",https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n5d80ec88
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
Paul,de Figueiredo,Associate Professor,I have strong interests in elucidating the molecular mechanisms that mediate interactions between the intracellular bacterial pathogen Brucella spp. and host cells.,Associate Professor,Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n5e6f7b12
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
Yige,Zhang,Associate Professor,"I'm a paleoclimatologist/paleoceanographer interested in using geochemistry, geochemical and climate modeling as tools to study past changes in climate and global biogeochemical cycles, with the goal of learning lessons for our future. We run an organic geochemistry lab equipped with gas chromatography, liquid chromatography and isotope ratio mass spectrometry that are specialized at measuring the composition and stable isotopes of lipid biomarkers or ""molecular fossils"".",Faculty Affiliate||Associate Professor,Oceanography||Energy Institute,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n613c8c7f
Gary,Kunkel,Associate Professor,"An important step to control the amount of RNA or protein in particular types of cells is at the level of transcription of genes. Our lab studies a multifunctional vertebrate transcriptional activator protein known as SBF/Staf/ZNF143. This protein binds to SPH sites within promoters of many genes that produce small stable RNAs (e.g., snRNAs and others) PLUS probably over 2000 promoters of genes that produce mRNAs. Two separate activation domains in this protein direct its action at small RNA vs. mRNA gene promoters. We are using zebrafish as a vertebrate model organism to study the roles of SBF/Staf during development. In vivo studies are coupled with biochemical and molecular biology methods to decipher the mechanisms by which this protein stimulates transcription of various types of genes.",Associate Professor,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n638b96b2
David,Earnest,Professor,"Research in my laboratory employs multidisciplinary approaches to study the cellular and molecular neurobiology of cell-autonomous circadian clocks and the signal transduction pathway responsible for circadian photoentrainment. The aims of current projects are to study: 1) the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) and other signaling molecules in the local temporal coordination of cell- and tissue-specific circadian clocks; 2) mutual interactions between the circadian clock mechanism, inflammatory signaling and metabolism; and 3) the mechanisms linking circadian rhythm disruption with metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes, and with pathological changes in neuroprotective responses to stroke.",Professor,Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n640c528f
Michael,Kolomiets,Professor,The focus of research interests of my laboratory is to investigate genes and metabolites of lipid-based biochemical and signal transduction pathways and the role they play in plant development and survival in response to pathogens.,Professor,Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n64753966
Mark,Barteau,Professor,"Mark A Barteau's research focuses on chemical reactions at solid surfaces and their applications in heterogeneous catalysis and energy processes. He has received numerous grants throughout his career from such prestigious institutions as the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research and NASA.",Faculty Affiliate||Professor,Energy Institute||Chemical Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n6b60a83e
Joshua,Wand,Professor and Department Head,"We are broadly interested in how the biophysical properties of proteins are manifested in their biological function. We are particularly engaged in trying to reveal the nature of internal protein motion and how this influences functions ranging from molecular recognition to allostery and catalysis. These basic ideas are being employed in a range of studies including protein engineering to optimize protein drugs, reverse micelle encapsulation to aid fragment-based drug discovery, understanding the regulation of Parkin, which is involved in mitophagy and early onset Parkinson's Disease, and the enzyme AKR1C3, which is central to resistant forms of prostate cancer.",Professor and Department Head,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n6caf5ddd
Marcetta,Darensbourg,Distinguished Professor,"Bio-inspired Catalysts for Hydrogen Production: The ultimate, home-run, goal of our work is to synthesize and develop a robust, highly active hydrogen-producing catalyst comprised of earth-abundant transition metals within a ligand environment that is inspired by the biological Figure 3hydrogenase (H2ase) enzyme active sites. Progress in precise structural modeling of the illusive ""rotated"" structure displayed in the as-isolated, mixed-valent FeIIFe state in the past decade has permitted in depth analysis of electronic structure by Mo ssbauer, EPR (ENDOR), and computational chemistry. New electrocatalysts for hydrogen production: The connection between the Fe(NO)2 unit and the Fe(CX)3 (X = O or N) unit found in hydrogenase enzyme active sites offers opportunity for design of new catalysts, one of which is shown. In this regard we explore the ability of N2S2 metal complexes to bind as metallodithiolate ligands to various metal acceptors. The properties of such complexes vary The connection of these to light harvesting molecules for dye sensitized, sacrificial electron donor, hydrogen production is also of interest. When Iron Meets Nitric Oxide: Good Chemistry, Intriguing Biology. The affinity of iron for diatomic molecules, O2, CO, N2, and NO, is central to the most important of life processes, including those of human physiology. Figure 6In this research area we target synthetic chemistry involving dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNICs) that serve as biomimetics of products of FeS cluster degradation by excesses of NO, or as derived from the chelatable iron pool (CIP) in cells. The electronic ambivalence of the DNIC unit is expressed in the ease with which it interconverts between oxidized and reduced forms, {Fe(NO)2}9 and {Fe(NO)2}10, respectively (Enemark/Feltham notation), and serves as impetus to explore analogous reactions known to involve the CuII/CuI redox couple. The accessory ligands which stabilize one redox level over the other, including N-heterocyclic carb",Distinguished Professor||Faculty Affiliate,Energy Institute||Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n6f445741
Craig,Coates,Instructional Associate Professor,,Instructional Associate Professor,Entomology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n6f8163e8
Junjie,Zhang,Associate Professor,"The living cell contains a collection of molecular machines to grow and function. These machines include the ribosomes, the chaperons, the proteasomes and other enzymes. Malfunction of these machines, if occurred in human, are related to many diseases. Understanding their three-dimensional (3D) structures is essential to understand how these machines work in the cell and eventually to treat those related diseases.
Here we use an experimental technique called cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to image these cellular machines in their native environment at liquid nitrogen temperatures. We then use image processing and graphics techniques to visualize their 3D structures, answering the questions such as how they assemble and how they interact with each other.
In addition, we develop computational modeling tools to interpret and animate these obtained 3D structures to further describe their movements and dynamics.",Associate Professor,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n701e163f
Robert,Burghardt,Professor,"Research in the laboratory is focused on investigating mechanisms by which a variety of biological response modifiers ranging from mechanical signals, hormones and growth factors to environmental chemicals alter cellular signaling pathways and cellular homeostasis.","Professor||Director, Image Analysis Laboratory",School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences||Veterinary Integrative Biosciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n70a3d026
Yubin,Zhou,Professor & Presidential Impact Fellow,"We are a synthetic biology and bioengineering lab focused on developing technologies that enable remote and programmable control of protein activity, cell signaling and designer cells. We pioneer chemical and synthetic biology approaches to address challenges in health and disease. We are particularly interested in (i) illuminating novel regulatory mechanisms of signal transduction that remain unresolved in Ca2+ signaling and inter-organelle communications; (ii) pioneering widely-applicable molecular tools for precise control of cellular events, (epi)genome engineering, and gene transcription; and (iii) developing innovative theranostic devices, programmable biologics and intelligent cell-based therapies (CAR-T) for cancer and neurodegeneration intervention. The tight integration among mechanistic studies, biomedical engineering, and translational sciences is a hallmark of my research. See highlights in: ""Let there be light"" (Scientia); ""Optogenetics sparks new research tool"" (NIH Biomedical Beat)",,,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n70ef0d4e
Keyan,Zhu Salzman,Professor,"Over millions of years of co-evolution with insects, plants have developed various defense machineries that can be activated in response to insect herbivory. Insects, in turn, have developed a variety of strategies to evade these plant defense mechanisms. An improved understanding of this complex plant defense and insect counter-defense relationship will facilitate development of better strategies to improve host plant defense. Currently, we are using Arabidopsis to study plant defense signal transduction pathways against insect pests. Meanwhile, since effectiveness of plant defense is also determined by the insect response, my laboratory is also investigating how insects adapt to the challenge of plant defense molecules, as well as to human imposed management strategies, and is working to identify new insect vulnerable systems.",Professor,Entomology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n716ece47
Margaret,Glasner,Associate Professor,"Evolution is the organizing principle of biology and provides the cornerstone of our approach to understand the relationships between protein structure and function. We combine bioinformatics, biochemistry, and genetics to address fundamental questions about protein evolution, such as: What structural and mechanistic features of enzymes increase their capacity to evolve new functions? How do new metabolic pathways evolve? Are there multiple evolutionary pathways to evolve new enzyme activities?
Our primary focus is on how catalytic promiscuity serves as the raw material for evolving new enzyme activities. Catalytic promiscuity is the ability to catalyze different chemical reactions using the same active site. Many enzymes in one branch of the protein family we are studying are catalytically promiscuous, and this activity has been incorporated into new metabolic pathways more than once. Comparing the sequences and structures of these proteins will identify characteristics that permitted them to evolve the second activity.
Our goal is to use results from our research to identify fundamental evolutionary principles that can can help decipher protein structure-function relationships, predict protein functions, and improve protein engineering methods.",Associate Professor,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n721200c3
Micah,Green,Professor,,Professor||Faculty Affiliate,Energy Institute||Chemical Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n7276eb81
Frances,Ligler,Professor,,Professor,Biomedical Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n74321a1f
Ignacio,Rodriguez-Iturbe,Distinguished Professor,"My research focuses on coastal ecosystems, hydrogeomorphology, ecohydrology, river basin functioning and organization, and stochastic modelling of natural phenomena.",Distinguished Research Professor||Distinguished Professor,Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES)||Ocean Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n74fab617
Marie,Strader,Assistant Professor,,Assistant Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n75d85f06
Christina,Belanger,Assistant Professor,"Identifying how organisms respond, why they respond, and to which environmental factors they are primarily responding is integral to understanding how future climate change will affect the modern biota as well as to inform efforts to sustain biodiversity and economically important fisheries.
Shelled organisms, such as molluscs and foraminifera, are abundant and well-preserved in the fossil record and in museum collections of modern specimens. These preserved assemblages allow longer-term perspectives on biotic response and climate change - millennia to millions of years - than is possible in exclusively present-day ecological studies. The fossil record also allows trends in these natural communities to be analyzed before, during, and after changes in climate without needing to wait for the events to occur in real time.",Assistant Professor,Geology and Geophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n7665a171
Farida,Sohrabji,University Distinguished Professor and Department Head,"My research interests lie at the intersection of neuroendocrinology, neuroinflammation and aging. For the last 10 years, my work has focused on ischemic stroke, specifically, to understand how the aging brain copes with stroke. In North America, stroke risk increases with age and in this aging demographic, women are more likely to sustain a stroke and more likely to have long term disability, poor quality of life and have more neuropsychiatric problems after stroke such as depression and cognitive impairment. This problem is compounded by the fact that few stroke therapies are available. Most stroke neuroprotectants have not been successfully translated from the bench to bedside. Using preclinical models, we have focused on acute pathological changes at the blood brain barrier and central and peripheral inflammation as well as long-term consequences, such as changes to reward pathways and post-stroke depression and dementia. I am also interested in developing novel stroke therapies for stroke in this population and our studies on epigenetic modifications such as histone methylation and non-coding (mi)RNA due to aging/stroke have provided several candidate molecules. Our recent work focuses on the role of the gut microbiome and gut metabolites on stroke recovery, and its potential for understanding the pathophysiology of stroke.
Related to my research goals, I am actively interested in promoting the inclusion of sex as a biological variable and attention to sex differences in medicine. Through medical and graduate coursework, research seminars and community talks, I am a vocal advocate for recognizing sex and gender differences in disease processes and drug therapies. I founded the Women's Health in Neuroscience program at Texas A&M University College of Medicine to create a community of researchers and foster collaboration on gender medicine and women's health, and to train new scholars in this area.",University Distinguished Professor and Department Headd,Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n772c9962
E. Brendan,Roark,Professor,,Associate Vice President for Research,Division of Research,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n77bed243
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
Terry,Thomas,Professor,"My interests are evolutionarily broad and include animals, plants and fungi. A major focus of the lab is the genomic analysis of gene expression programs during plant gene expression programs, particularly during embryogenesis and seed development, and the underlying regulatory mechanisms required for the initiation and maintenance of these programs. This work has illustrated the combinatorial interactions of cis and trans -acting factors that result in specific gene regulatory events. We are also using genomics tools to study the interaction of the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe grisea , with plant hosts; the circadian control of gene expression; and the development of the vertebrate retina. An additional focal area is the utilization of molecular and cellular approaches for crop improvement. As part of these research activities, we have developed or adapted high throughput genomics approaches to accelerate the gene discovery process and subsequent analysis of gene expression and function.",Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n79201ac5
Wanhe,Li,Assistant Professor,,Assistant Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n793e9c7f
Brian,Davis,Assistant Professor,"I focus on big-data-omics such as genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, and others, to address questions of basic biological processes. I am an evolutionary biologist that is interested in how genomes and organisms evolve when under natural and artificial selection, whether in natural populations or in domesticated animals. I extend this research to study phenotypic traits, heritable disease, and cancer in companion, agricultural, and wild animals using large datasets. My interests focus on companion animals such as cats, dogs, and horses, but extend to numerous wild species of carnivores, ruminants, and others.",Assistant Professor of Biomedical Genetics,School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n795552bb
Lisa,Campbell,Emerita Professor,My research focuses on phytoplankton population dynamics; harmful algal blooms and mechanisms of bloom formation; transcriptomics and metabolomics of marine dinoflagellates; ocean observing systems; and flow cytometry and imaging-in-flow cytometry.,Professor||Professor,Oceanography||Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n7a7d6659
Fuller,Bazer,Distinguished Professor,"Dr. Bazer's research in reproductive biology focuses on uterine biology and pregnancy, particularly pregnancy recognition signaling from the conceptus to the maternal uterus by interferon tau and estrogen from ruminant and pig conceptuses, respectively. The roles of uterine secretions as transport proteins, regulatory molecules, growth factors and enzymes and endocrine regulation of their secretion is another major research interest. The endocrinology of pregnancy, especially the roles of lactogenic and growth hormones in fetal-placental development and uterine functions are being studied. The mechanism(s) of action and potential therapeutic value of conceptus interferons and uterine-derived hematopoietic growth factors are areas of research with both pigs and sheep as models for human disease.",Distinguished Professor,Animal Science,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n7ad91d50
Ursula,Winzer-Serhan,Associate Professor,"I am interested in studying how gene environmental interactions shape the brain during development. In particular, I am interested in how early life exposure to psychoactive drugs, like nicotine and alcohol, permanently shape the brain which could result in long-term cognitive impairments, anxiety, and anti-social behavior. My lab is currently focused on the effects of nicotine. Nicotine interacts with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) which are ligand-gated, pentameric cation channels.",Associate Professor,Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n7c166c20
Hyunchul,Nha,Professor,"Hyunchul Nha has been affiliated with many universities, as a researcher and instructor, during his academic career. He has held occasional special lectures on quantum trajectory theory at various institutions, including KIAS and Inha University, Korea, and at the tutorial session of the Korean Physical Society.",Professor,Science (Qatar),https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n7d1d5885
Karen,Wooley,Distinguished Professor,"Our research activities combine organic syntheses, polymerization strategies and polymer modification reactions in creative ways to afford unique macromolecular structures, which have been designed as functional nanostructures, polymer systems having unique macromolecular architectures, and/or degradable polymers. The emphasis is upon the incorporation of functions and functionalities into selective regions of polymer frameworks. In some cases, the function is added at the small molecule, monomer, stage, prior to polymerization, whereas, in other cases, chemical modifications are performed upon polymers or at the nanostructure level; each requires a strategic balance of chemical reactivity and the ultimate composition and structure.",Distinguished Professor,Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n7d5d2fbd
Daniel,Roelke,Professor,Why is it that so many microscopic organisms can be found in a single drop of water? And how is it that these minute species can shape entire ecosystems? How might our knowledge of ecological principals governing these microbes be used to protect our living natural resources? Teaching and Research in the Roelke Lab addresses these questions. Understanding lower foodweb dynamics of aquatic ecosystems with an emphasis on interactions between biota and the physicochemical environment is the focus of much of this research.,Professor and Department Head,Marine Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n7db49674
Arul,Jayaraman,Professor,,Professor,Chemical Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n7deb8230
Michael,Alvard,Associate Professor,"My research focuses on culture and biology, cooperation, human evolutionary ecology, horticulturalists; hunters and gatherers, local people and environmental issues, and adaptation to the tropics.",Associate Professor,Anthropology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n7e0dd366
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
Burak,Guneralp,Assistant Professor,"Dr. Burak Guneralp's research interests center on socio-economic and environmental aspects of contemporary urbanization, particularly in relation to urban sustainability. He uses various theoretical frameworks and methodologies, in particular, systems analysis and geospatial analysis.",Assistant Professor,Geography,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n80a1013a
Arum,Han,Professor,"His research interests are in solving grand challenge problems in the broad areas of health and energy through the use of micro/nano systems technologies. His work in these areas has focused on the development of in vivo like in vitro systems through microfluidic lab-on-a-chip technologies (e.g., organ-on-a-chip & microphysiological systems, developmental neurobiology models of the central nervous system, blood-brain-barrier-on-a-chip, gastrointestinal tract-on-a-chip, high throughput live cell arrays), development of high throughput single-cell physio-chemical analysis platforms, and development of microbial systems as biorefineries for bioelectricity and biofuel production while simultaneously utilizing wastewater.
He has co-authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications and has received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Qatar National Research Foundation (QNRF), and several other international sponsors and private companies. He currently serves as the editorial board member of the journal PLoS ONE and as an associate editor for the journal Biomedical Microdevices.",Professor||Faculty Affiliate,Energy Institute||Electrical and Computer Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8289e950
David,Wells,Associate Professor,"Biology and ecology of bony fishes, sharks, and rays. Research focus on life history, habitat use, movement, and feeding ecology of marine species throughout sub-tropical and temperate ecosystems.",Associate Professor,Marine Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n82b3898a
Francis,Rouquette,Professor,"Primary aspects of this plant-animal interface research program includes simultaneous quantifying of forage persistence and sustainability with animal responses to stocking strategies and grazing intensities. Component research areas include forage germplasm evaluations for team-released varieties; assessment of soil nutrient status under long-term nutrient cycling with fertilizer-stocking regimens; cow-calf and stocker performance on bermudagrass, small grains, ryegrass, and clover; and lifetime animal performance attributes from birth-to-pasture-to-feedlot-carcass with database archival on BeefSys.",Professor||Professor,Soil and Crop Sciences||Overton Research and Extension Center,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n82f8d1bd
Patricia,Klein,Professor,"Dr. Klein's research focuses on developing the genomic tools and resources in crops to enable map base cloning of economically important genes, and to understand the underlying mechanisms that plants use to withstand biotic and abiotic stress. Dr. Klein conducts genetic studies on several plant species including sorghum, rose, and pecan. In 2012, Dr. Klein was awarded the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean's Outstanding Achievement Award for excellence as a member of the Sorghum Bioenergy Breeding and Genomics Interdisciplinary Research Team.",Executive Associate Dean||Professor,College of Agriculture and Life Sciences||Horticultural Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n83864ec9
Diego,Donzis,Professor,,Associate Professor||Faculty Affiliate,Aerospace Engineering||Energy Institute,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n83e20468
Quentin,Michaudel,Assistant Professor,,Assistant Professor,Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n83f25144
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
Christian,Hilty,Professor,"We are developing and applying Magnetic resonance techniques for the investigation of rapid processes and molecular dynamics. Hyperpolarization of nuclear spins yields unprecedented levels of signal, which enables us to acquire NMR spectra of reactions as they occur, in real time. Applications of these techniques include the fields of enzyme catalysis, reactions in organic chemistry, polymers, and more.
To enable the use of hyperpolarization in NMR, we develop new hardware and specially adapted NMR experiments, and investigate the dynamics of hyperpolarized spin systems.
Hand-in-hand with hyperpolarization, we use modern multi-dimensional NMR for the investigation of basic determinants of protein structure and function, including of membrane proteins.",Professor,Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n83f91df7
Allison,Rice-Ficht,Senior Associate Vice President for Research,"Studies in the our lab are currently focused on the use of unique biomaterials for controlled release of live and subunit vaccines. Our focus is currently directed to the production of vaccines against human Brucellosisand Q fever, but will be applied to the storage and delivery of other vaccines. A study of specific immune mechanisms and potentiation through controlled releases is underway. Another focus is the study of alpha crystalline structure and function. These unique proteins protect against thermal insult and modulate folding and activity of other proteins",Professor||Senior Associate Vice President for Research,Cell Biology and Genetics||Division of Research,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n84a56c5b
Kamlesh,Yadav,Instructional Associate Professor,"Dr. Yadav's primary interest is in translational research, specifically biomarker discoveries and novel therapeutics in cancer (especially prostate) through a combination of biochemistry and genomics. He is also interested in mining EMRs for personalized diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutics using real worlds evidence (RWE) data coupled with machine-learning/AI-algorithms.",Instructional Associate Professor,School of Medicine,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n855387b4
Rosemary,Walzem,Professor,"Dr. Walzem's core research focus within the laboratory is directed towards understanding how the structure of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins influences their ability to carry out specific nutrient delivery tasks. Her studies include identification of mechanisms and regulatory processes that control the assembly of trigylceride-rich lipoproteins in issues, structural studies of lipoproteins themselves and physiological studies to determine substrate properties and metabolic fates of different types of lipoproteins. Diet can significantly alter lipoprotein physiology through multiple mechanisms, and studies of diet effects provides a significant sub-theme to the research program. A variety of species are used to address specific questions, however, avian and human lipoprotein metabolism as it relates to egg production and atherogenesis, respectively, are emphasized.",Professor,Poultry Science,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n85cd191f
Alex,Keene,Professor and Department Head,,Professor and Department Head,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8650c3cf
Daniel,Ebbole,Professor,"Development and pathogenesis share the common features of responding to environmental conditions to execute a program of gene expression resulting in new cell types.
An important question in plant pathogenesis is to understanding the functions of pathogen effectors and their host target(s). Fungal effectors play roles in suppressing host defense mechanisms, however, other biotrophic functions, such as manipulating host physiology to promote nutrient acquisition and cell-to-cell movement are possible. Therefore, identification of the full set of fungal proteins secreted during host invasion is a major effort in plant pathology research. Candidate effectors are generally identified by virtue of i) their expression in planta ii) assessing their activity on the host using purified proteins or by manipulating expression iii) detecting the rapid evolution of effector genes due to selective pressure from the host. My lab is using a combination of these approaches to identify and characterize a gene family of putative effectors from Magnaporthe oryzae, the rice blast fungus and define interactions with monocot hosts.",Professor,Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n86da3f1b
Deborah,Threadgill,Assistant Professor,,Research Assistant Professor||Assistant Professor,Veterinary Pathobiology||School of Medicine,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8734a809
Jason,George,Assistant Professor,,Assistant Professor,Biomedical Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n89b90ab5
Andrew,Dessler,Professor,,Professor,Atmospheric Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8a685149
Jerry,North,Research Professor,,Research Professor,Atmospheric Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8a82b727
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
Jessica,Fitzsimmons,Associate Professor,"The Fitzsimmons group focuses on inorganic chemical oceanography, particularly trace metal biogeochemistry. We specialize in environmental analytical chemistry measurements, and our research impact centers on 1) micronutrient metal cycling in the open ocean, 2) marine trace metal physicochemical speciation and stable isotope ratios, and 3) heavy metal pollutant cycling in coastal Texas waters.",Associate Professor,Oceanography,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8b877f59
Mark,Packard,Professor,,Professor,,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8c1e0820
Simon,North,Professor and Head,"Our research involves trying to understand chemical reactivity on a microscopic quantum-state resolved level. We focus on isolated molecules in the gas-phase to develop a detailed description of the factors which influence the rates, energy disposal, and final products in a reaction. In order to address these issues we use lasers to carefully control the preparation of excited molecules and to probe all the properties of the reaction products. chemical reactivity on a microscopic quantum-state resolved level. Our specific interests include understanding atmospheric photochemistry, the tropospheric oxidation of biogenic hydrocarbons, and laser diagnostic development for flow field characterization. The laboratory contains equipment to perform state-of-the-art experiments in chemical dynamics and kinetics and is associated with several interdisciplinary University Research Centers. Our photochemistry experiments combine molecular beam and state-resolved ionization techniques with position-sensitive ion imaging to determine the identity and energy content of photochemical products in the absence of secondary collisions. Studies focus on the photodissociation of jet-cooled radicals of atmospheric relevance and preliminary results have already stimulated collaboration with several theoretical groups. The experiments provide a stringent test for modern theory and allow assessment of the impact that the photochemistry has on atmospheric modeling.",Professor and Head,Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8c54a7a4
Hongcai,Zhou,Professor,"Research topics: Energy Storage for Transportation, Supramolecular Chemistry, Hydrogen and Methane Storage, Carbon Dioxide Capture, Clean-Energy-Related Separation, Metal-Organic Frameworks, Mesh-Adjustable Molecular Sieves, Mesoporous Materials, Biomimetic Synthesis.","Professor, Affiliated Faculty||Faculty Affiliate",Energy Institute||Materials Science and Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8c5a2ac9
Qingwu,Xue,Professor,"Develop a competitive and extramurally funded research program in the area of crop water use, water use efficiency, and abiotic and biotic stress resistance in major field crops in the Texas High Plains. The overall goal of my research program is to provide selection tools for breeders and geneticists and management tools for agronomists and producers, through better understanding the physiological mechanisms of crop performance under stress conditions. The major research focuses include understanding physiological and molecular mechanisms of drought tolerance, identifying plant traits conferring to stress tolerance, understanding the interactions of abiotic and biotic stresses, evaluating and developing field phenotyping tools, and developing management strategies under stress conditions. Advise graduate student research.",Professor||Professor||Adjunct Professor,"Soil and Crop Sciences||Texas A&M AgriLife Research||West Texas A&M University - (Canyon, Texas, United States)",https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8c76b901
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
Charles,Kenerley,Professor,The long-term goal of my research program is to understand the interactions of Trichoderma species with pathogenic fungi as well as plant hosts to promote crop protection.,Professor,Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8f925111
Mary,Meagher,Professor,,"Professor||Faculty Fellow||Claude H. Everett, Jr. ’47 Chair of Liberal Arts||Professor",Center for Health Systems and Design||Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n8fa87422
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
Russell,Feagin,Professor,"Dr. Feagin's research focuses on sand dunes, salt marshes, beaches, and other coastal ecosystems with particular emphasis on the effects of global climate change and urbanization upon coastal plant community distribution using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and its related technologies. The central question of study is how coastal vegetation responds to and modifies its sedimentary environment, particularly in the context of long-term sea level rise versus short-term extreme disturbances. Dr. Feagin's interests range from basic to applied science, and include community ecology, restoration ecology, coastal geomorphology, ecological complexity, and spatial analysis. He typically integrates field-based manipulative experiments with lab-based spatial analysis/modeling.",Professor,Ecology and Conservation Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n91007e74
Ken,Muneoka,Professor,My lab is focused on understanding epimorphic and tissue regeneration in mammals.,Professor,Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n9156816d
Hisashi,Koiwa,Professor,,Professor,Horticultural Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n931bc4cc
Shenyuan,Zhang,Associate Professor,,Associate Professor,Medical Physiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n95b01f7e
Jill,Hiney,Research Assistant Professor,"Current Research: Analysis of Mercury and trace element toxins in marine mammals and fish in areas of Alaska, Mexico and California.
Former Research areas: Toxicology of Alcohol on Female puberty and neuroendocrine pathways.
Pb (Lead) effects on female reproduction and puberty
Manganese effects on female reproduction and puberty.",Research Assistant Professor,Veterinary Integrative Biosciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n96892f3f
Wonmuk,Hwang,Associate Professor,,Associate Professor,Biomedical Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n96f41d07
Salvatore,Calabrese,Assistant Professor,"Our research aims at quantifying the interaction between the hydrologic cycle and the physical and biochemical processes in the soil and throughout the Critical Zone, with an emphasis on the role of hydro-climatic fluctuations. By improving our understanding of the complex dynamics of the water and nutrient cycles, we seek to develop quantitative tools that help us preserve soil ecosystem services, such as soil and plant carbon storage, and prevent our ecosystems from degrading.
To tackle such fundamental questions on these rather complex biotic/abiotic interactions and shed light on their dominant dynamics, we borrow tools from fluid mechanics, dynamical system theory, stochastic processes and thermodynamics to use in conjunction with experimental observations.
Specific research projects include modeling soil moisture dynamics and its control on biogeochemical cycle across climatic gradients, identification of long terms hydro-climatic drivers of chemical weathering, estimation of long term hydrologic and energy partitioning, quantification of soil formation processes, and modeling the effect of water management strategies.",Assistant Professor,Biological and Agricultural Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n9705ab00
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
Fei,Liu,Associate Professor,"Our laboratory conducts research in:
1. The characterization and application of standardized mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from iPS cells and their extracellular vesicles (EVs). Current application focuses on treating diseases caused by over-activation of immune system, such as Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease causing dry eyes and dry mouth, and cytokine storm caused by infections.
2. Roles of tissue-resident macrophages in the development, homeostasis, and regeneration of salivary glands damaged by radiation therapy for cancer.",Associate Professor,Cell Biology and Genetics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n9732f08e
Vladislav,Yakovlev,Professor,,Professor,Biomedical Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n97d166af
Anatoly,Svidzinsky,Research Associate Professor,,Research Associate Professor,Institute of Quantum Science,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n97ef0f69
Vincent,VanBuren,Assistant Professor,,Instructional Assistant Professor,School of Medicine,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n98068f16
Larry,Suva,Professor and Head,"The development, control and diseases of the musculoskeletal system have been my scholarly interests for the past 35+ years. Understanding how the musculoskeletal system adapts and progresses throughout life is the basis of my expertise. My research focus has been the skeletal consequences of disease, such as breast cancer bone metastasis and multiple myeloma, fracture healing, osteoporosis, and most recently rare bone diseases. Current research efforts include a focus on utilizing in vivo models (murine and large animals) to discover regulatory pathways fundamental to bone physiology and the development of rare bone disease preclinical model(s) that may provide novel insight into future therapeutic directions. A critical aspect of my academic philosophy is an open door policy and the importance of one-on-one interactions. We must strive to provide training and exposure for our students as they prepare for careers both in and out of academic medicine and research. I emphatically believe that these teaching and mentoring experiences have shaped my scientific career and have helped mold my teaching and mentoring philosophy of placing the best professional, academic, social and personal development of faculty, students and staff above all else.",Professor and Head,Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n98338eea
Elaine,Oran,Professor,,O`Donnell Foundation Chair VI and Professor,Aerospace Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n9a3f5896
Keerti,Rathore,Professor,"My current research interests are in the genetic improvement of important dicot (cotton and tomato) and monocot (rice and sorghum) crops. Protocols for efficient delivery of genes, optimal expression of transgenes, and rapid recovery of transgenic cotton, rice, and sorghum plants have been established in my laboratory. These procedures are being used to conduct both basic and applied research pertaining to crop improvement. Projects include regeneration from cell & tissue cultures, use of new reporter and selectable marker genes to understand and improve the transformation process, promoter analysis, enhancement of disease resistance in plants, conferring draught tolerance to crop plants, conferring insect resistance to crop plants, improving nutritional quality of seeds, and production of recombinant antibodies and vaccines in plants.",Professor,Soil and Crop Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n9b4a2655
Jeetain,Mittal,Professor,Dr. Mittal's research focuses on biomolecular self-assembly processes with a specialization in protein phase separation and nanoparticle superlattice design.,Professor,Artie Mcferrin Department of Chemical En,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n9c511486
Hung-Jen,Wu,Associate Professor,"Dr. Wu uses nanostructured materials and analytical tools to develop diagnostic techniques for medical applications. His laboratory recently focuses on understanding the influences of multivalency and cell membrane environment on pathogen-host cell recognition. The applications of his techniques include, infectious diseases screening, exploring cell membrane function, and targeted drug delivery.",Associate Professor,Chemical Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n9cbcca3e
Julie,Loisel,Assistant Professor,,Assistant Professor,Geography,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n9cc92dde
Dylan,Mccreedy,Assistant Professor,"My lab investigates the roles of early inflammation in tissue damage and wound healing following spinal cord injury. We employ genetic and pharmacological methods to study how immune receptors (e.g. L-selectin) and signaling pathways alter the accumulation and activation of early arriving immune cells, predominantly neutrophils. We are also developing new three-dimensional imaging strategies to characterize inflammation and tissue damage after spinal cord injury. Utilizing tissue clearing techniques and lightsheet microscopy, we can visualize the spatiotemporal effects of spinal cord injury in a manner previously unachievable with traditional imaging modalities. With the knowledge gained from these studies, we aim to develop novel neuroprotective strategies to reduce inflammatory damage and improve long-term recovery for the spinal cord injured patient.",Assistant Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n9e06a3e6
Roland,Kaunas,Associate Professor,"Dr. Roland Kaunas' laboratory focuses on the engineering of micro-tissues containing mesenchymal stem cells as vehicles for regenerating musculoskeletal tissues and as cell-based models for studying bone tumor biology. This work employs sophisticated microfluidic platforms, custom bioreactors, and novel scaffolding strategies involving composites of natural and synthetic polymers.
Kaunas' group also studies how mechanical stresses and strains, such as tensile stretch and fluid shear stress, regulate cell function in vascular tissues including arteries, capillaries and lymphatics. This work involves integration of experiments and theory to elucidate the roles of intracellular contractility, applied forces and scaffold material properties on cell architecture and transduction of mechanical stimuli into intracellular signals leading to changes in cell behavior.",Associate Professor,Biomedical Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/n9eb05d66
Angela,Mitchell,Assistant Professor,,Assistant Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/na16f3eb8
Joshuah,Perkin,Assistant Professor,"Work in our lab focuses on the conservation and sustainable management of freshwater fish diversity, understanding reasons for its decline, and developing approaches for mitigating threats in Texas, the southern Great Plains, and beyond. We address questions regarding species- and community-level change across spatial and temporal scales using a variety of study approaches, including meta-analyses, field experiments, natural snapshot and trajectory experiments, landscape modeling, and molecular techniques. Our work strongly emphasizes how anthropogenic environmental manipulations, either destructive or restorative in nature, cause shifts in fish abundance, distribution, and community structure.",Assistant Professor,"Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management||Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences",https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/na1fa2477
Chaodong,Wu,Professor and Presidential Impact Fellow,"The long-term goal of Dr. Wu's research program is to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of obesity and overnutrition-associated metabolic diseases including insulin resistance, diabetes, and fatty liver disease so that novel dietary and/or pharmacological approaches can be developed for preventing and/or treating metabolic diseases. Using molecular, cellular, and integrative approaches, the Wu lab is focused on investigating the interaction between metabolism and inflammation.",Professor||Professor,Texas A&M AgriLife Research||Nutrition,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/na24a9d43
Marlan,Scully,Distinguished Professor,,Distinguished Professor||Faculty Affiliate,Physics and Astronomy||Energy Institute,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/na2a37577
Patrick,Stover,Vice Chancellor and Dean,,Professor||Vice Chancellor and Dean,College of Agriculture and Life Sciences||Nutrition,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/na2e4838e
Chavela,Carr,Lecturer,,Lecturer,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/na40e43dd
Gregory,Reinhart,Professor and Head,"Our laboratory is interested in the mechanisms by which enzymes are regulated in the cell. In particular, we are interested in allosteric regulation of enzyme activity. Consequently, we are interested in understanding the nature of the conformational change in proteins that can be effected by the binding of ligands, and specifically how these changes alter the catalytic behavior of enzymes subject to allosteric regulation. We endeavor to investigate properties that are complementary to those determined by x-ray crystallography in order to develop a comprehensive picture of the structure-function relationships involved in the regulatory phenomenon. For example, we are interested in how the dynamics of protein structure might dictate the nature of an allosteric effect. Techniques and approaches that we use in the laboratory include analysis of enzyme kinetics; analysis of the thermodynamics of enzyme-ligand interactions; time-resolved and steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy; analysis of the effects of temperature and hydrostatic pressure (up to 4 kbar) on enzyme properties, site-specific mutagenesis, isothermal titration calorimetry, and molecular graphics.",Professor and Head,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/na6e2a0db
Ping,Chang,Professor,"Chang's expertise is on climate dynamics and climate prediction, as well as global and regional climate modeling. He leads a research group in global and regional climate modeling studies at Texas A&M and has developed research collaborations with many institutions in the US and other countries. Chang's research involves the understanding of climate variability and predictability, including El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Tropical Atlantic Variability (TAV) and Atlantic Multidecadal Variability (AMV). He co-chaired the International CLIVAR Atlantic Research Panel (http://www.clivar.org/clivar-panels/atlantic) and was a contributing author to three chapters in the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).",Professor,Oceanography,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/na90924e6
Monique,Rijnkels,Research Associate Professor,"We are studying transcriptional regulation and the genomics of the mammary gland and the role of epigenetic events during mammary gland development and lactation. We use various genomics approaches to mammary gland biology and my laboratory has been using ChIP-seq, DNase-seq, ATAC-seq and other epigenomic approaches to determine chromosomal states at different developmental time points to determine the role of epigenetic regulation in mammary gland development and understand gene regulation in the mammary gland in general. We use transgenic mouse models to study gene regulation in mammary gland development and lactation.",Research Associate Professor,Veterinary Integrative Biosciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/na956415b
Qingyi,Yu,Associate Professor,"My main research interest is to apply genomics and molecular genetics to crop improvement. Current research topics include genomics of abiotic stress tolerance in warm-season turfgrass, gene regulatory networks underlying CAM photosynthesis in pineapple, and sex chromosome evolution in Caricaceae.",Associate Professor,Texas A&M AgriLife Research,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/naa660c01
Michael,Benedik,Regents Professor,My laboratory studies basic biological problems using molecular genetic methods with simple microbial systems. Additionally we are developing novel microbial approaches for biotechnological applications.,Regents Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nac9856e5
George,Perry,Associate Professor,,Associate Professor,Texas A&M AgriLife Research,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nacfdace6
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
Sung Il,Park,Assistant Professor,"My lab conducts three lines of research; wireless optogenetics, biomedicine, wireless power transmission into biological tissues, and photodynamic therapy for gastrointestinal cancers.
We are developing soft neural interface platforms and soft wireless platform electronics that can control neural interfaces and integrate data transmission, signal processing, and power management. These works involve fabrication of stretchable electronic systems and development of novel antenna systems and integrated circuit systems. In parallel, we are studying novel methods to maximize wireless power transmission into biological tissues.",Assistant Professor,Electrical and Computer Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/naef793d2
David,Reiner,Associate Professor,he Reiner lab research is divided into two general areas: mechanisms of cell signaling and harnessing model genetic organisms for drug discovery and translational biology.,Associate Professor,Institute of Biosciences and Technology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nb2849771
Thomas,DeWitt,Associate Professor,,Associate Professor,Ecology and Conservation Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nb4aed80b
Rainer,Amon,Professor,,Professor,Marine Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nb4b1ebd8
Heather,Thakar,Assistant Professor,"Archaeological Theory, Evolutionary Ecology, Foraging and Proto-agricultural Societies
Coastal, North and Central American Archaeology (California, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua)
Isotope Geochemistry, Radiocarbon Dating, ZooMS Collagen Fingerprinting
Archaeobotany, Palynology, Zooarchaeology (specialized expertise in fish & shellfish analysis)
Archaeological Ethics, Rematriation/Repatriation, Curation and Collections Management",NAGPRA Coordinator||Assistant Professor,Anthropology||Anthropology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nb51fbd92
Mariana,Mateos,Associate Professor,,Associate Professor,"Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management||Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences",https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nb7331dd1
Renyi,Zhang,University Distinguished Professor,"Our research has covered a wide variety of areas in atmospheric chemistry and physics and, in particular, the impacts of global air pollution on human health, ecosystems, and climate.",University Distinguished Professor,Atmospheric Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nb7e95563
Siegfried,Musser,Professor,"The primary focus of my laboratory is to decipher how proteins partition into different sub-compartments of the cell. Cellular membranes serve to compartmentalize biochemical reactions to specific microenvironments. Proteins cross these membranes via a diverse array of protein translocation systems, or translocons. My laboratory has investigated the detailed molecular function of three different protein transport machineries, the human nuclear pore complex (NPC) and the bacterial Sec and Tat general secretion machineries. We are a biophysics lab and our primary tools for deciphering molecular mechanisms and dynamics are super-resolution imaging and single molecule particle tracking approaches. Our aim is to develop detailed, molecular-scale, mechanistic models of protein transport processes. We recently demonstrated 3D imaging of cargo transport through nuclear pores on the millisecond timescale with 5-15 nm precision in all three dimensions. This will be a major tool going forward for multiple projects.
In 2018, we began a new project on membrane-less organelles, which are micrometer-scale cellular structures known as biomolecular condensates (BMCs) that contain high concentrations of intrinsically disordered proteins and RNA. These BMCs are generally agreed to arise from liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), which is the spontaneous partitioning into dense and dilute phases due to favorable interactions between the separating molecules. The high density of aggregation prone proteins in BMCs is thought to lead to the cellular inclusions found in patients with multiple neurological diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. We are using super-resolution and single molecule methods to probe the structural and dynamic heterogeneity of condensates formed from the fused in sarcoma (FUS) protein to identify the conditions that lead to solidification of liquid condensates (phase maturation).",Professor,Cell Biology and Genetics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nb824aefa
Lin,Zhu,Associate Professor,,Associate Professor,Irma Lerma Rangel School of Pharmacy,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nb936a5d7
Raquel,Sitcheran,Associate Professor,"The goal of our research is to understand the molecular mechanisms that control NF-kappaB regulatory networks in the central nervous system (CNS). NF-kappaB is a ubiquitously expressed, evolutionarily conserved transcription factor that responds to a variety of signals and regulates fundamental processes, including cell growth and proliferation, inflammation, invasion and angiogenesis. Indeed, aberrant NF-kappaB activity or expression is associated with many cancers, as it can promote tumorigenesis, tumor progression and resistance to therapy. Our focus is on glioblastoma, a common and highly lethal CNS tumor that is very resistant to current treatment strategies.",Associate Professor,The Texas A&M University System,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nb97a02a1
Ashok,Shetty,Professor and Associate Director,"Dr. Ashok K. Shetty's laboratory is interested in developing clinically applicable strategies efficacious for enhancing brain function after injury, disease, or aging. The central areas of investigation are focused on:
o Mechanisms by which intranasally administered stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) promote neuroprotection, neuroregeneration, neural plasticity, and alleviate neuroinflammation. The sources of EVs include human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem cells (hiPSC-NSCs), astrocytes, and microglia. The model systems include traumatic brain injury (TBI), closed head injury (CHI), Aging, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).
o Mechanisms by which transplanted human neural stem cells or human GABA-ergic precursor cells derived from hiPSCs promote brain repair, and alleviate spontaneous seizures, and cognitive and mood impairments in prototypes of SE, TLE, and TBI.
o Elucidating mechanisms of brain dysfunction and chronic neuroinflammation in prototypes of Gulf War Illness. Developing therapeutic strategies to alleviate neuroinflammation, systemic inflammation, and cognitive and mood impairments in models of GWI.
o Developing clinically feasible strategies for improving brain function in aging and AD models via stimulation of endogenous neural stem cells using drugs and biologics.
Dr. Shetty has received continuous extramural research funding as PI for >25 years from sources such as the NIH, DOD, Dept of Veterans Affairs (VA), and industry. These include seven R01 grant awards and an R21 grant award from the NIH; seven CDMRP grant awards from the DOD; five Merit Grant awards and two Research Career Scientist Awards from the VA; and two industry grants. He has also served as Co-I of 8 other DOD grants. Grants from the NIH, DOD, and industry fund Dr. Shetty's current research. Dr. Shetty has authored 181 peer-reviewed publications (147 as senior/first author) and edited a book on Neural Stem Cells in Health and Disease. His work has appeared in many prestigious and high-impact journals. Dr. Shetty has received >17,000 citations for his publications with an h-index of 64. Dr. Shetty has the distinction of serving on two NIH Study Sections and one VA study section as a Chartered Member. Besides, he has served as a member of many other study section panels of the NIH, DOD, VA, and Maryland State Stem Cell Research Fund. Dr. Shetty is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal, Aging & Disease and Associate Editor of 6 Neuroscience journals. He is also a Member of the Editorial Board of many prestigious journals, including The Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, Aging Cell, and Stem Cells. Dr. Shetty is a Fellow of the American Society for Neural Transplantation and Repair. Dr. Shetty received the Senior Research Excellence Award in 2021 from the TAMU College of Medicine and is among the ""World's Top 2% Scientists"" across all scientific fields.","Associate Director, Institute for Regenerative Medicine||Professor",Cell Biology and Genetics||Cell Biology and Genetics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nba613a86
Joseph,Veldman,Associate Professor,"In the Veldman Lab at Texas A&M University, we study relationships among plant species, ecosystem functions, and human-induced environmental change. Fire - both as an ancient ecological force and as a management tool - is central to our research on the conservation and restoration of tropical and subtropical savannas and forests. Through interdisciplinary collaborations and outreach to environmental organizations, we work to improve public policies that impact fire-dependent ecosystems and human livelihoods.",Assistant Professor,Ecology and Conservation Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nbc6131af
Lih,Kuo,Regents Professor,"My research focuses on the physiological and pathophysiological regulation of coronary and retinal microcirculation. In the circulatory system, the amount of blood delivered to each tissue can be regulated by the activity of arterial microvessels (<100 m in diameter). Changes in vascular tone, i.e., constriction or dilation of these microvessels, will decrease or increase blood supply to the tissue, respectively. However, the mechanisms involved in the regulation of vascular tone are not completely understood. Our current research focuses on the regulation of microvascular tone by hemodynamic (e.g., pressure and shear stress), metabolic (e.g., adenosine, osmolarity, K+, pH, pO2) and neural (adrenergic receptors) factors. To have an integrative view on the flow regulation, this basic information are reconstructed using mathematical model and computer simulation technology. This research provides a basic foundation critical to our understanding of blood flow regulation in the microvascular network under normal and disease states.",Regents Professor,Medical Physiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nbc742025
David,Huston,Professor,The overall goal of my laboratory is to understand mechanisms regulating inflammation and thereby develop strategies for modulating immune responses. One project focuses on the role of the cytokine thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) as the master switch in the pathobiology of allergic inflammation and asthma. The role of allergens and respiratory viruses on the induction of TSLP transcription by mast cells and epithelial cells is being studied in vitro and in human subjects.,Professor,Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nbd68089f
Sai,Koka,Associate Professor,"My research is focused on the studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating the development of cardiometabolic disorders and identifying novel pharmacologic strategies to combat cardiovascular cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, endothelial and vascular dysfunction in diabetic, obese and aging patients. Currently we are exploring the role of gut microbe-derived metabolites in endothelial and vascular cell signaling.",Associate Professor,Pharmaceutical Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nbdc012b7
Catherine,Eckel,Professor,"Catherine Eckel is Sara and John Lindsey Professor in the Liberal Arts and University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Economics at Texas A&M University, where she directs the Behavioral Economics and Policy Program. She has held faculty positions at the University of British Columbia, Virginia Tech, and the University of Texas at Dallas, where she was founder and director of the Center for Behavioral and Experimental Economic Science. She received her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Virginia in 1983.
As an experimental economist, she has made important contributions on topics that are both policy-relevant and of interest to the academic community. Examples include studies of: financial decision making; financial markets; altruism and charitable fundraising; preferences and behavior in poor, urban settings; the coordination of counter-terrorism policy; gender differences in preferences and behavior, including risk-taking and cooperation; and discrimination by race and gender in games of trust; racial/ethnic identity and undergraduate academic success. She is or has been a PI or Co-PI on twenty-four grants from the National Science Foundation totaling over $4.4 million. Her research has been funded by private foundations including the Russell Sage Foundation, the Aspen Foundation, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Dr. Eckel is Past President of the Economic Science Association (the professional organization of experimental economists), and was President of the Southern Economic Association (the largest regional association in Economics). She served for two years as an NSF program director for the economics program and currently serves on the Advisory Committee of NSF's Directorate for Social Behavioral and Economic Sciences. She was co-editor of the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization (2005-2012), and has served as associate editor or on the editorial boards of twelve journals.
Eckel is an award-winning teacher, and enjoys engaging undergraduate students in original research projects. She has advised 15 PhD dissertations, and her students hold faculty positions in the US and around the world. In January 2013, Dr. Eckel was awarded the prestigious Carolyn Shaw Bell Award, given annually by the American Economic Association Committee on the Status of Women in the Economics Profession, for her work developing and participating in mentoring programs for women assistant professors.",Professor,Economics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nc1aeb0f6
John,Casellas Connors,Assistant Professor,"John Casellas Connors is an assistant professor in the Department of Geography at Texas A&M University. Prior to joining Texas A&M, he was a postdoctoral fellow at Boston University's Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future. He is a human-environment geographer whose research primarily addresses the politics of conservation and wildlife management. His research combines concepts and approaches from political ecology, land change science, legal geographies, and more than human geography. His ongoing research projects examine the politics of white-tailed deer management in suburban communities as well as the intersections of gun politics and conservation politics. Through this work he explores how people make decisions about living with and killing animals, and how existing wildlife management institutions shape the possibilities for human-animal coexistence. In addition, he has ongoing research projects related to food and water security, particularly food pantry access.",Assistant Professor,Geography,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nc2cac7d8
Ron,Eytan,Assistant Professor,"My lab studies the origin and maintenance of marine biodiversity, primarily in coral reef fishes, using genomic and computational methods. My lab has broad interests in phylogenomics and phylogeography, population genetics/genomics, and the geography and genetics of speciation in reef fishes.",Assistant Professor,Marine Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nc2f8ea4a
George,Welch,Professor,"I conduct research in quantum optics and atomic and molecular physics involving coherently prepared systems, electro-magnetically induced transparency (EIT) and slow and fast light, femtosecond molecular spectroscopy including coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering, and use of cold atoms for rotation sensing.",Professor,Physics and Astronomy,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nc3cb0c51
Edward,Fry,Distinguished Professor,,Distinguished Professor,Physics and Astronomy,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nc6032fda
Anjel,Helms,Assistant Professor,"My current research is focused on understanding how chemical compounds mediate interactions among plants, insect herbivores, and herbivore natural enemies. More specifically, my lab is investigating how plants and insect herbivores use chemical information from their environment to assess their risk of attack.",Assistant Professor,Entomology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nc6106e75
Xuejun,Zhu,Assistant Professor,"Our research interest is biomolecular engineering for applications in health, agriculture, and energy. The research themes include discovery of biological molecules involved in microbe- and host-microbe interactions, elucidating the biosynthesis of bioactive molecules, and harnessing the knowledge to design bio-based systems for diagnostics and treatment. To advance our research, we use principles in microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, analytical chemistry, protein engineering, metabolic engineering, as well as emerging tools in chemical biology and synthetic biology.",Assistant Professor,Chemical Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nc63ee03c
Scott,Socolofsky,Professor,"My research is in the broad area of Environmental Fluid Mechanics, with emphasis on laboratory experiments and data analysis to elucidate mixing mechanisms by turbulence and coherent structures. Current research projects study turbulent mixing processes in three contexts: (1) multiphase plumes, (2) shallow tidal inlets, and (3) natural seeps.",Faculty Affiliate||Professor||Professor,Civil Engineering||Ocean Engineering||Energy Institute,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nc6f9c90d
William,Rooney,Professor,"The long-range goal of my sorghum improvement program is to enhance the productivity and profitability of grain, forage and bioenergy sorghum production systems. The sorghum breeding program is used as a mechanism to develop and release sorghum germplasm to meet this goal. In addition to the release of improved sorghum genotypes, research in the program emphasizes the genetic and molecular genetic inheritance of disease resistance, grain quality and agronomic productivity and adaptability. The research provides opportunities for graduate student training in fundamental and applied aspects of plant improvement. Specific research interests include the development of sorghum germplasm for bioenergy (both sweet and biomass), grain and forage Instruct SCSC 642 annually each fall semester.",Professor,Soil and Crop Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nc74bd61f
Abhishek,Jain,Associate Professor,"The overarching theme of my research is to design patient-specific and digital microengineered models of cardiovascular and hematologic diseases (such as, atherosclerosis) for enabling basic scientific discoveries and the advancement of precision and personalized healthcare.",Associate Professor,Biomedical Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nc7e6af54
Richard,Miles,Professor,"The use of lasers, electron beams, microwaves, electric discharges and magnetic devices to control, accelerate, extract power and precondition air and other gas mixtures for subsonic, supersonic and hypersonic fluid dynamics, standoff molecular detection and propulsion applications. Research is facilitated by the development of advanced laser diagnostics, which include temperature, velocity and density imaging by spectrally filtered Rayleigh scattering, molecular flow tagging by nonlinear excitation, standoff detection of selected atoms and molecules by radar scattering from laser generated ionization, and molecular detection by UV laser excited backward lasing in air. Research topics include examining microwave control of flame propagation; laser localized microwave energy addition for ignition control and lean combustion operation; stand-off detection of explosives, hazardous gases and greenhouse gases by laser/microwave techniques; flow velocity measurement by laser ionization tagged radar anemometry; molecular tagging of air and nitrogen by femtosecond laser electronic excitation; the role of high-power microwaves, nanosecond high voltage pulses, surface dielectric barrier discharges, electron beams and lasers in driving and controlling aerodynamic phenomena; MHD boundary layer control and power extraction for supersonic and hypersonic vehicle applications; magnetic and laser interactions with high speed materials; shape morphing high temperature ceramic materials for hypersonic applications; and plasma energy deposition for flow control and drag reduction for high speed vehicles.",O`Donnell Foundation Chair V and University Distinguished Professor,Aerospace Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nc8d64e65
Sakiko,Okumoto,Associate Professor,"The overall goal of my research is to understand how nitrogen (N), quantitatively the most important nutrient in crops, is managed in plants. Specifically, my research aims at how amino acids, one of the main forms of organic N in plant body, is transported. In order to study such mechanisms in detail, we have developed protein-based, fluorescent sensors that allow us to track amino acids in live cells. We utilize these sensors to discover novel molecular mechanisms that are involved in the regulation of amino acids. We are currently interrogating the processes in which amino acid exporters are involved in, using various genetic resources such as T-DNA insertion mutants and gene editing tools. We are also interested in developing novel sensors for other biologically important molecules.",Associate Professor,Soil and Crop Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nc97dd3d8
Zhilei,Chen,Associate Professor,"The Chen Medicinal Protein Lab aims to accelerate the discovery, development and clinical translation of protein therapeutics through innovative protein engineering research. We believe that better medicine enables a higher quality of living, and protein engineers are charged to create the better medicine for today and tomorrow. We are particularly interested in the creation and engineering of affordable protein therapeutics to prevent and treat infectious diseases and cancer.",Associate Professor,Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nc9a6c3ae
Paul,Lindahl,Professor,"One of our two current research areas involves iron metabolism in mitochondria. The iron imported into these organelles is assembled into iron-sulfur clusters and heme prosthetic groups. Some of these centers are exported into the cytosol, while others are installed into mitochondrial apo-proteins. All of these processes are regulated in healthy cells, but various genetic mutations giving rise to diseases can cause iron to accumulate (e.g. Friedreich's ataxia) or become depleted (e.g. Sideroblastic anemia). We have developed a biophysical approach involving Mossbauer, electron paramagnetic resonance, and electronic absorption spectroscopy, to study the entire iron content of intact mitochondria in healthy and genetically altered cells. This Systems Biology approach allows us to characterize the ""iron-ome"" of mitochondria at an unprecedented level of detail. We are also using analytical tools (e.g. liquid chromatography) to identify complexes that are involved in ""trafficking"" iron into and out of the organelle.
Our other research area involves mathematical modeling of cellular self-replication on the mechanistic biochemical level. We collaborate on this multidisciplinary NSF-sponsored project with a mathematician at the University of Houston (Professor Jeffrey Morgan). We have developed a modeling framework that facilitates such modeling efforts, and have designed a number of very simple and symbolic in silico cells that exhibit self-replicative behavior. Our minimal in silico cell model includes just 5 components and 5 reactions. A second generation model includes a more realistic mechanism of mitotic regulation. One novel aspect of our approach is that cellular concentration dynamics impact (and are impacted by) cellular geometry. By minimizing membrane bending energies, we are now calculating cell geometry during growth and division. Our results suggest that the ""pinching"" observed in real cells is enforced by cytoskeletal structures.",Professor,Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nc9ce621b
Matthias,Koch,Assistant Professor,,Assistant Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ncb08e15a
Jonathan,Sczepanski,Assistant Professor,"Our primary research goals are to develop and apply novel tools for studying DNA damage in the context of chromatin and to explore new avenues for RNA-based therapeutics and diagnostics. By combining expertise in chemical biology, molecular biology, and molecular evolution, our lab addresses challenges associated with studying and targeting noncoding RNAs from a unique perspective. In addition, we utilize modern chemical biology techniques to develop designer chromatin systems for studying DNA damage. We are seeking motivated individuals who wish to gain experience in chemical biology, molecular biology, and in vitro evolution techniques.",Assistant Professor,Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ncc157d6e
Oscar,Riera-Lizarazu,Associate Professor,"I work on developing and using biocomputational and genomics tools for polyploid genetic analysis with the goal of applying such tools to increase breeding efficiency and contribute to a better understanding of the genetic basis of rose adaptation, plant architecture, growth habit, and phenology.",Associate Professor,Horticultural Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nccc294be
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
Angela,Perri,Assistant Professor,,Assistant Professor,Anthropology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nce32c1da
Amit,Dhingra,Professor and Department Head,,Professor and Department Head,College of Agriculture and Life Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ncefd1f49
Gregory,Sword,Professor,"I've been very fortunate to have studied many things in many places with many people. Much of my research to date has focused on the biology and ecology of grasshoppers, locusts and Mormon crickets. More recently, I've been given the chance to expand my research program to problems in cotton entomology. It's a pretty unique opportunity, and I am happy to say that the lab is up and running on multiple fronts. Although the emphasis has shifted to cotton research, locust biology and anything else that strikes an interest continues to be fair game in the lab.",Professor,Entomology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ncf7fa344
Jae,Cho,Assistant Professor,"Our research interests lie in the interface between biology and other areas of science (chemistry and physics). NMR is our primary tool for structural and biophysical analysis. We also extensively use other techniques including Circular Dichroism and Fluorescence spectroscopy, and Isothermal calorimetry. These biophysical analyses are corroborated by sophisticated engineering and tuning of target proteins using semi-synthetic chemical biology techniques, in addition to traditional molecular biology methods.",Assistant Professor,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ncfe16216
Vytas,Bankaitis,Professor,"My laboratory is interested in the regulatory interfaces between novel lipid-mediated signal transduction pathways and important cellular functions. The focus of our work is the phosphatidylinositol/ phosphatidylcholine transfer proteins (PITPs), a ubiquitous but enigmatic class of proteins. Ongoing projects in the laboratory derive from a multidisciplinary approach that encompasses biochemical characterization of novel members of the metazoan PITP family, and the application of genetic, molecular and biophysical approaches to detailed structural and functional analyses of PITPs.",E.L. Wehner-Welch Foundation Chair||Professor||Professor,Cell Biology and Genetics||Biochemistry and Biophysics||Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ncff8dc21
Sargurunathan,Subashchandrabose,Assistant Professor,I have a long-standing interest in elucidating the molecular and cellular effectors at the host-pathogen interface to identify therapeutic targets against infectious diseases.,Assistant Professor,Veterinary Pathobiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nd12152ed
Robert,Korty,Professor,,Professor,Atmospheric Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nd138d94a
Paul,Brandt,Associate Professor,"Understanding how the target cells ""interpret"" hormonal signals is the primary focus of our laboratory.Most of our research centers on regulation of steroid hormone-transduced signals. One area of study is the calcium-dependent regulation of glucocorticoid and androgen receptor-mediated transcription. A second major area of interest concerns glucocorticoid and steroid sex hormone regulation of nitric oxide (NO) production. Other areas of interest in our laboratory are: development of androgen-independence in prostate cancer; stress responses in PMCA1(-) cell lines; and the involvement of NO in dry eye syndrome.",Associate Dean for Academic Technology and Curriculum Innovation||Associate Professor,Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics||School of Medicine,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nd24a6df6
Akhilesh,Gaharwar,Professor,"Dr. Akhilesh K. Gaharwar is a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University. He received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Purdue University in 2011 and completed his postdoctoral training from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University. The goal of his lab is to understand the cell-nanomaterials interactions and to develop nanoengineered strategies for modulating stem cell behavior for repair and regeneration of damaged tissue. In particular, his lab is leveraging principles from materials science, stem cell biology, additive biomanufacturing and high throughput genomics to design nanoengineered biomaterials, with wide-ranging applications in the field of regenerative medicine. His lab has developed approaches to direct stem cells differentiation by modulating the biophysical and biochemical characteristics of nanoengineered biomaterials.",Professor,Biomedical Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nd2c66835
Brian,Anderson,Assistant Professor,,Assistant Professor,Psychological and Brain Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nd469b920
Lawrence,Griffing,Associate Professor,"I am testing the theory that the endoplasmic reticulum, ER is the circulatory network of the cell, connecting different organelles to each other, allowing them to share signals, lipids, and proteins.
I am particularly interested in how the cytoskeletal system of plants regulates the movement of the ER network. In interphase, the actinomyosin network drives movement of the ER, just as it drives the movement organelles through the cytoplasm in a process called cytoplasmic streaming, a phenomenon in plants, but not animal cells. Of the seventeen different myosin forms in plants, only six are involved in active cytoplasmic streaming. We are sorting out which of those six guide the different movements of the endoplasmic reticulum.
I am also interested in the nature of the nexus between the ER and other organelles, including the chloroplast, plasma membrane, and Golgi. I have recently shown that by photo-stimulating the nexus between the chloroplast and the ER, the directional flow within the ER can be reversibly altered. This ability to generate very localized ER stress may have application in a wide variety of fields - from finding cures for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's syndrome to developing crops that can better-tolerate physiological heat stress and drought.
Finally, I recently founded the company, Griffing Biologics LLC, which is based on the discovery of a novel, non-toxic pre-emergent herbicide that interferes with plant sterol metabolism. Other work examining the uptake of sterols indicates that it may get into the plant cells via plasma membrane-ER contact sites. We are pursuing the function of this transport in controlling the early stages of plant growth.",Associate Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nd558069a
Fen,Wang,Professor,"The laboratory focuses on understanding the molecular basis of cell signaling, and how aberrant cell signaling leads to birth defects and causes cancers. Using in vitro cell culture systems and in vivo mouse models, we study how the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) activates its receptor (FF) tyrosine kinase, and how the activated FF transmits the signals to downstream targets and regulates proliferation, differentiation, homeostasis, and function of the cells, as well as in organogenesis and development, including prostate and cardiovascular system development. The laboratory also employs molecular biology, cell biology, and mouse genetic technologies to study how aberrant FGF signals promote tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. In addition, how environmental factors contribute to tumorigenesis and congenital birth defects by modulating FGF signal intensity and specificity is also under the scope of our research interests.",Professor,Institute of Biosciences and Technology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nd5ef47ba
Mehrdad,Ehsani,Professor,"I conduct research in the areas of sustainable power and energy systems, power electronics, motor drives, electric and hybrid vehicles, Superconductive Magnetic Storage (SMES), aerospace power systems, specialized power systems, control systems, energy storage systems, High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Power Transmission, applications of microcomputers to power control, pulsed power systems, and high voltage engineering and electrical failures and hazards.",Professor||Faculty Affiliate,Energy Institute||Electrical and Computer Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nd6df91de
Yun,Huang,Associate Professor,"Dr. Huang is currently an Assistant Professor at the Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences & Technology, Texas A&M University. Her long-term goal is to elucidate the molecular basis of epigenetic changes in the human genome and to develop novel therapies by targeting aberrant DNA methylation and demethylation associated with human diseases, including cancer, immunoinflammatory and cardiovascular diseases.
Dr. Huang's laboratory is focused on elucidating the physiological and pathophysiological functions of TET2 protein and its 5-methylcytosine oxidation products (5hmC, 5fC and 5caC) in cancer and development (Nature Genet 2014; Trends in Genetics 2014).",Associate Professor,Institute of Biosciences and Technology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nd7ed0926
Edwin,Thomas,Professor,"Thomas Research Group is focused on the development of novel polymers and polymer-based composite materials with unusual optical, mechanical, and electronic properties. The main areas of current interest include photonics, phononics, interference lithography and mechanical behavior of microtrusses, polymer physics and engineering of the mechanical and optical properties of block copolymers, liquid crystalline polymers and hybrid organic-inorganic nanocomposites.",Professor,Materials Science and Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ndb6a24d4
Alan,Pepper,Associate Professor,"My laboratory uses genetic, molecular, and genomic tools to study how terrestrial plants adapt, both in a short-term sense (phenotypic plasticity) and in a long-term sense (adaptive evolution), to the vast diversity of environments found on our planet.
My laboratory is studying the molecular and physiological mechanisms of 'downstream' developmental responses to light using genetic and molecular tools available in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. In another project, we are using comparative genomics to investigate the genetic basis of the evolution-under-domestication of developmental processes in cultivated cottons (Gossypium spp.) and their wild relatives. Gossypium is in the Malvaceae family and, as such, shares a recent common ancestor with Arabidopsis and other plants in the Brassicaceae family.
We are also investigating the genetic mechanisms of plant adaptation to the stresses of extreme environments such as drought, low mineral nutrients (N,P,K) and heavy metals, in wild relatives of Arabidopsis, such as the rare endemic plant Caulanthus amplexicaulis (Brassicaceae.) This work has led us to become more broadly interested in the conservation and ecological genetics of rare plants, particularly geoendemics.",Associate Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ndc106a4d
Louis,Tassinary,Professor,"Dr. Tassinary is interested in person perception, environmental psychophysiology, neuroscience, non-invasive physiological recording techniques and historic preservation law.",Professor||Faculty Fellow,Center for Health Systems and Design||Visualization,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ndc4f344f
Zachary,Adelman,Professor,,Associate Professor,Entomology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ndc81a8e5
Douglas,Klein,Professor,,Professor,Foundational Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ndd5c5351
Valen,Johnson,Professor,,Professor,Statistics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ndd7ffe32
Xiaohong,Liu,Professor,,Professor,Atmospheric Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nde324609
Keith,Young,Research Professor,,Research Professor,Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nde753d2d
Matt,Pharr,Associate Professor,"My current areas of interest include mechanics of materials for energy storage and conversion, deformation and fracture of soft materials, mechanics of flexible/wearable electronics, coupled electro-chemo-mechanics, and mass transport in materials.",Associate Professor||Faculty Affiliate,Mechanical Engineering||Energy Institute,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ne059f41f
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
Michael,Manson,Professor,"Bacteria have a limited behavioral repertoire. Their most conspicuous behavior is chemotaxis - the pursuit of molecules that are favorable to acquire and the avoidance of chemicals that are best to avoid. The simplicity of bacterial motility and chemotaxis and the amenability of the model species Escherichia coli to genetic, biochemical and physiological manipulation have facilitated rapid advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms of biological energy conversion and signal transduction.
Our laboratory studies the inputs and outputs of chemotaxis. Ligands interact with the periplasmic receptor domain of a chemotactic signal transducer that spans the cell membrane. This interaction is converted into an intracellular signal that is communicated to the flagella. Molecules can be sensed either by binding directly to a receptor or by first interacting with a periplasmic binding protein, which then interacts with a receptor.",Professor||Professor,Biology||Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ne190242a
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
Lei,Fang,Associate Professor,"The multi-disciplinary research programs in the Fang Group will focus on the bottom-up synthesis and processing of novel organic polymer materials -- namely, ladder and coplanar polymers, as well as microporous polymer networks -- for the applications on electronics and energy conversion/storage. Our thrust will be to gain profound understanding on the structure-property relationship of these materials at both the molecular and the macroscopic levels by employing the toolboxes of synthetic chemistry and device engineering. With this knowledge, we aim to establish a series of synthetically feasible, high performing, processable organic carbon-based material systems for field effect transistors, light emitting diodes, solar cells, supercapacitors, and batteries, and to be at the forefront in the enhancement of their efficiencies.",Faculty Affiliate||Associate Professor||Associate Professor,Energy Institute||Materials Science and Engineering||Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ne3bd8752
Brian,Holzman,Assistant Professor,"Sociology of education; Higher education; Education policy; Experimental and quasi-experimental methods; Race, immigration, and language; Research-practice partnerships",Assistant Professor,Educational Administration and Human Resource Development,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ne614159d
Scott,Finlayson,Associate Professor,"The main focus of my research program is investigating the roles of environmental signals as conditioners of plant growth and development, and discovering the mechanisms through which they work. Current research interests include defining the pathways and mechanisms associated with the regulation of branch development by light signals (and other signals), using both crop and model species. I also have a broad interest in how phytohormones participate in the regulation of growth and development and stress responses.",Associate Professor,Soil and Crop Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ne6245565
Victor,Ugaz,Professor,"I am the world's smallest plumber--my research involves manipulating fluid flow in tiny channels the size of a human hair. Harnessing microfluidic phenomena makes it possible to build pocket-sized systems that can perform sophisticated chemical and biochemical tests outside the confines of a conventional lab. But achieving precise control over the flow of liquids at these small size scales is extremely challenging. Therefore, we are working to understand fundamental transport phenomena in microfluidic systems, and how they can be exploited to enable innovative applications including:
Fast and inexpensive diagnosis of infection and disease.
Sensitive screening for early detection of cancer.
Biodegradable sponges for easy cleanup of oil spills.
Spontaneous organization of chemical building blocks to form long-chain molecules--a key unanswered question in the origin of life.",Professor,Chemical Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ne76e71aa
Hays,Rye,Associate Professor,"A fundamental principle of biology is the use of chemical energy in the form of ATP to assemble, disassemble and alter macromolecular structure. Specialized control proteins known as molecular chaperones are often responsible for this activity and have been recognized in recent years to be essential for regulating many aspects of cellular biology. Using a variety of biophysical and biochemical techniques, the Rye lab focuses on three fundamental cellular processes that require molecular chaperones: (1) protein folding (2) protein disaggregation and (3) vesicle trafficking. In each of these cases, large quantities ATP are burned, resulting in molecular organization in the case of protein folding, and molecular disassembly and remodeling in the case of protein disaggregation and vesicle trafficking. We are interested in understanding the detailed biophysical mechanisms that underpin these events. Why are these processes so energetically expensive? Are there any similarities in how the energy is used between these very different molecular processes? Are there general principles of energy transduction in biology that can be gleaned by comparing these examples with other molecular machines, such as cytoskeletal motors? Understanding how molecular chaperones control protein and membrane organization will provide key insights into not only basic cell biology, but will also illuminate aspects of many diseases that spring from aberrant protein and membrane dynamics.",Associate Professor,Biochemistry and Biophysics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ne7fb85e1
Masami,Fujiwara,Associate Professor,"My research interest is in quantitative population ecology, with a particular emphasis on understanding the dynamics of fish and wildlife populations. My studies focus on individual and population level processes because I believe a deeper knowledge of these processes will lead to a deeper understanding of how the environment affects ecological processes.",Associate Professor,"Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management||Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences",https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ne81c8383
Joe,Arosh,Professor,,Professor,Veterinary Integrative Biosciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ne8898820
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
Jeffrey,Cirillo,Professor,"Our laboratory is interested in the pathogenesis of bacterial lung infections particularly tuberculosis and Legionnaires' disease. We are examining the virulence mechanisms of bacteria using cellular, molecular and genetic techniques. Our primary research goal is to obtain a better understanding of the roles of the pathogen and host in disease. These studies should contribute to our understanding of host-pathogen interactions at the molecular and cellular level that can be used for prevention, treatment and diagnosis. We hope that through a better understanding of the mechanisms by which these organisms cause disease we can prevent some, if not all, of these infections in the future.",Professor||Director,Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology||Center for Airborne Pathogen Research and Tuberculosis Imaging,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ne8bc1122
Michael,Hall,Professor,"Our group applies ""state-of-the-art"" theoretical techniques to chemical problems of current interest to practicing inorganic, organometallic, and biological chemists. We also develop new algorithms that are especially suited to electronic structure problems in large transition metal molecules.",Professor,Chemistry,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ne91c0625
Carl,Gregory,Associate Professor,"Our lab has been examining the biology of MSCs with a view to developing rapid molecular markers and tests for evaluating/purifying maximally efficacious cultures of MSCs. The group also specializes in bone repair by MSCs. Based on detailed characterization of the molecular mechanism of osteoblast differentiation by MSCs, a novel and effective bone regeneration strategy has been developed. Additionally, we are currently examining the effects of various small molecules and immunological strategies for the safe and effective inhibition of Dkk-1 activity in bone tumors.We have recently established methods to model bone-tumor interactions using bioreactors that simulate microgravity.",Associate Professor,Cell Biology and Genetics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/ne92fd9fb
Wayne,Versaw,Professor,"Compartmentalization of metabolic pathways and other cellular functions is a hallmark of eukaryotic cells. This feature is extreme in plants due to the presence of organelles not found in most other eukaryotes - plastids. Plastids are a diverse group of interrelated organelles that perform a wide range of metabolic functions including photosynthesis, nitrogen and sulfur assimilation and the synthesis of amino acids, starch and fatty acids. These functions are coordinated with metabolic processes in the cytosol through dynamic exchange of metabolites and ions across the plastid inner envelope membrane.
My lab is studying phosphate (Pi) transport processes that link the metabolic pathways in the plastid and cytosol. The concentrations of Pi in the cytosol and plastid stroma influence photosynthesis and the partitioning and storage of fixed carbon. Transporters involved in the movement of Pi across the plastid inner membrane include members of the pPT, PHT2 and PHT4 families. We are using genetics, cell biology, biochemistry and molecular physiology to investigate the function and physiological roles of these transporters. Recent findings suggest that some members of the PHT4 family are targeted to chloroplasts, whereas others function in heterotrophic plastids and one resides in the Golgi apparatus.
Other projects in the lab include the genetic and biochemical characterization of Pi transport processes in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. Mutants with altered phosphate uptake properties have been isolated, and these have led to the identification of Pi transporter genes, as well as genes with putative regulatory functions.",Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nea6b0d01
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
Thomas,Welsh,Professor,"Areas of research for Dr. Welsh include developing endocrine-based biotechnologies to selectively and precisely regulate growth and reproduction in livestock; in vitro and in vivo methodologies used to identify mechanisms whereby specific hormones regulate the biosynthesis of pituitary, adrenal, gonadal and hypothalamic hormones; and correlative in vivo and in vitro studies conducted using bovine, equine, porcine and ovine animal models.",Professor||Professor,Animal Science||Texas A&M AgriLife Research,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/neae2cac6
Steven,Maxwell,Associate Professor,"My primary interests include Cancer; Oncogenes; Tumor Suppressor; Genes Programmed Cell Death (apoptosis); Chemoresistance, and Angiogenesis. My laboratory studies mechanisms of evolution of chemoresistance in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). One current primary objective is to conduct a Phase I study that (1) confirms RTI-79 safety in platinum-resistant/refractory ovarian cancer patients, and (2) demonstrates signals of efficacy in humans (ex: time-to-disease progression and changes in CA125 biomarker). A second objective is to better define the RTI-79 mechanism of action (MOA) by (1) determining how RTI-79 causes a rapid burst in superoxides, and (2) elucidating the basis of Nrf-2 pathway downregulation.",Associate Professor,Cell Biology and Genetics,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/neb5b702f
Kenneth,Bowman,David Bullock Harris Professor,,David Bullock Harris Professor,Atmospheric Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/neba10712
James,Derr,Professor,"Dr. Derr has directed worldwide research projects in wildlife and livestock conservation genetics for over 25 years. This body of work has produced more than 75 scientific publications reporting original research on many different species. For example, Dr. Derr has authored articles on bison, dolphins, domestic and wild cats, elk, pronghorn antelope, sheep, quail, white-tailed and mule deer, whales, domestic livestock and multiple fish species. All of this conservation genetics research has been funded through international, federal, state, NGO and private funding sources including the DSC and DSC Foundation. In addition, Dr. Derr is an impactful educator through his teaching efforts in undergraduate genetic courses to students interested in medicine (human and veterinary) and he has mentored over 100 graduate students in the fields of conservation / population genetics and animal health. One of Dr. Derr's most popular courses is ""Wildlife Conservation Medicine"". This course is designed for first- and second-year veterinary students to travel to South Africa and Botswana to learn how to chemically immobilize, treat and transport everything from African plains game to dangerous game. His efforts with these young veterinarians ensure they graduate with specialized knowledge and skills to handle health care and conservation issues with the tremendous number of exotic wildlife species here in the State of Texas on private ranches and preserves.",Professor,Veterinary Pathobiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nebe46b3d
Alexey,Belyanin,Professor and Associate Department Head,"My research focuses on coherent and ultrafast optical phenomena, nonlinear optics, physics of semiconductors, nanostructures, and 2D materials, topological materials, physics of optoelectronic devices, quantum optics and electrodynamics, plasma physics, astrophysics, and cosmology.",Professor and Associate Department Head,Physics and Astronomy,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nec3342b5
Clare,Gill,Professor,"Dr. Gill teaches an undergraduate senior seminar course and a graduate course in applied animal genomics. Her primary research interest is in development and application of efficient molecular tools for comparative genomics. She is also the principal investigator of the McGregor Genomics Project, which is a collaborative effort to map genes for production efficiency in cattle.",Professor||Executive Associate Dean and Associate Dean for Research,College of Agriculture and Life Sciences||Animal Science,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nf0375f36
Tapasree,Roy Sarkar,Assistant Professor,"The dynamic interaction of cancer cells with the tumor microenvironment (TME) is crucial to stimulate the heterogeneity of cancer cells, and to increase multidrug resistance ending in cancer cell progression and metastasis. Understanding the underlying molecular & cellular mechanisms governing these interactions can be used as a novel strategy to disrupt cancer cell-TME interaction and contribute to the development of efficient therapeutic strategies. By integrating cutting-edge cellular and molecular biology, bioinformatics, and bioengineering approaches, our lab is investigating the complexity of TME.",Assistant Professor,Biology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nf08a1119
George,Pharr,Professor,,Professor,Materials Science and Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nf0ffc94e
Hojun,Song,Associate Professor,"The Song Lab focuses on the study of an insect order Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids) and other insects and aims at understanding behavioral, ecological, physiological, morphological and molecular evolution in a phylogenetic framework.",Associate Professor,Entomology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nf14bbe4a
Rachel,Pilla,Research Assistant Professor,,Research Assistant Professor,Small Animal Clinical Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nf1672d45
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
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
Spencer,Behmer,Professor,,Professor,Entomology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nf4d10236
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
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
Kathy,Svoboda,Regents Professor,"Dr Svoboda is a well-established senior principal investigator with a broad background in developmental biology and cellular biology. Her research focus is on the cell biology of whole embryonic tissues, including cornea, cartilage, palate. Her lab has been funded from NIH, March of Dimes, Foundations and Private Companies for 3 decades. As a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School, she carried out cell and molecular biology experiments on developing systems and worked with Dr. Elizabeth Hay when she developed her theories on cell-matrix interactions. As PI or co-Investigator on many previous university- and March of Dimes funded grants (over 30 years of continuous funding), she worked on how cell-matrix interactions change during development. In addition, she was a mentor on two training grants (T32 and KL2) and has successfully administered other NIH supported developmental and cell biology projects (e.g. staffing, research protections, and budget), collaborated with other researchers, and produced peer-reviewed publications from each project.
She has a new project that contributes evidence to the theory that periocular mesenchyme (POM) cells contribute to the development of the ciliary body, trabecular meshwork and the iridocorneal angle. The objective of this project is to determine if Gli1 positive cells contribute to the POM and anterior eye structures by using inducible Gli1-CreERT2; tdTomatoflox (Gli1-tdTomato) mouse model. Experiments were recently completed that demonstrated the Gli1 + cells were also positive for Pitx2, FOXC1, and FOXC2, known markers for periocular mesenchyme during anterior eye development.
She has successfully trained 40 Postdoctoral, Ph.D., M.S. graduate students, undergraduate, medical and dental predoctoral students, and college/high school summer research trainees.",Regents Professor,Biomedical Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nf7d937ba
Jiang,Chang,Professor,"Heart failure (impaired ventricular pump function) is an eventual outcome for diverse cardiovascular disorders and the leading cause of combined morbidity and mortality in the United States and other developed industrial nations. The focus of my lab is to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms that initiate and mediate the pathogenesis of maladaptive cardiac remodeling, such as cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis as result of various pathological scenarios such as myocardial infarction, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, aging and post-traumatic stress disorder. The overall approach consists of generation and analysis of clinically-relevant genetic mouse models including a tool mouse enabling tracking endogenous cardiac exosomes, and conduct mechanistic studies using cutting-edge technology. The ultimate goal of our efforts is to provide clinical translation for the prevention and treatment of pathological cardiac remodeling from our mechanistic studies.",Professor,Center for Genomic and Precision Medicine,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nf80a9dad
Alexei,Sokolov,Professor,"Sokolov's research belongs to the broader field of atomic, molecular and optical physics. In particular, his work on molecular coherence, wherein an ensemble of molecules vibrate in unison, enabled remote detection of pathogens in real time. This achievement evolved from foundational work on maximal coherence preparation and usage, i. e. on tailoring light pulses to make a number of molecules vibrate in unison and then utilizing these coherent vibrations to control light. Sokolov's current research interests center around applications of molecular coherence to quantum optics, ultrafast laser science and technology, including generation of sub-cycle optical pulses with prescribed temporal shape and studies of ultrafast atomic, molecular, and nuclear processes, as well as applications of quantum coherence in biological, medical and industrial settings.",Professor,Physics and Astronomy,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nf872dbd9
Carlos,Bolanos,Associate Professor,"My research interests center on investigating how exposure to psychotropic drugs (e.g. stimulants, antidepressants), and stress (whether physical or emotional), modifies the biochemical integrity of neuronal pathways involved in the regulation of mood and motivated behaviors, and how these pharmacological and/or environmental manipulations early-in-life affect biochemical and behavioral functioning later in adulthood. Understanding the relationship(s) between brain and behavior from a developmental perspective can provide novel insights for the development of therapeutics for stress and drug dependence. As noted by my professional development and publication record below, I have been involved in research questions with high degree of translational relevance.",Associate Professor,,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nf881cd07
Thomas,Chappell,Assistant Professor,,Assistant Professor,Plant Pathology and Microbiology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nf900c0d0
Matthew,Powell-Palm,Assistant Professor,,Assistant Professor,Mechanical Engineering,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nfb96e566
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
Magnus,Hook,Professor,"The primary interest of our laboratory is to try to understand the structural function of the extracellular matrix. Of particular interest is the study of the molecular mechanisms of microbial adhesion to host tissue. This process, which is believed to represent a critical initial step in the development of infections, involves specific cell-surface proteins that recognize and bind with a high affinity to components in the host tissue. Our goal is to decipher these events at a molecular level and, based on structural analysis of the interacting components, design new strategies to prevent and treat infections.",Regents & Distinguished Professor and Director,Center for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nfd8d37d6
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
Adela,Oliva Chavez,Assistant Professor,"My lab focuses on the molecular host-pathogen and vector-pathogen interactions. Vector-borne pathogens have evolved in close relationship with their vectors and hosts for thousands of years. Thus, they have acquired mechanisms to manipulate the cellular machinery of both, the vector and the mammalian host. I am interested in how vector-borne pathogens influence host and vector cellular responses, such as immune responses, cellular trafficking, and vesicle secretion.
We are also interested in how tick-borne pathogens sense environmental changes when moving between the vector and the mammalian host. Members of the Anaplasmataceae change their protein profile during their development within the mammalian host when compared to the vector. We want to use these bacteria as a model to understand what clues intracellular bacteria use to detect changes in environment. This knowledge could lead to development of interventions to disrupt the life cycle of tick-borne pathogens, and prevent disease in humans and animals.",Assistant Professor,Entomology,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nfead5f34
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
Andreas,Kronenberg,"Professor, Michel T. Halbouty Chair","My research interests span topics in structural geology, mineral physics, and solid earth geophysics with emphasis placed on the mechanical properties of Earth materials and the deformation mechanisms that govern rheology. Specific research topics have addressed the
plasticity, creep, and failure of minerals and rocks, examining the roles of crystalline defects, grain boundaries, interfaces, and fluids in determining macroscopic behavior. Taking an experimental approach, I have examined the effects of fluids, defect chemistry, and diffusional kinetics on mechanical behavior with current studies including the deformation of carbonates,
compactional creep of porous quartz aggregates, the role of crack healing in restrengthening rocks, and hydrolytic weakening of silicates.","Faculty Affiliate||Professor, Michel T. Halbouty Chair",Geology and Geophysics||Energy Institute,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nfec82edc
Allegra,Midgette,Assistant Professor,"Dr. Midgette's research investigates the origins and social processes that support individuals in developing an understanding of justice and learning how to care for others in an inequitable and unjust world. Her work addresses two key questions: How do we come to care about each other and about justice within the family? How do we become just in the face of inequality?
To investigate these questions, Dr. Midgette employs a mixed methodology that places the experiential reality of children and their families at the forefront. The long-term goal of her work is to characterize how cultural, societal, and family practice influence individual moral development, with the ultimate aim of supporting the creation of interventions that contribute to individuals' development into more caring and just individuals.",Assistant Professor,Psychological and Brain Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nfee0fd19
Mary,Gonder,Professor and Head of the Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology,"Dr. Gonder holds the position of professor and department head in the field of Ecology and Conservation Biology at Texas A&M University. Her primary research centers on investigating the biological history of the Gulf of Guinea and Congo Basin rainforests, crucial hubs of global biological diversity. Dr. Gonder's ongoing research encompasses three main areas of focus:
Analyzing spatial biodiversity patterns.
Unraveling the underlying evolutionary and ecological mechanisms contributing to diversity.
Contributing to conservation strategies that incorporate both evolutionary patterns and processes.
Although her earlier work predominantly concentrated on primates, particularly chimpanzees, her research scope is not limited to a specific taxonomic group. Her research group is currently engaged in studying various tropical vertebrates with the explicit goal of enhancing biodiversity forecasting and conservation planning.
Having dedicated nearly three decades to central Africa, primarily in Cameroon and Nigeria, Dr. Gonder has also extended her research to Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. She has co-hosted several international technical workshops in this region and holds of the IUCN's Primate Specialist Group's Great Apes section and the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group. Additionally, she is one of the six scientists on the Scientific Commission of the United Nations Great Ape Survival Project.",Professor and Head of the Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology,College of Agriculture and Life Sciences,https://scholars.library.tamu.edu/vivo/display/nff19a396