Faculty & ResearchFaculty in the CMDB theme are affiliated with multiple departments across UAB. The scientific interests of the faculty are very diverse and interdisciplinary in nature and encompass cell, molecular, and developmental biology using modern tools and approaches as well as a wide range of model organisms and cell culture systems. The research conducted by CMDB faculty addresses fundamental cellular and molecular questions that provide the basis for understanding and treating human disease and developmental abnormalities. Specific research activities of the CMDB faculty can be viewed by visiting individual faculty research and profile pages or by looking under the faculty research focus areas. CMDB faculty research is supported by awards from various agencies, with the majority coming from the National Institutes of Health. Click on the research focus area in the menu bar on the left to see a listing of faculty members by research focus area. Marcas Bamman, Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology
Cell/matrix interactions in disease and tissue regeneration
Zsuzsanna Bebok, M.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology Membrane protein biogenesis in epithelial cells (CFTR as model); unfolded protein response
Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Mechanism of translation termination; therapies to suppress stop mutations
Etty Benveniste, Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology Immune/nervous system interactions The CFTR chloride channel control of epithelial sodium channel under physiological and pathological conditions
Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms Cellular and molecular physiology of acid-base transporters and pH regulation
Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms Mary-Ann Bjornsti, Ph.D. - Pharmacology & Toxicology J. Edwin Blalock, Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology Rational drug and vaccine design/Neutrophilic Inflammation Molecular and cellular neurobiology; function of neuronal calcium sensors in health and disease
Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms Molecular studies of astrocytes in health and disease
Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms William Britt, M.D. - Pediatrics Human herpesviruses, molecular virology and pathogenesis Steven Carroll, M.D., Ph.D. - Pathology The Role of Neuregulin-1 in Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasia Kevin Cassady, M.D. - Medicine, Infectious Disease Pediatric infectious diseases Chenbei Chang, Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology Signaling transduction in development and diseases
Birth Defects & Development Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms John C. Chatham, D.Phil. - Pathology Cardiomyocyte function and metabolism in diabetes and ischemic heart disease Ching-Yi Chen, Ph.D. - Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics Mechanism and regulation of mammalian mRNA turnover Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Yabing Chen, Ph.D. - Pathology Gene regulation in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, and cancer Igor Chesnokov, Ph.D. - Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics DNA replication and cell cycle in eukaryotes Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Louise Chow, Ph.D. - Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics Human papillomavirus DNA replication and pathogenesis Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Sarah Clinton, Ph.D. - Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurobiology Neurodevelopmental and environmental factors that underlie susceptibility to anxiety and depression Birth Defects & Development Disease Mechanisms
James Collawn, Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology Cystic fibrosis; endocytosis; protein trafficking Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Rita Cowell, Ph.D. - Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurobiology Transcriptional regulation of early postnatal brain development: Insights into the pathology of autism and schizophrenia Birth Defects & Development Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Judy Creighton, Ph.D. - Anesthesiology AMPK activates calcium signaling necessary for endothelial barrier repair Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Patrizia DeSarno, Ph.D. - Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurobiology Tara DeSilva, Ph.D.- Medicine - Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Glutamatergic signaling in demyelination and remyelination in multiple sclerosis Jessy Deshane, Ph.D. - Medicine Inflammatory diseases of the airway Disease Mechanisms
Disease Mechanisms
Lynn Dobrunz, Ph.D. - Neurobiology Synaptic transmission and plasticity in hippocampus Alan Eberhardt, Ph.D. - Biomedical Engineering Orthopedic and injury biomechanics, using both experimental and computational approaches Disease Mechanisms
Charles Falany, Ph.D. - Pharmacology & Toxicology Biochemical and physiological properties of human cytosolic sulfotransferases Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Michelle Fanucchi, Ph.D. - Environmental Health Sciences Pulmonary cell biology and toxicology; cell-to-cell interactions in the developing lung as well as in repair after lung injury and disease in children; the role of biochemical defense mechanisms native to pulmonary cells; childhood lung disease and its etiology; drug metabolism Disease Mechanisms
Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Andra R. Frost, M.D. - Pathology Fibroblast-epithelial cell interactions and developmental pathways in breast cancer Disease Mechanisms
Kohtaro Fujihashi, D.D.S, Ph.D. - Pediatric Dentistry The cellular and molecular mechanisms for mucosal immunity in the elderly; molecular and cellular mechanisms for the induction and regulation of mucosally induced tolerance; a mucosal internet of gd, ab T cells, and epithelial cells for mucosal immunity; mucosal immunity in murine models of IBD Catherine Fuller, Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology ENaC/ASIC Ion Channels Karen L. Gamble, Ph.D. - Neurobiology Mechanisms and Entrainment of Circadian Clocks W. Timothy Garvey, M.D. - Nutrition Sciences
Molecular, metabolic, and genetic basis of type 2 diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance, and obesity Shawn R. Gilbert, M.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology Clinical and animal studies examining musculosketal health (outcomes measures), inujuries and mechanisms that predispose to injury or impair recovery. Limb and spine deformity, fractures, skeletal maturation, and musculoskeletal infections, and clinical trial comparing bracing styles for clubfeet. G. Yancey Gillespie, Ph.D. - Surgery Molecular and viral therapy of malignant primary brain tumors Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Paul Goepfort, M.D. - Infectious Diseases
Determining the mechanisms allowing T cells to control HIV replication in vivo Marina Gorbatyuk, Ph.D. - Vision Sciences Mechanisms of Retinal Degeneration and Search for Neuroprotective Strategies Barbara Gower, Ph.D. - Nutrition Sciences Gonadal steriod hormones Maurizio Grimaldi, Ph.D. - Pharmacology &Toxicology Alecia K. Gross, Ph.D. - Vision Sciences Rhodopsin trafficking in rod cells and rhodopsin-mediated retinal degenerations John Hablitz, Ph.D. - Neurobiology
Cellular mechanisms of neurotransmission Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
John L. Hartman, IV, M.D. - Genetics Quantitative analysis of genotype-phenotype interaction networks in yeast models of human disease Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Mohammad Hassan, Ph.D. - Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery The regulation of bone formation and craniofacial development by non-coding microRNA. My research will also explore the role of specific microRNAs for the progression of osteoarthritis. Hui-Chen Hsu, Ph.D. - Clinical Immunology, Rheumatology The BXD2 autoimmune mouse model of lupus and erosive arthritis Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Kejin Hu, Ph.D.- Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Somatic cell nuclear reprogramming, genetic modification of human pluripotent stem cells (PSC), pluripotency and self-renewal of pluripotent stem cells, and differentiation of PSC into blood lineage Douglas Hurst, Ph.D. - Pathology Molecular mechanisms of cancer metastasis Amjad Javed, Ph.D. - Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Genetic and molecular signaling for cellular differentiation and skeletogenesis Birth Defects & Development Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Peter Jezewski, D.D.S., Ph.D. - Periodontology Inherited component of craniofacial disorders, syndromic clefting disorders, periodontitis, zebrafish model Kai Jiao, M.D., Ph.D. - Genetics TGF-beta/Bmp signaling during cardiogenesis Rajesh K. Kana, Ph.D. - Psychology The neural substrates of social cognition and the impact of social cognition on language, communication, and other cognitive functions Natalia Y. Kedishivili, Ph.D. - Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Regulation of retinoic acid homeostasis Ilan Kerman, M.D.- Psychiatry Bob Kesterson, Ph.D. - Genetics Hypothalamic control of feeding behavior Disease Mechanisms
Kent Keyser, Ph.D. - Vision Sciences Acetylcholine and Ach receptors Helen Kim, Ph.D. - Pharmacology & Toxicology Proteomics of neuroprotective and chemopreventive actions of dietary phytochemicals Hyunsoo Kim, Ph.D. - Pathology Large-scale biomedical databases built for the purpose of biomedical studies. Genetic information about a person’s disease used for diagnosis and more effective treatment strategies that are tailored to the genetic profile. Jeonga Kim, Ph.D. - Medicine Cross-talk between inflammation and insulin signaling Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Gwendalyn King, Ph.D. - Neurobiology Understanding the difference between pathological and non-pathological brain aging Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Dennis Kucik, M.D., Ph.D. - Pathology Radiation-induced atherosclerosis and regulation of leukocyte adhesion Adrienne Lahti, M.D. - Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurobiology Use of multimodal brain imaging techniques to study the neuropathology of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and to evaluate the effects of psychotopropic drugs on brain function and biochemistry; translational work aiming at bridging human brain imaging and postmortem studies Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Mathieu Lesort, Ph.D. - Psychiatry Pathogenesis of Huntington's disease: From models to therapeutic targets Disease Mechanisms
Yi-Ping Li, Ph.D. - Molecular and Cellular Pathology Understanding the mechanisms of bone formation, bone resorption, skeletal development, craniofacial development and cancer bone metastasis; developing effective new therapies for treating and preventing the related diseases Disease Mechanisms
Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Farah Lubin, Ph.D. - Neurobiology
Molecular transcriptional mechanisms in learning/memory and neurological disorders Lori McMahon, Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology
Synaptic plasticity and hippocampal dependent learning Joseph L. Messina, Ph. D. - Pathology Insulin and growth hormone (GH) action; insulin and GH resistance following trauma and infection Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Michael A. Miller, Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology Function and evolution of intercellular communication mechanisms Birth Defects & Development Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Disease Mechanisms
Karolina Mukhtar, Ph.D. - Biology
Molecular mechanisms of cellular stress responses in model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Joanne Murphy-Ullrich, Ph.D. - Pathology Extracellular matrix control of cell and growth factor function Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Dobrawa Napierala, Ph.D. - Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Diana Noah, Ph.D. - Biochemistry/SRI Understanding of influenza virus pathogenesis, including the mechanisms utilized by the highly pathogenic avian influenza strains causing deaths throughout Asia Thomas T. Norton, Ph. D. - Vision Sciences Animal models of myopia: Retinal control of eye size Birth Defects & Development Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Susan Nozell, Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Michelle L. Olsen, Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology Glial potassium channels and glutamate transporters in injury and abnormal development Suzanne Oparil, M.D. - Medicine Molecular and cellular mechanisms of cardiovascular disease Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
John Parant, Ph.D. - Pharmacology & Toxicology Regulation as well as cause of genomic instability in cancer and other diseases Birth Defects & Development Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Birth Defects & Development Disease Mechanisms
Boris Pasche, M.D., Ph.D. - Medicine Gene variants that modify cancer risk and novel cancer therapies Disease Mechanisms
Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Steven Pittler, Ph.D. - Vision Sciences Basic and Translational studies of photoreceptor metabolism and retinal degeneration Steven Pogwizd, M.D. - Medicine The electrophysiological and biochemical mechanisms underlying lethal arrhythmias in the setting of heart failure Selvarangan Ponnazhagan, Ph.D. - Pathology Adeno-associated virus gene therapy Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Kirill M. Popov, Ph.D. - Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics Regulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Edward M. Postlethwait, Ph.D. - Environmental Health Sciences Environmental induction of pulmonary epithelial injury Birth Defects & Development Disease Mechanisms
Lucas Pozzo-Miller, Ph.D. - Neurobiology Neurotrophins; Ca2+ signaling; synapse development and plasticity; mental retardation; Rett syndrome Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Chandler Raman, Ph.D. - Medicine Lymphocyte activation, immune tolerance, and autoimmunity tolerance and autoimmunity Disease Mechanisms
Sasanka Ramanadham, Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology Beta-cell apoptosis bone metabolism insulin resistance/diabetes Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Erik Roberson, M.D. Ph.D. - Neurology Neurobiology of Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Tom Ryan Ph.D. - Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics Stem cell therapies in animal models of human disease Lalita Samant, Ph.D. - Pathology Mechanisms that regulate tumor progression, metastasis and drug resistance; crosstalk between the tumor cells and their microenvironment Rajeev Samant, Ph.D. - Pathology Tumor progression and metastasis of cancer Ralph D. Sanderson, Ph.D. - Pathology Molecular regulation of the tumor microenvironment Disease Mechanisms
David Schneider, Ph.D. - Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics Control of RNA polymearase I transcription in the model eukarote Saccharomyces cerevisiae Harry Schroeder, M.D., Ph.D. - Medicine The development and function of lymphocyte antigen receptors; genetics of primary immune deficiency diseases Disease Mechanisms
Lisa Schwiebert, Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology Airway inflammation; lung function; asthma and exercise Disease Mechanisms
Rosa Serra, Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology Mechanism of TGF-action in developmental and disease processes Birth Defects & Development Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Bingdong Sha, Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology Structural and functional studies of proteins involved in protein folding and translocations Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Anath Shalev, MD - Med - Endrocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism Disease Mechanisms
Sadeep Shrestha, Ph.D. - Epidemiology Infectious disease epidemiology; genetic epidemiology Peter Smith, Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology The role of the membrane cytoskeleton in regulating the cell surface expression of epithelial transport proteins Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Birth Defects & Development Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Eric Sorscher, M.D. - Medicine Cystic Fibrosis and Molecular Genetics; Patient Oriented Research Giuseppe L. Squadrito, Ph.D. - Environmental Health Sciences Development, design and evaluation of dynamic multi-component molecular systems that can be used to understand David G. Standaert, M.D., Ph.D. - Medicine/Neurology Translational research in neurodegenerative diseases Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Elizabeth Sztul, Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology Membrane traffic; protein degradation Victor John Thannickal, M.D. - Medicine, Pulmonary Cellular/molecular mechanisms of lung repair and regeneration; Regulation of mesenchymal cell phenotypes; Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generating NADPH oxidases (NOX) enzymes Anne Theibert, Ph.D. - Neurobiology Role of phosphoinositides in developmental neurobiology Birth Defects & Development Disease Mechanisms
Sunnie Thompson, Ph.D. - Microbiology Translation initiation during viral infection, tumorigenesis, or under stress Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Jaideep Thottassery, Ph.D.- Pathology Cks1; Skp2; cell cycle; breast cancer; antiestrogen resistance; nucleosides; DNA methylation Disease Mechanisms
Janusz Tucholski, Ph.D. - Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurobiology Cellular and molecular biology of neuroblastoma; response of neuronal cells and neurons to stress Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Thomas Van Groen, Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology Amyloid angiopathy in cognitive dysfunction and Alzheimer's disease Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Kristina Visscher, Ph.D. - Neurobiology
Cognitive neuroscience Jacques Wadiche, Ph.D. - Neurobiology Synaptic transmission and glutamate transporters Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Birth Defects & Development Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Hengbin Wang, Ph.D. - Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics Role of histone modification in chromatin function Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Jianbo Wang, Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology A novel signaling pathway termed planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway and how this pathway regulates morphogenesis in mammals Birth Defects & Development Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Lizhong Wang, M.D., Ph.D. - Genetics
Cancer genetics and molecular epidemiology involved in prostate cancer and breast cancer Qin Wang, M.D., Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology Regulation of GPCR cellular responses and in vivo functions Disease Mechanisms
Andrew B. West, Ph.D. - Neurobiology Genetic and biochemical mechanisms in neurological disorders Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Richard Whitley, M.D. - Pediatrics
Antiviral therapies directed against medically important viral diseases of children and adults and the translation of molecular biology to clinical application Timothy M. Wick, Ph.D. - Biomedical Engineering Orthopaedic and cardiovascular tissue engineering and regenerative medicine Scott Wilson, Ph.D. - Neurobiology Mouse models of neurodegeneration Birth Defects & Development Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Jianming Wu, D.V.M., Ph.D. - Medicine Molecular immunology and genetics of human autoimmune diseases Disease Mechanisms
J. Michael Wyss, Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology Neuroplasticity in aging and neuro cardiovascular control Disease Mechanisms
Eddy Yang, M.D., Ph.D. - Radiation Oncology The targeting of DNA repair pathways to enhance the therapeutic ratio Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Yang Yang, M.D., Ph.D. - Molecular and Cellular Pathology Tumor microenvironment; cancer-related bone diseases; translational research on multiple myeloma Disease Mechanisms
Qinglin Yang, Ph.D. - Nutrition Sciences Exploring molecular mechanisms underlying the development and progression of heart failure, especially those related to transcriptional regulation of myocardial fatty acid and carbohydrate metabolisms (eg., PPAR signaling pathway) in pathological conditions such as hypertension, obesity, and diabetes Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Xincheng Yao, Ph.D. - Biomedical Engineering
Development of biomedical optics instruments, biophysical study of neural systems, and functional imaging of the retina Bradley Yoder, Ph.D. - Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology Cilia signaling and dysfunction in development and disease Birth Defects & Development Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Martin E. Young, Ph.D. - Medicine/Cardiovascular Disease Role of the circadian clock within the heart Nabiha Yusuf, Ph.D. - Dermatology Environmental influences such as chemical carcinogens and ultraviolet light on the skin and on the immune system Disease Mechanisms
Majd Zayzafoon, M.D., Ph.D. - Pathology The role of calcium signaling in the genetic and epigenetic pathogenesis of disease Disease Mechanisms
Jianhua Zhang, Ph.D. - Pathology Cell and molecular mechanisms; mouse models of autophagy in development; neurological and psychiatric diseases Disease Mechanisms Fundamental Cellular Mechanisms
Lufang Zhou, Ph.D. - Medicine Oxidative stress induced mitochondrial dysfunction and cardiovascular disease Xinyang Zhao, Ph.D. - Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics The roles of protein arginine methyltransferases in abnormal hematopiesis Kurt Zinn, D.V.M., M.S., Ph.D. - Radiology The development of imaging approaches that can monitor molecular events in small animal models, particularly technologies that have the potential to translate to human applications are emphasized. Areas of interest include: (1) strategies to link blood-based screening with imaging for early detection of disease, especially cancer, and (2) imaging of protein-protein interactions. |
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Faculty & Research Research Focus Areas
Faculty & Research Research Focus Areas