Faculty Research Interests

Nathan N. Alder, Professor; PhD

Biochemical and biophysical approaches to studying the structure, function, and biogenesis of membrane proteins; fluorescence-based investigation of membrane protein complexes and protein trafficking in mitochondria; membrane bioenergetics; organelle biogenesis. Alder Lab

Andrei T. Alexandrescu, Professor; PhD

High-resolution solution NMR investigations of protein structure, folding, dynamics, and association; conserved physical properties of OB-fold proteins; amyloids; phage/virus and pathogen proteins.  Alexandrescu Lab

Nichole A. Broderick, Assistant Professor, Gratis Appointment

Host-microbe interactions; gut homeostasis; impact of gut microbiota on host physiology and susceptibility to disease. Broderick Lab

Kenneth Campellone, Associate Professor; PhD

My research goals are to determine (1) how the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons control the organization, shape, and movement of membranes in mammalian cells and (2) how cytoskeleton-driven membrane remodeling is altered during the pathogenesis of inherited and infectious diseases.  A combination of genetic, biochemical, and cellular approaches are used to study these processes. Campellone Lab

James Cole, Professor; PhD

We use biochemical, biophysical and structural methods to define the key macromolecular interactions that regulate important biological processes. Our major focus is the innate immunity pathway for defense against viral infection. Cole Lab

Leighton Core, Associate Professor; PhD

The goal of our lab is to determine how changes in RNA transcription and processing drive changes or maintenance of cellular states during development or disease progression.  Towards this goal, we primarily apply genomic techniques and bioinformatics to uncover the full transcriptional ‘signatures’ of various cell types as well as the fundamental mechanisms of transcription that underly them. Core Lab

Jelena Erceg, Assistant Professor, PhD

4D genome architecture, functional genomics, epi/genetics, gene regulation, developmental biology, evolution Erceg Lab

Daniel J Gage, Professor, PhD,; Associate Head of Undergraduate Research and Education

Molecular genetics of plant-microbe interactions; bacterial physiology; regulation of bacterial gene expression in response to extracellular signals. Gage Lab

Charles Giardina, Professor; PhD

Studies of eukaryotic RNA polymerase II transcription regulation; mechanisms governing transcription of stress-response genes; the nature of RNA polymerase II interactions at the promoter. Giardina Lab

J. Peter Gogarten, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor; PhD

Origin and early evolution of cellular life; molecular evolution; horizontal gene transfer; diversity within microbial populations; selfish DNA; molecular parasites. Gogarten Lab

David J. Goldhamer, Professor, PhD

Professor; PhD: Regulation of cell fates in mammalian development; transcriptional control and function of skeletal muscle regulatory genes; muscle stem cell function and plasticity; mechanism of heterotopic bone formation in human disease.

Joerg Graf, Professor, PhD

Molecular genetics of bacteria-animal interactions; identification of bacterial genes required for host symbiosis; pathogenesis, evolution of virulence factors. Graf Lab

Stacey L. Hanlon, Assistant Professor, PhD

"How does the cell ensure that meiosis is fair?  The Hanlon Lab studies genetic renegades and the mechanisms in place to keep selfish genetic elements from gaming the system.  We use classical genetic and modern cell biology techniques to examine the dynamics of selfish B chromosomes during female meiosis in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster Hanlon Lab

Aoife Heaslip, Assistant Professor, PhD

Toxoplasma gondii host-pathogen interactions; roles of myosin and actin in vesicle transport and organelle positioning in T. gondii. Heaslip Lab

Sarah Hird, Assistant Professor, PhD:

Host-microbiome evolution, gut microbiota, bioinformatics, microbial ecology, ornithology, phylogeography. Hird Lab

Jonathan Klassen,  Associate Professor, PhD

Microbial community ecology, especially using the fungus-growing ant symbiosis as a model system to study the evolution of microbial interaction networks; microbial natural product genomics, evolution and chemical ecology Klassen Lab

Juliet Lee, Associate Professor; PhD

The regulation of cell movement; mechanochemical signal transduction; the role of intracellular calcium; cellular force production and its relationship to adhesion formation and cytoskeletal dynamics. Lee Lab

Michael A. Lynes, Professor, PhD

 Genetic and biochemical control of the immune response; membrane structure and function during development; mechanisms of autoimmune dysfunction; multiplexed surface plasmon resonance imaging microarray assessments of biological signatures. Lynes Lab

Eric R. May, Associate Professor; PhD

Computational and theoretical biophysics and biochemistry, with an emphasis towards understanding conformational/phase transitions and the mechanical and thermodynamic properties of biological materials. May Lab

Barbara Mellone, Professor; PhD

Genome inheritance and stability, chromosome dynamics during cell division, epigenetics. Mellone Lab

Kat Milligan-McClellan, Assistant Professor, PhD

Our lab focuses on how host genetic background contributes to the balance between the immune response to microbiota in the gut and intestinal microbial membership. Milligan-Myhre Lab

Craig E. Nelson, Associate Professor; PhD

Molecular biological, genetic, genomic, and computational analysis of the evolution of developmental processes and organismal complexity. Nelson Lab

Spencer V. Nyholm, Professor; PhD

Host-microbe interactions; symbiosis; relationship between beneficial bacteria and the innate immune system; comparative immunology. Nyholm Lab

Michael J. O’Neill, Associate Professor; PhD

Molecular genetics of vertebrate development; molecular mechanisms of genomic imprinting; evolution of genomic imprinting; genetics of imprinting and behavior.

Rachel O’Neill, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, PhD

Genetics of speciation; mammalian chromosome evolution; genome evolution and remodeling; transposable elements and retroelements; hybridogenesis and clonal inheritance in vertebrates; epigenetics. R.O’Neill Lab

R. Thane Papke, Professor; PhD

Ecology and evolution of bacteria that live in extreme environments; community structure and function; bacterial species and speciation; comparative genomics; bacterial population genetics. Papke Lab

Victoria Robinson, Associate Professor, PhD; Professor and Associate Department Head for Graduate Research and Education

Genetic, biochemical, and structural methodologies to study novel families of bacterial GTPases as targets for antimicrobial development. Robinson Lab

Michel Geovanni Santiago-Martínez (Geo), Assistant Professor; PhD

Our Microbial Ecophysiology Lab is focused on understanding the regulation of cellular processes in methanogenic and non-methanogenic archaea, and their actual role in free-living environments and microbiomes associated to animals and plants. MEB Lab

Carolyn M. Teschke, Professor; Department Head

In vivo and in vitro investigations of the assembly of virus capsids, the interactions between proteins and molecular chaperones, including those used in secretion of proteins from Mycobacterium species. Teschke Lab

Simon White, Assistant Professor; PhD

Research in the White lab is focused on the mechanism of assembly of RNA viruses. In particular, the Picornaviridae encompass many important human and animal pathogens, such as polio, foot and mouth disease, and the common cold.

Ping Zhang, Associate Professor; PhD

Drosophila chromosome structure and function; P element insertional mutagenesis; unusual transcriptional regulation of heterochromatin; Y chromosome genes required for spermatogenesis.

Adam Zweifach, Professor; PhD

Lymphocyte physiology and cell biology; role of intracellular calcium dynamics in lymphocyte function; molecular mechanisms of exocytosis; signaling in the immune system. Zweifach Lab