Research in this area spans a wide range of biological processes, from events that occur within the nucleus to those in the extracellular matrix. Individual research programs focus on understanding basic cellular mechanisms (i.e. DNA replication, transcription and protein sorting), molecules that control complex regulatory pathways (signal transduction, gene regulation, epigenetics, development and differentiation), and the molecular basis for cancer. Most faculty members belong to multi-disciplinary research groups affiliated with Texas A&M University, including TAMU interdisciplinary programs in Genetics, Neurosciences and Virology.

Gianfranco Alpini, Ph.D. -- Temple
Professor
Systems Biology & Translational Medicine
Research Interests: The pathophysiology of intrahepatic bile duct epithelial cells or cholangiocytes, which line the intrahepatic biliary tree inside the liver.

Hubert Amrein, Ph.D. -- College Station
Assistant Professor
Molecular & Cellular Medicine
Research Interests: Sensory Perception of the External Chemical World

Troy A. Baudino, Ph.D. -- Temple
Associate Professor
Molecular Cardiology
Research Interests: Dynamic Interaction Between Cardiac Fibroblasts, Myocytes and the ECM; Defining the Role of MYC During Cardiac Development and Disease

Kayla J. Bayless, Ph.D. -- College Station
Assistant Professor
Molecular & Cellular Medicine
Research Interests: Endothelial Invasion in 3D Matrices; Extracellular Matrix Biology

Gregory Bix, M.D., Ph.D. -- College Station
Assistant Professor
Molecular & Cellular Medicine
Research Interests: Role of Extracellular Matrix in Stroke

Sarah Bondos, Ph.D. -- College Station
Assistant Professor
Molecular & Cellular Medicine
Research Interests: Hox Transcription Factors as Master Regulators and Biomaterials

Heather L. Bradley-Francis, Ph.D. -- Temple
Assistant Professor
Internal Medicine
Research Interests: Histamine related liver disease and liver cancer. Mast cell biology and the function of mast cells during liver injury. Bile acid effects on liver damage and repair during models of liver regeneration, cholestasis or liver cancer.

Jeffrey Cirillo, Ph.D. -- Bryan
Professor
Microbial & Molecular Pathogenesis
Research Interests: Bacterial Pathogenesis; Host-Pathogen Interactions at the Molecular and Cellular Level

Sharon DeMorrow, Ph.D. -- College Station
Assistant Professor
Internal Medicine
Research Interests: Liver cancer - Cholangiocarcinoma

Scott Dindot, Ph.D. -- College Station
Joint Assistant Professor
Molecular & Cellular Medicine
Research Interests: Epigenetic and Genetic Mechanisms of Phenotypic Variation and Disease

David Dostal, Ph. D. -- Temple
Associate Professor
Internal Medicine
Cardiovascular Research Institute
Research Interest: The major focus of my research is to understand the pathophysiology of cardiac hypertrophy. Two major areas of research include: (1) mechanical activation of proximal signaling pathways involved in regulation of the cardiac renin-angiotensin system in the cardiac myocytes and fibroblasts with respect to myocardial hypertrophy and remodeling, and (2) pathological effects of anthrax lethal toxin on MAP kinase and Akt signaling pathways in the context of systolic and diastolic function and myocardial survival.

David Earnest, Ph.D. -- Bryan
Professor
Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics
Research Interests: Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology of the Mammalian Circadian

Shannon Glaser, Ph.D. -- College Station
Professor
Internal Medicine
Research Interests:

Harris Granger, Ph.D. -- Temple
Distinguished Professor
Department Head
Systems Biology & Translational Medicine
Research Interests My research focuses on cell signaling mechanisms and the physiology of postcapillary venules. Postcapillary venules are the primary sites of angiogenesis, inflammation, and the extravasation of fluid, proteins, leukocytes and tumor cells.

Carl Gregory, Ph.D. -- Temple
Assistant Professor
Molecular & Cellular Medicine
Research Interests: General Biology of MSCs, MSCs and bone healing, and Malignant bone disease.

Tina Gumienny, Ph.D. -- College Station
Assistant Professor
Molecular & Cellular Medicine
Research Interests: Regulation of TGF beta signaling

David P. Huston, M.D. -- Houston
Professor
Microbial & Molecular Pathogenesis
Research Interests: The overall goal of his laboratory is to understand mechanisms regulating inflammation and thereby develop strategies for modulating immune responses.

Jun-yuan Ji, Ph.D. -- College Station
Assistant Professor
Molecular & Cellular Medicine
Research Interests: Cell cycle and transcriptional regulation during development and tumorigenesis.

Arthur Johnson, Ph.D. -- College Station
Distinguished Professor
Wehner Welch Chair
Molecular & Cellular Medicine
Research Interests: Protein sorting and folding at membranes; Cytolytic pore-forming bacterial toxins. The movement of proteins through or into a membranes is examined using primarily fluorescence, FRET, and photocrosslinking. Fluorescence spectroscopy is being used to investigate the movement of misfolded proteins from the ER to the cytosol for degradation (ERAD) and the creation of holes in mammalian cell membranes by bacterial toxins.

Geoffrey Kapler, Ph.D. -- College Station
Professor
Molecular & Cellular Medicine
Research Interests Chromosome biology is focused on understanding how trans-acting factors regulate replication initiation and the DNA damage checkpoint response.

Lih Kuo, Ph.D. -- Temple
Professor
Systems Biology & Translational Medicine
Research Interests: The overall goal of his laboratory is to understand mechanisms regulating inflammation and thereby develop strategies for modulating immune responses.

Julian Leibowitz, M.D., Ph.D. -- College Station
Professor
Microbial & Molecular Pathogenesis
Research Interests: The replication of the murine coronavirus MHV (mouse hepatitis virus) and the molecular and genetic basis of its interactions with the host.

Fei Liu, M.D., Ph.D. -- Temple
Assistant Professor
Molecular & Cellular Medicine
Research Interests Molecular cues for development and regeneration of tooth roots, Molecular cues for regeneration of salivary glands, and Reprogramming of salivary gland stem cells to produce insulin-secreting beta-cells.

Steve Maxwell, Ph.D. -- College Station
Associate Professor
Molecular & Cellular Medicine
Research Interests: Primary interests include Cancer; Oncogenes; Tumor Suppressor; Genes Programmed Cell Death (apoptosis); Chemoresistance, and Angiogenesis.

Cynthia Meininger, Ph.D. -- Temple
Professor
Systems Biology & Translational Medicine
Research Interests: Endothelial Cell Dysfunction in Diabetes

Rajesh Miranda, M.A, Ph.D. -- Bryan
Associate Professor
Neurosciences & Experimental Therapeutics
Research Interests: Fetal brain development, stem cells, microRNAs and teratology

Brett Mitchell, Ph.D. -- Temple
Assistant Professor
Internal Medicine
Research Interests Immunophilins, Endothelial Function, and Blood Pressure Regulation

Siegfried Musser, Ph.D. -- College Station
Associate Professor
Molecular & Cellular Medicine
Research Interests: Bacterial Secretion; Nuclear Transport Dr. Musser's laboratory is focused on understanding how proteins cross membranes. Model systems include planar bilayers, vesicles, and live and premeabilized cells. Traditional biochemical and molecular biology approaches are used, in addition to advanced fluorescence methods, including single molecule methods.

Mari Muthuchamy, Ph.D. -- College Station
Associate Professor
Systems Biology & Translational Medicine
Research Interests The main goal of our laboratory is to understand the molecular mechanisms of cardiac muscle dynamics in normal and diseased states.

Srinath Palakurthi, Ph.D. -- Kingsville
Associate Professor
Pharmaceutical Services
Research Interests: Design of novel polymers for gene therapy, polymer-based nanoparticles for targeted delivery of chemotherapeutics for the treatment of ovarian cancer, mucosal delivery of chemotherapeutics and antigens and cellular trafficking of nanoconstructs.

Darwin J. Prockop, M.D. -- Temple
Director
Regenerative Medicine
Research Interests:

Mendell Rimer, Ph.D. -- Bryan
Assistant Professor
Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics
Research Interests: molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the formation and maintenance of synapses, the connections between nerve cells and their targets.

Veronica Sanchez, Ph.D. -- College Station
Assistant Professor
Microbial & Molecular Pathogenesis
Research Interests: Assembly and trafficking of human cytomegalovirus particles: I am particularly interested in the interactions between the virus and the host cell that facilitate nuclear egress of immature particles and their targeting to the site of envelopment.

Andreea Trache, Ph.D. -- College Station
Assistant Professor
Systems Biology & Translational Medicine
Research Interests: My research focuses on the application of advances in physics/optics to the study of biological phenomena at the cellular level. I am interested in developing technologies with unique capabilities that are broadly applicable across biological problems.

Vincent VanBuren, Ph.D. -- Temple
Assistant Professor
Systems Biology & Translational Medicine
Research Interests: Computational Systems Biology

Emily Wilson, Ph.D. -- College Station
Associate Professor
Director of Graduate Studies
Systems Biology & Translational Medicine
Research Interests: The goals of my lab are to understand the role of mechanical forces in vascular growth and remodeling processes.

Van G. Wilson, Ph.D. -- College Station
Professor
Microbial & Molecular Pathogenesis
Research Interests: Papillomaviruses, keratinocyte biology, sumoylation.
The major goals. Dr. Wilson's lab are to understand the molecular biology of paillomavirus replication and the interplay between the virus and the host cell.

Ursula Winzer-Serhan, Ph.D. -- Bryan
Associate Professor
Neurosciences & Experimental Therapeutics
Research Interests: I am interested in factors that affect neuronal survival during development and in adults, selectively targeting specific neuronal populations, and therefore, influence behavior and cognitive performance. I am also interested in how early life-long events such as drug exposure, shape behavioral characteristics for life.

David C. Zawieja, Ph.D. -- Temple
Professor
Associate Department Head
Systems Biology & Translational Medicine
Research Interests: To investigates the microcirculatory movement of fluid and macromolecules. Our interests include the control and regulation of fluid and macromolecular exchange and transport throughout the three microcirculatory compartments: the microvascular compartment, the interstitial compartment, and the lymphatic compartment.

Shenuyan Zhang, Ph.D. -- Temple
Assistant Professor
Systems Biology & Translational Medicine
Research Interests: I am interested in the Ca2+ signaling transduction network. My goal is to discover and understand the missing pieces of this big puzzle, using techniques of molecular biology, biochemistry, and genetics.

Warren Zimmer, Ph.D. -- College Station
Professor
Systems Biology & Translational Medicine
Research Interests: Gene Regulation, Development, Cancer and Genetic Therapies Dr. Zimmer's laboratory is interested in understanding how genes work in development and disease.