Biochemistry | Research Interests

Name	Email	PhD Program
Popov, Konstantin WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Biochemistry & Biophysics, Bioinformatics & Computational Biology RESEARCH INTEREST Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Biophysics, Drug Discovery	The Popov Lab develops inventive, cutting-edge approaches to solve problems in modern computational structural biology and drug discovery. Their computational research, in collaboration with experimental screening and medicinal chemistry efforts in the Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery enables the identification of novel chemical probes and drug candidates to advance understanding of biological processes.
Peng, Aimin WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Cell Biology & Physiology, Oral & Craniofacial Biomedicine, Pathobiology & Translational Science RESEARCH INTEREST Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Cancer Preclinical Models, Cancer Signaling & Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Cell Cycle, Drug Discovery	Our overarching goal is to delineate how cells respond to cancer therapeutics that induce DNA damage, and, accordingly, to develop new strategies that overcome treatment resistance in cancer, including head and neck cancer. To achieve this goal, we study new mechanisms of the cell cycle and DNA repair using comprehensive experimental systems; we investigate the involvement of these mechanisms in oral cancer progression and resistance; and we develop new therapeutics using cellular, biochemical, and pharmacological approaches.
Miao, Yinglong WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Bioinformatics & Computational Biology, Pharmacology RESEARCH INTEREST Aging/Alzheimer's, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Cardiovascular Disease, Computational Biology, Drug Discovery, Pharmacology, Signal Transduction	Our research is focused on the development of novel theoretical and computational methods and AI techniques, which greatly enhance computer simulations and facilitate simulation analysis, and the application of these methods, making unprecedented contributions to biomolecular modeling and drug discovery. In collaboration with leading experimental groups, we combine complementary simulations and experiments to uncover functional mechanisms and design drugs of important biomolecules, including G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), membrane-embedded proteases, RNA-binding proteins, and RNA. At the interface of computational biology, chemistry, biophysics, bioinformatics and pharmacology, our research aims to address three major topics: (i) development of biomolecular enhanced sampling and AI techniques, (ii) multiscale computational modeling of critical cellular signaling pathways, and (iii) AI-driven drug discovery of medically important proteins and RNA for treatments of neurological disorders, heart failure and cancers.
Khan, Shahzad WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Cell Biology & Physiology RESEARCH INTEREST Aging/Alzheimer's, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Neurobiology, Signal Transduction	Maintaining health and reducing disease-risk requires the brain to properly transduce signals across specialized regions and cell types. My lab studies neural signaling at the primary cilium, an antenna-like organelle that helps cells sense and respond to environmental cues. The function of primary cilia in the adult brain remains enigmatic. To probe cilia function, the lab will utilize mouse models, neural cultures, human brain samples, single-cell transcriptomics, proteomics, and microscopy. Ultimately, we aim to identify therapeutic targets for diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Vetreno, Ryan EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Neuroscience, Pharmacology RESEARCH INTEREST Addiction/Alcohol Research, Aging/Alzheimer's, Behavior, Biochemistry, Brain Development, Developmental Biology, Disease, Epigenetics & Chromatin Biology, Immunology, Microbiome, Molecular Biology, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Neurobiology, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Neuropharmacology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Regenerative Medicine	My research interests involve investigation of proinflammatory neuroimmune and epigenetic mechanisms in animal models of developmental neurobiology and neurodegeneration, including (1) alcohol pharmacology, (2) alcohol responsivity and tolerance, (3) adolescent neurodevelopment, (4) cholinergic system and neurocircuitry, (5) microglial function, and (6) Alzheimer’s disease. A major focus of the laboratory is elucidation of neuroimmune and epigenetic mechanisms underlying adolescent binge alcohol-induced disruption of basal forebrain cholinergic neurocircuitry in adulthood. A second major focus of the laboratory is investigation of lasting adolescent binge drinking-induced neuroimmune priming as a novel etiological factor contributing to the onset and progression of basal forebrain neuropathology in Alzheimer’s disease. Our laboratory combines ex vivo and in vivo rodent models of alcohol abuse and Alzheimer’s disease with innovative molecular techniques.
Duprey, Kelsey EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Biochemistry, Genetics, Molecular Biology	“I am interested in DNA repair and replication, cell cycle and chromosome segregation, epigenetics, and developmental biology. I am looking to work with Drosophila, C. elegans, zebrafish, or cell cultures.”
Bingham, Johnna EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Biochemistry, Drug Discovery, Molecular Biology	“I’m interested in doing research at the intersection of where chemistry and biology meet and using discovery to improve the lives and health of others.”
Gringeri, Abby EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Biochemistry, Biomaterials, Developmental Biology	“I am generally interested in developing biomaterials, particularly in the context of tissue engineering. This includes hydrogel tissue scaffolds, microfluidic devices, etc. I am also interested in the chemistry of polymeric materials used for these applications.”
Simmons, Jake EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Biochemistry, Biophysics, Molecular Biology	“I find myself loving molecular biology techniques, but I always come back to asking how the chemistry works. For this reason, I maintain a great openness in where I land in my rotations, however, I am confident any sort of mechanistic approach will fill my curiosity. Anywhere between protein and cells, interests me. Biochemistry or molecular biology is where I see myself thriving. Particularly, I recently developed an interest in Cryo-EM, however, I’ll admit I have never researched using it.”
Hawkins, Aspen EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Biochemistry, Pharmacology	“My research interests lie at the intersection of biochemistry and pharmacology. I am specifically interested in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of disease so that better therapeutics can be developed to target those diseases.”

Research Interest: Biochemistry