Jean-Francois, Léa
EMAIL
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PHD PROGRAM
RESEARCH INTEREST
Computational Biology, Toxicology
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“Passionate about toxicology and its impact on human health, I aim to leverage computational tools in my PhD to advance integrative approaches in toxicological research and risk assessments. My focus lies in predictive modeling, analyzing complex data sets, and translating information channels. I seek a project with real-world applications that can benefit marginalized communities and influence policies, bridging the gap between research and practical solutions.”
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Huizar, Kaitlyn
EMAIL
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PHD PROGRAM
RESEARCH INTEREST
Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Developmental Biology, Neurobiology
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“I am broadly interested in developmental neurobiology in the context of psychiatric illnesses and learning disabilities. Within this scope, I am interested in studying time periods ranging from perinatal through adolescence and am flexible with techniques and model systems.
Some topics of interest within include: alcohol and drug abuse, pharmacology, sleep, nutrition, stress exposure, cognition, genetics/epigenetics, biochemistry/cell/molecular biology, bioinformatics/computational biology. To list some techniques of interest: wet lab/biochemical assays, imaging (both tissue staining and fMRI), animal/human behavioral assays, and computational algorithms.”
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Faustino, Nikka
EMAIL
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PHD PROGRAM
RESEARCH INTEREST
Biochemistry, Biophysics, Computational Biology
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“My research interest focuses on exploring protein structures and their interactions to advance the development of innovative protein therapeutics. How can the integration of computational biology, including but not limited to AI-driven protein modeling software, enhance our understanding of protein interactions and aid in the development of novel therapeutics? By leveraging principles from thermodynamics and protein kinetics, along with cutting-edge technology, I am interested in utilizing such advancement to devise novel therapeutic strategies. I believe that integrating computational biology into our approach will significantly enhance our understanding of protein interactions and aid in the pursuit of groundbreaking therapeutics.”
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Davis, Harris
EMAIL
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PHD PROGRAM
RESEARCH INTEREST
Biophysics, Computational Biology, Pharmacology
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“My goal for my PhD is to build mathematical, biophysical models of G-protein and GPCR pharmacology. I want to use molecular dynamics and machine learning to inform ODE and PDE models that are testable experimentally. Hopefully, this will lead to more robust predictions of the effects of G-protein targeting drugs. I’m specifically interested in modeling allostery and biased signaling, especially at and downstream of the human serotonin and opioid receptors.”
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Cherry, Kendall
EMAIL
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PHD PROGRAM
RESEARCH INTEREST
Biophysics, Chemical Biology, Computational Biology
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“I’m primarily interested in using computational and experimental approaches to study macromolecule structure, dynamics, and function. Coming from drug discovery research, I know how much of an asset protein structures are in rationally designing drugs. I am interested in studying systems or creating tools that can be used in a wide variety of applications. However, I am open to other areas of study as well!”
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Campillo Minano, Beatriz
EMAIL
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PHD PROGRAM
RESEARCH INTEREST
Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Genetics
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“I am interested in developing computational methods and algorithms for solving biological questions. I would like to focus on machine-learning approaches for genetics or structural biology. I am also interested in the development of this approaches as software tools or pipelines to ensure their generalizable usage”
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Bonanno, Maddie
EMAIL
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PHD PROGRAM
RESEARCH INTEREST
Computational Biology, Genetics
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“I hope to pursue research in computational biology: I want to leverage computer science and computational tools to investigate novel questions in biomedicine. My major interests lie in non-communicable diseases (including acute injuries like TBI), chronic pain, gene-environment interactions, genetic variation, and chronic illness. I’d love to explore any of the above topics through computational drug discovery, machine learning, genome-wide association studies, etc. My research interests are computational in nature, but I am not opposed to incorporating a wet lab component.”
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Addish, Sumaya
EMAIL
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PHD PROGRAM
RESEARCH INTEREST
Biochemistry, Cell Signaling, Computational Biology, Developmental Biology
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“I am interested in how perturbations in cell signaling contribute to developmental and genetic disorders. In graduate school, I would like to explore this at the intersection of biochemistry, developmental biology, and regeneration while understanding the mechanisms of disease processes.”
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Schrank, Travis
EMAIL
PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM
Pathobiology & Translational Science RESEARCH INTEREST
Bioinformatics, Biophysics, Cancer Biology, Cancer Signaling & Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, Computational Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Genomics, Molecular Biology, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Translational Medicine, Virology
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I am a surgeon-scientist specialized in head and neck cancers. My goal is to address translationalquestions with genomic data and bioinformatic methods, as well as benchtop experimentation. My clinical practice as a head and neck cancer surgeon also influences my research by helping me seek solutions to problems that will directly inform gaps in the current treatment protocols.
I have developed a strong interest in HPV genomics as well as HPV/host genome integrations, as these factors are intrinsically related to transcriptional diversity and patient outcomes in HPV-associated head and neck cancers. Our work has helped to demonstrate that a novel mechanism of HPV-mediated oncogenesis requiring NF-kB activation is present in nearly 50% of oropharyngeal tumors. In this vein, we are aggressively investigating the cellular interplay between the NF-kB pathway and persistent HPV infection, tumor radiation response, NRF2 signaling, and more.
Another outgrowth of this work has been investigating APOBEC3B and its non-canonical roles in regulating transcription. Our preliminary work has demonstrated that APOBEC3B has surprisingly strong transcriptional effects in HPV+ HNSCC cells and may promote oncogenesis and tumor maintenance by suppressing the innate immune response and influencing the HPV viral lifecycle.
Our group also have a strong interest in translational genomic studies. Our group is working to develop methods that will make gene expression-based biomarkers more successful in the clinic, as well as studying many aspects of genomic alterations that contribute to the development of squamous cell carcinomas.
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Yang, En
WEBSITE
EMAIL
PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM
Applied Physical Sciences, Biology, Neuroscience RESEARCH INTEREST
Brain Development, Computational Biology, Microscopy/Imaging, Neurobiology, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Neuropharmacology, Quantitative Biology
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The EnYang Lab explores interdisciplinary fields to unravel the intricate workings of neural networks within the brain, focusing on how they execute computations, foster imagination, and respond to emotional states. Using larval zebrafish as an animal model, the lab observes, decodes, and perturbs the entire neural networks at single-cell resolution during cognitive tasks. Through the integration of whole-brain imaging, brain-machine interface (BMI), Virtual Reality, optogenetic manipulation, deep learning, and other modern technologies, the lab aims to decipher cognitive abilities in the brain and translate findings into engineering solutions, potentially impacting fields like learning disorders and psychiatric management.
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