Research Interest: Translational Medicine
| Name | PhD Program | Research Interest | Publications |
|---|---|---|
| Diekman, Brian WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
A major focus of the Diekman lab is to develop new strategies to limit age-related osteoarthritis (OA). The lab uses genetically-engineered mouse models to investigate the development of cellular senescence in joint tissues with physiologic aging. One goal of this work is to determine whether “senolytic” compounds that induce selective apoptosis in senescent cells will mitigate OA development. Our group has also developed genome-editing protocols for primary human chondrocytes to produce single-cell derived colonies with homozygous knockout of target genes. We are using engineered tissues from these cells to dissect the mechanism of genes implicated in OA development by genome-wide association studies, as well as coupling these technologies to high throughput screening approaches for OA drug discovery. |
| Li, Feng WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
Our research is focused on the genetics and molecular pathology of complex multi-factorial conditions in humans –hypertension especially pregnancy related hypertension such as preeclampsia. We have identified that endothelin-1 plays a causative role in developing preeclampsia. Now we are focusing on elucidating the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, particularly on how the endothelin system affects the embryonic implantation on the early stage of pregnancy. |
| Poulton, John S. WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
Many diseases of the kidney remain poorly understood. My research program spans a range of disciplines (e.g., genetics, cell biology, immunology) and experimental approaches (e.g., microscopy, molecular biology, biochemistry, and model organisms—Drosophila and zebrafish) to answer fundamental questions regarding the genetic and cellular basis of kidney function and disease. We are also developing novel assays to study autoimmune diseases of the kidney, with the goal of facilitating patient diagnosis and treatment. By applying modern tools to long-standing problems, we hope to translate our research findings to improved patient outcomes. |
| Mei, Hua WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
We focus on the translational potential and clinical impact of biomedical research. Our general research interest is to reveal the mechanisms of eye diseases using animal and other research models. One current project is to investigate the markers of limbal stem cells using transgenic mice. The lack of limbal stem cell marker has been a long-term bottleneck in the diagnosis and treatment of limbal stem cell deficiency, which leads to a loss of corneal epithelial integrity and damaged limbal barrier functions with the symptoms of persistent corneal epithelial defects, pain, and blurred vision. The research results will directly impact on the early-stage diagnosis of the disease and the quality control of ex vivo expanded limbal stem cells for transplantation. |
| O'Brien, Lori WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
Modern Technologies from next-gen sequencing to high resolution imaging have advanced our knowledge of kidney development, function, and disease. We are among the pioneers utilizing techniques such as CHIP-seq, RNA-seq, modern genome editing, and imaging to understand how regulatory programs control progenitor populations during kidney development. Our goal is to understand how these programs contribute to progenitor specification and maintenance, and how they are altered during disease and aging. Our ultimate goal is translational applications of our research to develop new therapeutics and regenerative strategies. |
| Griffith, Boyce WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
My group develops and deploys computational tools to predict physiological function and dysfunction. We are interested in a range of applications in medicine and biology, but our primary focus is the cardiovascular system. My group is actively developing fluid-structure interaction (FSI) models of the heart, arteries, and veins, and of cardiovascular medical devices, including bioprosthetic heart valves, ventricular assist devices, and inferior vena cava filters. We are also validating these models using in vitro and in vivo approaches. We also model cardiac electrophysiology and electro-mechanical coupling, with a focus on atrial fibrillation (AF), and aim to develop mechanistically detailed descriptions of thrombosis in AF. This work is carried out in collaboration with clinicians, engineers, computer and computational scientists, and mathematical scientists in academia, industry, and regulatory agencies. |
| Hingtgen, Shawn WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
Imagine a naturally intelligent therapy that can seek out and destroy cancer cells like no other available treatment. In the Hingtgen Lab, we are harnessing Nobel Prize-winning advancements to create a new type of anti-cancer treatment: personalized stem cell-based therapies. We use a patient’s own skin sample and morph it into cells that chase down and kill cancer. We take advantage of a little-known aspect of stem cells- they can home in on cancer by picking up a signal through receptors on the cell surface. All the while, the therapeutic stem cells are pumping out potent anti-cancer drugs that selectively kill any cancer cell nearby while leaving the healthy brain unharmed. Our initial studies focused on aggressive brain cancers, however we quickly expanded our testing to a variety of cancer types. Working at the interface of basic science and human patient testing, our ultimate goal is to translate this novel approach into the clinical setting where it can re-define treatment for cancers that currently have no effective treatment options. |
| Savoldo, Barbara WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
My research interests are in the immunology and pathogenesis of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) associated lymphomas developing in immunosuppressed patients. I have studied the use of EBV specific cytotoxic T-cells (CTLs) for therapy of post-transplant EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD). I am also interested in the preclinical development of cancer immunotherapy approaches for hematological and solid tumors, specifically by using T cells as platform for exploring genetic immune-manipulations to redirect them to tumors by transgenic expression of alpha-betaTCRs or of chimeric antigen/tumor-specific receptors (CARs). My research also focus on gene modifications aimed at improving the homing of T cells to tumor cells , improving their proliferation and persistence and finally overcoming the inhibitory effect of the tumor environments, including effects of regulatory T (Treg) cells. |
| Nagarajan, Shanmugam WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
The main goal of the Nagarajan lab research program focuses on how the innate branch of the immune system regulates adaptive immunity, as it relates to the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-induced cardiovascular disease. IgG-Fcgamma receptor (FcgR)-mediated signaling is critical for mediating host defense against infectious disease, but they also mediate disease pathology in autoimmunity and atherosclerosis. Specifically, we are studying the role of IgG-Fcgamma receptor (FcgR) signaling network in innate immune cells activation that contributes to autoantibody production and T cell subset activation associated with autoimmune, and cardiovascular diseases. We are using a repertoire of relevant knockout mouse and humanized FcgR mouse models to address the questions of how FcgR-mediated signaling promotes autoimmune disease-induced atherosclerosis. As a translational component, we are collaborating with rheumatologists and cardiologists to analyze changes in innate and T cell subsets in patients with lupus or RA, who has premature atherosclerosis. |
| Shaikh, S. Raza WEBSITE PUBLICATIONS |
PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST |
The Shaikh lab aims to understand how differing dietary fatty acids regulate outcomes associated with immunity and metabolism in the context of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. The lab conducts studies at the human level and in mouse models. We are currently focused on the mechanisms by which omega-3 fatty acids improve chronic inflammation and humoral immunity upon viral infection in obesity. We are also elucidating how select fatty acids disrupt the biophysical organization of the inner mitochondrial membrane of differing cell types and thereby respiratory activity. |