Alphabetical Listing of Biomedical Science Graduate Program Faculty
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Dr. Alok Agrawal
agrawal@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: The principal areas of research in our lab are focused on the structure-function
relationships and regulation of gene expression of C-reactive protein (CRP) in inflammatory
diseases.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Cardiovascular, Gene Regulation, Immunology, Infectious Disease, Molecular
Biology
Dr. Gerardo Arceo-Gomez
gomezg@etsu.edu
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My lab is broadly interested in understanding the composition, variation and potential
functional implications of the plant microbiome, as well as how it may affect the
frequency and efficiency of interactions between plants and other organisms.
Research Areas: Cellular, Molecular and Chemical Biology
Dr. Eric Beaumont
beaumont@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My expertise in integrative neuroscience aimed at finding treatments and cures for
neurological disorders. My work has focused on long term neuronal plasticity, specifically
in the context of pathological injury within the central nervous system.
Research Areas: Neuroscience, Physiology
Dr. Joe Bidwell
bidwell@etsu.edu
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: I am broadly interested in the environmental physiology of aquatic organisms including
energy allocation and trade offs and the effects of human-derived contaminants.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Physiology, Quantitative Bioscience, Toxicology
Dr. Patrick Bradshaw
bradshawp@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Our lab focuses on the study of mitochondrial and redox dysfunction with aging and
neurodegeneration and metabolic therapies for the treatment of these conditions using
C. elegans as a model system.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Cell Regulation, Molecular Modeling, Neuroscience, Systems
Biology
Dr. Russell Brown
brown1@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Substance abuse comorbidity in preclinical models of Schizophrenia; Novel targets
for treatments of Major Depressive Disorder, Schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's Disease;
Behavioral Neuroscience
Research Areas: Anatomy, Cell Signaling, Developmental Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology
Dr. Stacy Brown
browsd03@etsu.edu
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My research focuses on bioanalytical method development and validation using liquid
chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and high performance liquid chromatography
with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV).
Research Areas: Pharmaceutical Science
Dr. Regenia Campbell
campbellrb@etsu.edu
Department of Medical Education
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Role of the environment in disease outcomes. Optimization and novel protocol development
in the molecular biology lab.
Research Areas: Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Cell Signaling
Dr. Ranjan Chakraborty
chakrabr@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Health Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My major field of research involves investigation of ‘Iron transport systems’ in
gram negative bacteria including E. coli, Pseudomonas and an agriculturally important
Rhizobium leguminosarum.
Research Areas: Microbiology
Dr. Michelle Chandley
chandlem@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Neuron and glia pathology of autism spectrum disorder, substance abuse and major
depressive disorder; Inflammatory effects on neuronal cell signaling
Research Areas: Anatomy, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology
Dr. W. Andrew Clark
clarkw@etsu.edu
Department of Rehabilitative Sciences
Research Interests: Digestion and absorption of lipophilic substances and the impact of diet on microbiome
diversity and breast milk nutrient composition.
Research Areas: Nutrition, Biochemistry
Dr. Suman Dalal
dalal@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Health Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in cardiac
cell death and remodeling after a heart attack (ischemia-reperfusion injury) and identifies
potential targets for preventing heart disease. In addition, my research work may
help spur the development of novel pharmaceuticals and therapeutic strategies for
the treatment of heart disease.
Research Areas: Cardiovascular, Physiology, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Proteomics,
Immunology
Dr. Siva Digavalli
digavalli@etsu.edu
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental illness affecting millions worldwide. While
available medications are only partially effective, development of new treatments
is hampered due to a lack of reliable, disease-relevant biomarkers that are critically
needed to guide drug development. My lab develops and uses sensory stimulus-evoked
electrical oscillations as brain circuit-specific functional biomarkers that can drive
the development of new treatments for schizophrenia as well as for other brain disorders.
Research Areas: Neuroscience/Neuropharmacology
Dr. Michelle Duffourc
duffourc@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Control of gene expression in the CNS; Molecular contributors to neurodegenerative
disease
Research Areas: Pharmacology
Dr. Thomas Ecay
ecay@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Physiology
Research Areas: Physiology
Dr. Mohamed Elgazzar
elgazzar@etsu.edu
Department of Internal Medicine
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Immunobiology of sepsis; Myeloid cell reprogramming in sepsis
Research Areas: Immunology, Infectious Disease, Microbiology
Dr. Allan Forsman
forsman@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Health Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My research interests cover two very different angles related to the mammalian
reproductive system. First, I am a gravitational biologist who studies the effects
of spaceflight and simulated spaceflight on the reproductive system. Second, as an
anatomist with a strong background in the study of reproductive tissue, I also study
the effects of chronic alcohol consumption on reproductive tissues.
Research Areas: Anatomy, Cell Biology, Gravitational Biology, Histology, Physiology, Quantitative
Bioscience
Dr. Cerrone Foster
fosterc@etsu.edu
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Areas: Biochemistry
Dr. Sean Fox
foxsj@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Health Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My research team is interested in polymicrobial interactions, particularly how microorganisms
fight each other, to identify new targets that could be used for therapeutic interventions.
Our team is also involved in testing new antimicrobial products and their ability
to inhibit or eradicate biofilms.
Research Areas: Microbiology
Dr. Chad Frasier
frasierc@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My lab focuses on mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias and pediatric epilepsy, particularly
the link between how ion channel trafficking and mitochondrial function affect cellular
excitability.
Research Areas: Cell Biology, Cardiovascular, Neuroscience, Physiology, Pharmacology
Dr. Justin Gass
gassjt1@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: The goal of my research laboratory is to examine the neural mechanisms that are associated
with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and co-occurring Post-traumatic stress Disorder (PTSD).
Additionally, we use novel techniques such as optogenetics, fiber photometry, and
telemetry to discover new therapeutic targets and develop treatment compounds for
these disorders.
Research Areas: Neuroscience; Cellular, Molecular and Chemical Biology
Dr. Theo Hagg
haggt1@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Neuroprotection and Neurogenesis after SCI and stroke
Research Areas: Cell Biology, Cell Regulation, Cell Signaling, Developmental Biology, Immunology,
Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology
Dr. Jennifer Hall
halljl1@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My research examines the effects of steroid hormones on Chlamydia trachomatis. I
also am interested in the interactions that occur between microbes in polymicrobial
infections and the microbiome.
Research Areas: Immunology, Infectious Disease, Microbiology
Dr. Sam Harirforoosh
harirfor@etsu.edu
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Pharmacogenomics; Cardiovascular and renal adverse effects of drugs; Pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics
modeling; Nanoparticle formulation of drugs
Research Areas: Pharmaceutical Science
Dr. J. Russell Hayman
hayman@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My research interest is examining the process of infection of the distant fungal
protist, microsporidia, which can affect those with weakened immune systems. In particular,
we are characterizing the ability of this human pathogen to attach to host cell surfaces
and enter into the cell to begin replication. We hypothesize that by blocking host
cell attachment, we can prevent the infection process.
Research Areas: Microbiology, Immunology, Infectious Diseases
Dr. Donald Hoover
hoover@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Research Interests: Neurochemical anatomy and neuropharmacology of the heart and coronary vessels; Neuroimmunology
of sepsis and other inflammatory diseases
Research Areas: Anatomy, Cardiovascular, Immunology, Neuroscience, Pathology, Pharmacology, Physiology,
Systems Biology
Dr. David Hurley
hurleyd@etsu.edu
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Neuroendocrine control of Growth Hormone transcription
Research Areas: Pharmaceutical Science
Dr. Cuihong Jia
jiac01@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Neuroprotection and neuroregeneration following injury; Neuropsychiatric diseases
Research Areas: Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Immunology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology
Dr. Yong Jiang
jiangy2@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Wnt and TGF-beta signaling pathways control fundamental physiological activities
of a cell, including proliferation, differentiation, motility, polarity and homeostasis.
Perturbations of these two pathways are the molecular basis for a wide range of human
diseases including cancer and heart failure.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Cardiovascular, Cell Biology, Cell Regulation, Cell
Signaling, Genetics/Gene Regulation, Molecular Biology, Pharmacology
Dr. David Johnson
davidj@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Protein Structure and Function, Enzymology, Proteomics, Blood Proteins, Human serine
proteases and their inhibitors
Research Areas: Biochemistry
Dr. Thomas Jones
jonestc@etsu.edu
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My research program explores the proximate and ultimate causation of behavior. Specifically,
we are interested in circadian biology from genetics to ecology.
Research Areas: Neuroscience, Quantitative Bioscience, Systems Biology
Dr. Istvan Karsai
karsai@etsu.edu
Department of Biological Sciences
Research Interests: Modeling biological systems to reveal new mechanism in biology. Self-organization,
system dynamics
Research Areas: Ecology, Evolution, Neuroscience, Quantitative Bioscience, Supraindividual biology
Dr. Matt Keasey
keasey@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My work has primarily focused on Focal Adhesion Kinase, a major tyrosine kinase
involved in integrin signaling, and its role in regulating a number of key cytokines
in the brain.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Genetics/Gene Regulation,
Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology
Dr. Aruna Kilaru
kilaru@etsu.edu
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Lipid signaling in response to stress; regulation and metabolism of storage lipids
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Gene Regulation, Lipidomics, Molecular Biology, Plant
Biology, Systems Biology, Tissue Culture, Transcriptomics
Dr. Richard Kostrzewa
kostrzew@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Research entails use of highly selective neurotoxins to animal-model neural disorders,
by determining dopamine release and assessing receptor supersensitization
Research Areas: Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Toxicology
Dr. Michael Kruppa
kruppa@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My primary research interest is understanding the mechanism of how the opportunistic
fungus Candida albicans regulates its ability to undergo morphogenesis through a process
called quorum sensing.
Research Areas: Microbiology
Dr. Dhirendra Kumar
kumard@etsu.edu
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Research in my laboratory is focused on understanding the molecular and biochemical
mechanism of stress resistance signaling in plants. We study the disease resistance
pathway mediated by the plant hormone salicylic acid (Plant Science, 2014).
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Microbiology, Physiology, Plant Biology
Dr. Thomas Kwasigroch
kwasigro@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Areas: Anatomy
Dr. Bert Lampson
lampson@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Health Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Investigating secondary metabolism in a soil bacterium called Rhodococcus; Antibiotic-like
compounds; msDNA
Research Areas: Microbiology, Antibiotics and Resistance, Bacterial Genetics
Dr. Nicole Lewis
lewiscn2@etsu.edu
Department of Medical Education
Research Interests: My research focus is helping graduate students, fellows, medical students, and colleagues
with the design of the study and statistical analysis for grant proposals, research,
publications, and presentations. I am proficient in R, SAS, Minitab, Prism, and SPSS.
Dr. Chuanfu Li
li@etsu.edu
Department of Surgery
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Innate Immunity in Myocardial Ischemia/reperfusion Injury
Research Areas: Physiology
Dr. Cecilia McIntosh
mcintosc@etsu.edu
Department of Biological Sciences
Research Interests: Regulation of plant flavonoid metabolism. Current focus is structure/function of
novel grapefruit flavonol-3-O-glucosyltransferase; crystallizing native protein, characterizing/crystallizing
mutants with altered activity
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Molecular Biology, Molecular Modeling, Physiology, Plant
Biology, Quantitative Bioscience
Dr. Darrell Moore
moored@etsu.edu
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: My primary research interests concern the neural control of behavior, especially
the behavior-controlling functions of circadian clocks in three model systems: honey
bees, flesh flies, and spiders.
Research Areas: Genetics/Gene Regulation, Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Physiology, Quantitative
Bioscience
Dr. Jonathan Moorman
moorman@etsu.edu
Department of Internal Medicine
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Immunology underlying chronic infections
Research Areas: Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Immunology, Infectious Disease, Microbiology, Molecular
Biology
Dr. Shunbin Ning
nings1@etsu.edu
Department of Internal Medicine
Faculty Website
Research Interests: The interaction between AIDS-related oncogenic viruses (EBV, HCV, HTLV1) and the
host innate immune system in developing cancers. The mechanistic studies involve DNA
damage response (DDR), selective autophagy, inflammaging and immunosenescence, and
cell death. Deciphering the molecular events controlling the interaction between oncogenic
viruses and cellular mechanisms related to host innate immune system will help us
understand the role of innate immune system in viral oncogenesis and may identify
potential targets for immunotherapeutic treatment for virus-associated diseases and
cancers.
Research Areas: Cancer Biology, Chronic viral infection, Inflammation and Innate Immunity, Microbiology
Dr. Tammy Ozment
ozmentsk@etsu.edu
Department of Surgery
Research Interests: My lab investigates the pathophysiology of sepsis. Specifically, we investigate the
role of various immune pattern recognition receptors including Dectin-1 and Scavenger
Receptor A in the immune response to overwhelming infection or trauma, and how alterations
in these receptors prevents or promotes morbidity and mortality in sepsis.
Research Areas: Immunology, Infectious Disease, Microbiology, Sepsis
Dr. Victoria Palau
palauv@etsu.edu
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Tumor cell biology, cell signaling, cell polarity, novel antineoplastic compounds
derived from plants with ethnobotanical importance, binding of small molecules to
DNA
Research Areas: Cancer Biology, Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Pharmaceutical
Science
Dr. Erik Petersen
petersene@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Health Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: The primary focus of my lab is to investigate how pathogenic bacteria sense their
environment - i.e. when an intracellular bacterium finds itself within a host cell
- and how these bacteria respond to regulate virulence and survival.
Research Areas: Microbiology, Immunology, and Bacterial Signaling
Dr. Aaron Polichnowski
polichnowski@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Our laboratory is focused on elucidating the pathogenesis of acute kidney injury
and progression of chronic kidney disease. We utilize numerous approaches to study
cardiovascular and renal function in models of acute kidney injury, chronic kidney
disease and hypertension.
Research Areas: Cardiovascular, Physiology
Dr. Brooks Pond
pond@etsu.edu
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Our lab is interested in the long-term effects of psychostimulants on neuronal viability
and plasticity. Drugs of interest include methylphenidate (Ritalin) and synthetic
cathinones (“bath salts”).
Research Areas: Neuroscience, Pharmaceutical Science, Pharmacology
Dr. Christopher Pritchett
pritchettc@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Health Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Bacterial Pathogenesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Mycobacterium species, Bacterial
Signal Transduction
Research Areas: Microbiology
Dr. Ashana Puri
puria1@etsu.edu
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Development and evaluation of topical and transdermal delivery systems such as patches,
liquid and semi-solid formulations for therapeutic agents and cosmetic actives; exploring
microneedles, iontophoresis, laser ablation and other technologies for enhancing permeation
of actives, into and across skin.
Research Areas: Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dr. David Roane
roane@etsu.edu
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Glucose sensing in the central nervous system
Research Areas: Pharmaceutical Science
Dr. J. Leonard Robertson
robertjl@etsu.edu
Department of Biological Sciences
Research Interests: Areas of research interest are: 1. Assisted reproductive techniques and procedures,
including I.V.F. and embryo cryopreservation. 2. Stem cell action in healing and regeneration.
3. Spongiform Encephalopathy in Cervids (Deer). Collection of brain tissue, and production/evaluation
of deer brain histological tissue slides.
Research Areas: Developmental Biology, Infectious Disease, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Pathology,
Quantitative Bioscience
Dr. Diego Rodriguez-Gil
rodriguezgil@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: 1. Cellular and molecular regulation of axon guidance. 2. Axon extension during development
and regeneration. 3. Mechanisms underlying the formation of topographic maps in the
nervous system. Research in my lab is focused on understanding the molecular and cellular
mechanisms underlying axon guidance and connectivity.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Genetics/Gene Regulation, Molecular
Biology, Neuroscience
Dr. Brian Rowe
rowe@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: The distribution and functions of angiotensins in the brain, and mechanisms by which
angiotensins influence blood pressure and hypertension
Research Areas: Physiology
Dr. Antonio Rusinol
rusinol@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Elucidation of the molecular pathways and mechanisms of the early events of atherogenesis;
Role of protein prenylation on traffic, function and disease
Research Areas: Biochemistry
Dr. Brooke Schmeichel
schmeichel@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Principle areas of research in our laboratory center around the neurobiology and
neurocircuitry underlying alcohol and other substance use disorders and related comorbidities.
Our addiction research focuses on the contributions of stress system sensitization,
reward deficits, and sleep dysfunction to various states of dependence, including
withdrawal and relapse.
Research Areas: Behavioral neuroscience; neuropharmacology
Dr. Robert Schoborg
schoborg@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Pathophysiology of microbial infections
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Cell Biology, Cell Regulation, Cell Signaling, Genetics/Gene
Regulation, Immunology, Infectious Disease, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Neuroscience,
Pharmacology
Dr. John B. Schweitzer
schweitz@etsu.edu
Department of Pathology
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Neurotrophic factors, especially NGF and disease, axonal transport, brain trauma.
In collaboration with the Williams lab, inflammation and immunity in the brain and
elsewhere. In collaboration with the Hoover lab, NGF interaction with lymphocytes
in the periphery in inflammatory states. In collaboration with the Xie lab, development
of glioblastoma. Clinical interests: brain tumors, resident education
Research Areas: Neuropathology, neuroscience
Dr. Krishna Singh
singhk@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: The main focus of my lab is to study molecular and cellular basis of heart failure.
The studies involve both in vivo and in vitro strategies. For in vivo experiments,
we are using transgenic (gene knock-out) mice. Heart function is measured using echocardiography.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Cardiovascular, Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Physiology, Proteomics
Dr. Mahipal Singh
singhm@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Cardiovascular, Physiology
Research Areas: Cardiovascular, Physiology
Dr. Sanjay Singh
singhs@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: The principal areas of research in our lab are focused on the functions of C-reactive
protein (CRP) in normal and inflammatory diseases.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Immunology, Infectious Disease
Dr. William Stone
stone@etsu.edu
Department of Pediatrics
Research Interests: We are interested in the role of antioxidants and pro-oxidants in modulating signal
transduction pathways relevant to cancer. A key antioxidant we study is tocotrienol,
which is a form of vitamin E with unique anti-cancer properties. Proteomics, as well
as molecular and cell biology, is the major experimental platform for our research.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Cell Biology, Cell Regulation, Cell Signaling, Molecular
Biology, Proteomics, Systems Biology
Dr. Douglas Thewke
thewke@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating atherosclerosis; Cannabinoid receptor
signaling in disease; Cell signaling
Research Areas: Biochemistry
Dr. Ling Wang
wangl3@etsu.edu
Department of Internal Medicine
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Dr. Ling Wang is interested in chronic viral infections, with focus on those co-infected
with HIV leading to chronic diseases such as cancers, including Kaposi's sarcoma-associated
herpesvirus (KSHV), Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). Pathogenesis
of chronic viral infection involves complicated mechanisms, manifested by abnormal
immune cell differentiation and development and T cell anergy. The long-term goal
of these studies is to identify strategies as potential immunotherapeutic and antiviral
therapeutic applications that may restore host immune function in patients.
Research Areas: Chronic viral infection, Chronic inflammation, T cell immunology, Viral oncogenesis
Dr. David Williams
williamd@etsu.edu
Department of Surgery
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Cellular and molecular mechanisms of sepsis/septic shock; Innate immunity and myocardial
dysfunction in sepsis; Innate immune recognition and the fungal cell wall
Research Areas: Immunology, Infectious Disease, Microbiology, Pharmacology
Dr. Gary Wright
wrightgl@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Research Interests: Cardioprotective mechanisms; Regulation of mitochondria by the PHD O2-sensor/HIF
Axis; Mechanisms of Mitochondrial dysfunction
Research Areas: Pharmacology
Dr. Qian Xie
xieq01@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: The major research interest of my lab is to understand the mechanisms cancer initiation
and progression, with primary focus on glioblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma.
We use both in vitro cell based assays and in vivo animal models to understand the
molecular regulation of oncogenes and their signaling pathways in order to develop
therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment.
Research Areas: Molecular Oncology and Cancer Therapeutics, Cancer Immunotherapy, Cell Biology, Cell
Signaling, Preclinical Animal Models
Dr. Valentin Yakubenko
yakubenko@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Mechanism of innate immunity and inflammation during atherosclerosis, diabetes and
sepsis. We focus on macrophage receptors – integrins, which are critical for cell
adhesion, migration and signaling.
Research Areas: Biochemistry, Cardiovascular, Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Immunology, Pathology
Dr. Lev Yampolsky
yampolsk@etsu.edu
Department of Biological Sciences
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Ecological and evolutionary genomics, life-history, aging
Research Areas: Bioinformatics, Genetics/Gene Regulation, Lipidomics, Proteomics, Quantitative Bioscience
Dr. Zhi Qiang Yao
yao@etsu.edu
Department of Internal Medicine
Faculty Website
Research Interests: Supported by NIH, VA, and DOD grants, my research interests are focusing on how chronic
viral (HIV, HCV) infections drive premature T cell aging and accelerate MDSC expansion,
leading to immune dysfunction and vaccine non-responsiveness. We are currently investigating
several key components involved in the telomeric DNA damage and repair machinery.
I also work on the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development against COVID-19 pandemic.
Research Areas: Cell Biology, Cell Regulation, Cell Signaling, Genetics/Gene Regulation, Immunology,
Infectious Disease, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Molecular Modeling
Dr. Meng-Yang Zhu
zhum@etsu.edu
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Research Interests: Effects of DNA damage in the mental diseases; Transcriptional regulation of the noradrenergic
and dopaminergic phenotypes by transcriptional factors; Possible involvement of oxidative
DNA damage in the noradrenergic and dopaminergic circuits during aging and neurodegenerative
diseases.
Research Areas: Cellular and Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology