Training Faculty for Developmental and Stem Cell Biology (DSCB)

Program Directors: Margaret Baron, M.D., Ph.D. and Robert Krauss, Ph.D.
Steering Committee: James Bieker, Ph.D., Ross Cagan, Ph.D., Kevin Kelley, Ph.D., Ihor Lemischka, Ph.D., Robert F. Margolskee, M.D. Ph.D., Marek Mlodzik, Ph.D., Hans Snoeck, M.D. Ph.D., Daniel C. Weinstein, Ph.D.

Training Faculty

• Stuart A. Aaronson, M.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Oncological Sciences
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research; Clinical Research
  Research: Molecular genetics of cancers
  
• Margaret H. Baron, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Department of Medicine (Hematology and Medical Oncology)
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research; Translational Research
  Research: Induction and specification of mesoderm and endoderm in the embryo; development of the mammalian blood and vascular systems; stem cell biology; signaling between erythroid cells and other cell types within different developmental niches; enucleation of red blood cells; disorders of red blood cell development; transcriptional regulation of development and differentiation
  
• Andrew D. Bergemann, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Neural cell fate determination
  
• Audrey Bernstein, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Our lab is studying the mechanisms that promote regenerative repair over fibrotic wound healing. Specifically we are investigating the regulation of TGFb, extracellular matrix compositon, and proteases in an effort to control the fibrotic response.
  
• James J. Bieker, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Transcriptional regulation of red cell specific gene expression
  
• Erwin P. Bottinger, M.D., Professor, Department of Medicine
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: TGF-B/Smad signaling networks and transcriptomics/genomics; gene expression; genomics; proteomics; microarray; systems biology; nephrology; hypertension; diabetes mellitus; pathobiology
  
• Ross Cagan, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research; Clinical Research
  Research: Drosophila disease and development models, cancer models including breast, lung, and thyroid, diabetes models including heart dysfunction, epithelial development including retinal patterning
  
• Chenleng Cai, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research; Translational Research
  Research: Interested in deciphering the transcriptional signaling cascades controlling the early induction and development of mammalian heart. Uncovering the transcriptional signaling cascades underlying the early induction and development of heart has important implications for cardiac regenerative biology.
  
• Shu-Hsia Chen, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Gene and Cell Medicine
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Cancer Immunology, immune modulated cancer therapy
  
• Paul S. Frenette, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Medicine
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research; Clinical Research
  Research: Adhesion mechanisms regulating hematopoiesis and the pathophysiology of sickle cell disease
  
• Isabelle M. Germano, M.D., Professor, Department of Neurosurgery
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research; Clinical Research
  Research: molecular biology and translational research of primary brain tumor, embryonic stem cell differentiation and gene therapy for brain tumors
  
• Saghi Ghaffari, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Gene and Cell Medicine
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Molecular Mechanisms of Regulation of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cell Fate
  
• Jeanne P. Hirsch, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Signal transduction pathways mediated by heterotrimeric G proteins in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae
  
• Kevin Kelley, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Creation of animal models for the study of gene regulation, gene function and human diseases
  
• Robert S. Krauss, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Cell Adhesion and Signal Transduction in Pattern Formation and Cell Differentiation During Development
  
• Jeffrey T. Laitman, Ph.D., Professor , Center for Anatomy and Functional Morphology
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Development and evolution of the mammalian aerodigestive system; vocal tract development; evolutionary origins of speech
  
• Ihor Lemischka, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Gene and Cell Medicine
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  
• Xiajun (John) Li, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Acquisition and maintenance of DNA methylation genomic imprints. A maternal-zygotic effect gene in mouse. LIN-12/Notch signaling in cardiovascular development. Maintenance and differentiation of embryonic stem cells.
  
• Reigh-Yi Lin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Developmental Biology, Stem Cell, Thyroid
  
• Zhongmin Ma, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Geriatrics and Adult Development
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Phospholipid signaling in pancreatic beta-cell function, apoptosis, and regeneration; cell membrane homeostasis and cell cycle checkpoint regulation; molecular pathogenesis of infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy
  
• Robert F. Margolskee, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Department of Neuroscience
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Molecular, transgenic and structural techniques to study peripheral and central mechanisms of taste transduction and coding to determine how these pathways regulate gustatory behaviors in vivo
  
• Sandra K. Masur, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Ophthalmology
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Cell-cell and cell-matrix interaction during wound healing
  
• Marek Mlodzik, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Cell-cell interactions during epithelial and nervous system patterning: planar polarity establishment
  
• Kateri A. Moore, DVM, Associate Professor, Department of Gene and Cell Medicine
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research; Translational Research
  Research: Stem Cells/Microenvironment/Stem Cell NIche, Cell, Developmental, Molecular regulation of hematopoietic stem cell self renewal and differentiation, molecular interaction of stem cells and microenvironmental elements, ie. the stem cell niche regulation of stem cells.
  
• Cathie Pfleger, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Oncological Sciences
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: How the processes of growth and proliferation are regulated and how loss of that regulation leads to cancer, with a special emphasis on regulation by the ubiquitin pathway.
  
• Francesco Ramirez, D.Sc., Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Connective tissue in morphogenesis and diseased conditions; extracellular regulation of TGFb and BMP signaling; Marfan syndrome and scleroderma.
  
• Michael Rendl, M.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Cell fate specification of stem cell niche cells during hair morphogenesis; stem cell activation by dermal papilla niche cells during hair formation and regeneration
  
• Kirsten Sadler-Edepli, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Using zebrafish to understand liver development, regeneration and disease
  
• Takeshi Sakurai, M.D. Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research; Clinical Research
  Research: My research interest has been how nervous system develops at the molecular level, i.e., molecular mechanisms of wiring and synapse formation, and how alterations in these processes lead to neurological and pscyhiatric disorders
  
• Edward H. Schuchman, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research; Translational Research
  Research: The biology and treatment of lysosomal storage disorders; the role of lipid hydrolases in cell signaling
  
• Hans-Willem Snoeck, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Gene and Cell Medicine
  Research: Stem cell biology; immunology; gene therapy; hematopoiesis
  
• Sergei Y. Sokol, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Cell polarity in vertebrate development, neural development, axis specification, Wnt signaling, morphogenetic movements, asymmetric cell division.
  
• Philippe Soriano, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Growth factor signaling; Ephrin signaling and boundary formation; Gene trap mutagenesis
  
• David W. Sternberg, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine (Hematology and Medical Oncology)
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Aberrant protein tyrosine kinase signaling in cancer; translational control of gene expression in malignancy; mechanisms of resistance to protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors
  
• Frederick J. Suchy, M.D., Professor , Department of Pediatrics
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Basolateral and canalicular transporters for bile acids and other organic anions
  
• Herb B. (Hui Bin) Sun, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopaedics
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Gene regulation and signal transduction of joint tissue homeostasis; mechanotransduction pathway and its potential use for disease prevention and treatment; effects of chemo-factors and mechano-factors on MSC renewal, commitment, and differentiation; role of MSCs in wound healing and tissue engineering
  
• Paul M. Wassarman, Ph.D., Professor , Department of Developmental and Regenerative Biology
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Mechanisms of fertilization in mammals
  
• Jose M. Wolosin, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Ophthalmology
  
• Qin Yu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor , Department of Oncological Sciences
  Type(s) of Research: Basic Science Research
  Research: Effects of tumor microenvironment on tumor invasion/metastasis and tumor angiogenesis; Identification of targets and agents for therapeutic intervention of human glioma, ovarian cancer, melanoma, and breast cancer.