Faculty Research Interests

Molecular Medicine Graduate Program Faculty Research Interests

The Molecular Medicine Graduate Program draws faculty from several departments and reflects the diverse research interests and scientific approaches applied to understanding the pathophysiology of human diseases. The faculty members listed below serve as student laboratory research mentors and serve on student dissertation and examining committees. Adjunct faculty identified by * are available for committee service but not lab rotations.

Keywords for research interests are listed below; click on the word to directly link to faculty lists in each topic area. An alphabetical list is also available for searching specific individuals.

Cancer Biology – Investigators in cancer biology use molecular approaches to study the underlying mechanisms of cancer and factors that contribute to tumor progression. Examples include identification of cancer susceptibility genes, genetic variation in tumor formation, DNA damage and repair pathways, cancer immunology and carcinogens.

Cardiovascular health and disease – These investigators use molecular methods to investigate mechanisms related to diseases of the heart and circulatory system, including those that affect specific organs such as the brain, kidney, or placenta. Research areas include hypertension, circulation, cardiac function, coagulation, atherosclerosis, and aging.

Diabetes and Metabolic disorders (lipids, proteins, vitamins, renal function) – Research in these laboratories investigate molecular mechanisms of diabetes, diabetes related genes, hyperlipidemic diseases, coagulation, obesity, and renal function, often applying knockout models to investigate gene function.

Genomics and clinical genetics – These scientists explore the contribution of specific genes to both physiologic and pathophysiologic processes. A major focus is on the experimental manipulation of genes and gene expression in human populations, animal models, and cell-based systems with analyses of phenotypic consequences. All studies are facilitated by advanced, high-throughput technologies in combination with functional computational analysis.

Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases – These investigators utilize molecular, genetic, and biochemical approaches to identify the processes that mediate host defense against invasive microbial or viral pathogens and similar mechanisms involved in inflammatory tissue injury. This includes identifying mechanisms by which immune cells respond to infection, host cell-pathogen interaction, and regulation of inflammatory mediators.

Neurological and neuromuscular function and disorders – Faculty investigate molecular mechanism of stroke, neuromuscular disease, epilepsy, pediatric neurology and development, movement disorders, neuroplasticity, and neuro-rehabilitation. These laboratories employ a variety of genomic, physiologic, biochemical, pharmacological, dietary, and tissue engineering approaches to study disease treatment and prevention.

Pulmonary function and disease – Research in pulmonary medicine includes programs in airway smooth muscle and epithelial cell signal transduction, sequencing of genes associated with asthma and inflammation, disease-related phenotypes, and the response to medications used to treat these diseases. Other studies include phospholipase-mediated surfactant injury in asthma and ARDS and mechanisms regulating cell injury and death. Many of these studied involve human subjects.

Regenerative Medicine – The mission of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine is to harness the body’s ability to heal itself. Using biomaterials, genetic engineering, stem and progenitor cells, and tissue engineering modalities, the Institute investigates translational approaches ranging from gene and cell therapy to the replacement of damaged organs with engineered tissues.

Rheumatic diseases – These investigators incorporate biochemical inhibitors, gene knockout technologies and transgenic approaches to human tissues and cell models to determine mechanisms of injury related to rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), gout, scleroderma, and inflammatory muscle disorders.

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Molecular Medicine Graduate Program Faculty Research List: Adjunct faculty identified by * are available for committee service but not lab rotations.

Cancer Biology –

Akman, Steven, MD * - DNA damage, mutagenesis and genomic instability

Caldas, Hannah, PhD - functions of Survivin gene family in cancer; therapeutic interventions to combat cancer growth

Cui, Zheng, PhD, MD – Lipid signaling in apoptosis and carcinogenesis; cancer resistance in murine models

Debinski, Waldemar, MD, PhD - Identification of molecular markers/targets that are specific to brain tumors and are pharmaceutically tractable

Dubey, Purnima, PhD – Cellular anti-tumor immune responses in mice/ prostate cancer biology

Furdui, Cristina, PhD - Dynamic analysis of signaling events (protein phosphorylation and oxidation) at molecular and cellular level using quantitative, mass spectrometry based proteomics experiments; rapid enzyme kinetics

Inoue, Kazushi, MD, PhD – Regulation of gene expression, signal transduction, and animal models of human cancer

Kucera, Greg, PhD * - Synthesis and testing of novel chemotherapeutic agents

Miller, Mark, PhD, MA – Molecular pathogenesis and chemoprevention of lung cancer

Morrow, Charles, MD, PhD – Transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression associated with anti-neoplastic drug resistance

Pettenati, Mark, PhD * - Cytogenetics and chromosomal abnormalities in cancer

Schwartz, Gary, PhD, MPH – Role of vitamin D in the etiology, treatment and prevention of prostate cancer

Torti, Frank, MD – Role of iron and ferritin dysregulation in cancer development

Torti, Suzy, PhD - Regulation of iron metabolism in normal and transformed cells

Townsend, Alan, PhD – Mechanisms of resistance to cytotoxic and mutagenic agents; enzymes of glutathione metabolism; chemoprevention of cancer; oxidative stress and antioxidant defenses

Vaughn, James P., PhD * - Effects of BRCA1 expression on gene transcription and repair

Xu, Jianfeng, MD, MSc, MPH, DRPH – Prostate cancer gene mapping

Cardiovascular health and disease –

Applegate, William, MD, MPH * - Assessing cognitive, emotional and physical function in older adults; carotid atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women with heart disease.

Brosnihan, K. Bridget, PhD, MS – Role of Ang 1-7 in normal pregnancy and preeclampsia

Busija, David, PhD – Factors regulating cerebral circulation and mechanisms of brain injury following anoxic insults

Carr, Jeff, MD * - Breast cancer and cardiovascular imaging and public health functional genetics

Chappell, Mark, PhD – Regulatory role of renin-angiotensin system in development of salt-dependent hypertension and tissue organ injury

Cheng, Che-ping, MD, PhD – Cardiac dynamics, cellular signal transduction, and molecular alterations in CHF and alcoholic cardiomyopathy

Crouse, John Robin, MD * - Lipids, nutrition, and interrelationships of atherosclerosis and of risk factors for cerebrovascular, peripheral vascular, and coronary artery disease with an emphasis on non-invasive imaging of vascular disease

Eckman, Delrae, PhD - Effect of antenatal steroids on fetal and adult cardiovascular development; Effect growth hormone and PPAR agonists on cerebral vascular function; and on insulin resistance/metabolic syndrome in aging rats

Geary, Randolph, MD - Artery wall remodeling in response to atherosclerosis and arterial injury; Restenosis following vascular reconstruction; Bioengineering of blood vessels; Functional genomics in artery wall biology

Hantgan, Roy, PhD - Integrin structure and function; molecular and cellular mechanisms of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis; conformation of proteins in solution

Herrington, David, MD, MHS * - The role of estrogen in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease in postmenopausal women

Hundley, Gregory, MD * - Magnetic resonance imaging assessment of cardiac function

Kim-Shapiro, Daniel, PhD - The effects of Nitric Oxide and Aggregation in biological systems, in relation to Sickle Cell Disease

King, Bruce, PhD - oxidative chemistry of N-hydroxyureas, formation of nitric oxide or nitroxyl (HNO)

Parks, John, PhD – High density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism; Lecithin:Cholesterol Acyltransferase, Lipids, Botanical Lipids, Triglyceride Metabolism and Atherosclerosis

Sane, David, MD - Clinical Cardiology, Coronary Care Unit, Thrombolysis, Thrombosis, Restenosis

Smith, Thomas L., PhD - Effects of exercise and PPARγ agonists on myocardial performance; Tissue engineered peripheral nerve conduits in mice; Regulation of neuromuscular function at the cellular level

Wallin, Reidar, PhD - Vitamin K, Vitamin K-Dependent Proteins and Molecular Mechanisms of Warfarin Metabolism and Function

Yu, Liing, MD, PhD - Traffic and Metabolism of Cholesterol and Other Sterols, Lipoprotein Metabolism, Atherosclerosis, Obesity and Diabetics

Diabetes and Metabolic disorders (lipids, proteins, vitamins, renal function) –

Antinozzi, Peter A., PhD - Functional mapping of diabetes-susceptibility genes; functional mapping of complex diseases

Bowden, Donald W., PhD - Identification of genes contributing to type 2 diabetes and the renal and cardiovascular complications of type 2 diabetes

Chilton, Ski, PhD - The role of fatty acid metabolism in human diseases; function of botanical lipids as dietary supplements

DuBose, Thomas, MD - Regulation of renal transporters; Potassium balance; Molecular description of transporters responsible for urinary acidification; Expression and molecular regulation of non-gastric H⁺,K⁺-ATPases in kidney and distal colon, aldosterone deficiency and excess; Renal tubular acidosis; Clinical acid-base and electrolyte disorders

Hutson, Susan, PhD - Structure-function of vitamin B6-dependent enzymes, nutrient gene regulation; excitatory amino acids and seizure control

Rich, Stephen, MS, PhD * - The basic mechanisms that predispose to, and protect from, common disease in humans (diabetes, vascular disease and stroke) using a combination of statistical genetic and genetic epidemiological approaches

Wagner, Janice D., PhD - The role of hormonal influences on the cellular and biochemical aspects of atherosclerosis

Wallin, Reidar, PhD - Vitamin K, Vitamin K-Dependent Proteins and Molecular Mechanisms of Warfarin Metabolism and Function

Weinberg, Richard B., MD - Structure and function of human apolipoprotein A-IV (apo A-IV); biophysical aspects of lipid-protein interactions, lipoprotein metabolism, dietary effects on human lipid metabolism, diet-gene interactions

Genomics and clinical genetics –

Antinozzi, Peter A., PhD - Functional mapping of diabetes-susceptibility genes; functional mapping of complex diseases

Bleecker, Eugene, MD - Genetics of allergy, asthma and complex diseases; Pathogenesis of asthma and chronic air flow obstruction, airways hyperresponsiveness and bronchial inflammation; Pharmacologic interventions in obstructive pulmonary diseases

Bowden, Donald, PhD - Genetics of common diseases with emphasis identification of genes contributing to type 2 diabetes and the renal and cardiovascular complications of type 2 diabetes

Christ, George, PhD - Functional Genomics; establishing a verifiable link between changes in gene expression and alterations in cell/organ/tissue function/dysfunction applied to understanding, diagnosis and treatment of smooth muscle diseases/disorders

Hawkins, Greg, PhD * - Molecular genetics of complex diseases; severe asthma risk and pharmacogenomics

Howard, Timothy D., PhD - Identification of genes for complex diseases, with a focus on cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases (asthma and allergy)

Jewett, Tamison, MD * - Connective Tissue Disorders, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Dysmorphology

Meyers, Deborah, PhD - Gene mapping in common complex diseases and Mendelian disorders, ascertainment and characterization of relevant families, DNA genotyping, linkage and association analyses, positional cloning

Pettenati, Mark, PhD * - Molecular cytogenetics

Rich, Stephen, MS, PhD - The basic mechanisms that predispose to, and protect from, common disease in humans (diabetes, vascular disease and stroke) using a combination of statistical genetic and genetic epidemiological approaches

Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases –

Alexandra-Miller, Martha, PhD - Regulation of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes; control of functional avidity

Chilton, Ski, PhD - The role of fatty acid metabolism in human diseases; function of botanical lipids as dietary supplements

Daniel, Larry, PhD - Metabolic pathways responsible for forming lipid-derived second-messengers and the mechanism of action of these mediators in cancer and inflammation

Ferguson, Cristin, MD - Molecular Biology of Cartilage, Meniscus, Ligament Repair and Regeneration; Tissue Engineering; Growth Factors and Cell Signaling

High, Kevin P., MD - Translational research of age-related changes in immune function, termed immune senescence

Loeser, Richard, MD – Lab: The cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate cartilage destruction in osteoarthritis and the role of aging. Clinical: The genetics of osteoarthritis; exercise and weight loss interventions for osteoarthritis

McCall, Charles E., MD - The molecular events that control the inflammatory components of innate immunity

McPhail, Linda, PhD - The molecular mechanisms involved in the activation of the leukocyte NADPH oxidase

Mishra, Nilamadhab, MD - Epigenetics, chromatin remodeling, transcriptional regulation, gene expression and identifying therapeutic targets by proteomics in lupus

Seeds, Michael C., PhD - Inflammation and host defense in the lung; regulation of secretory phospholipases A₂; differential regulation of granulocyte apoptosis

Sheretz, Robert, MD * - Pathogenesis and prevention of vascular catheter infections; Mechanisms of transmission of nosocomial infections

Swords, W. Edward, PhD - Understanding how commensal bacteria and the host develop and maintain a mutually beneficial, symbiotic relationship; Cellular Microbiology of Airway Infections

Yoza, Barbara, PhD * - Deciphering the molecular events associated with the onset and progression of septic shock, particularly as it relates to the synthesis inflammatory mediators from cells of the blood

Neurological and neuromuscular function and disorders –

Busija, David, PhD - The roles of eicosanoids (products of arachidonic acid metabolism), neurotransmitter, growth factors, and nitric oxide in mechanisms of brain injury following anoxic insults

Delbono, Osvaldo, MD, PhD - Aging of the Neuromuscular System; reciprocal interaction between muscle cells and brain and spinal cord motor neurons

Eisenach, James, MD - Understanding neuroplasticity in the spinal cord as it relates to the pharmacology of analgesia

Hutson, Susan, PhD - Structure-function of vitamin B6-dependent enzymes, nutrient gene regulation; excitatory amino acids and seizure control

Smith, James, PhD * - Neuropsychopharmacology; neurobiological mechanisms of substance abuse; biological basis of reinforcement; functional neuropharmacology

Tobin, Joseph, MD * - Spinal analgesic development and gender dimorphism in the spinal cord

Voytko, Mary Lou, PhD * - Neural basis of age-related cognitive dysfunction; women’s health; effects of ovarian hormones on cognitive and neurobiological profiles

Pulmonary function and disease –

Hawkins, Greg, PhD * - Molecular genetics of complex diseases; severe asthma risk and pharmacogenomics

Hite, R. Duncan, MD - Critical care with specific emphasis in acute respiratory failure, mechanical ventilation, ARDS, shock, sepsis and pneumonia; surfactant function and injury in ARDS

Howard, Timothy D., PhD - Identification of disease genes for complex diseases, with a focus on cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases

Meyers, Deborah, PhD - Gene mapping in common complex diseases as well as in Mendelian disorders, ascertainment and characterization of relevant families, DNA genotyping, linkage and association analyses, positional cloning and in analytical methods

Morris, Peter, MD - The mechanisms of acute lung inflammation; clinical study design and administration

Penn, Raymond, PhD - Regulation of signal transduction in cell systems; G protein-coupled receptor signaling in asthma

Rubin, Bruce, MD, MEng - Airway physiology and pharmacology; mechanism of mucous hypersecretion; mucoactive drug development and testing; the mucus barrier and airway defense

Seeds, Michael C., PhD - Inflammation and host defense in the lung; regulation of secretory phospholipases A₂; differential regulation of granulocyte apoptosis

Swords, W. Edward, PhD - Understanding how commensal bacteria and the host develop and maintain a mutually beneficial, symbiotic relationship; Cellular microbiology of airway infections

Regenerative Medicine –

Atala, Anthony, MD - Tissue Engineering, Reconstructive Urology, Stem cells

Ferguson, Cristin, MD - Molecular Biology of Cartilage, Meniscus, Ligament Repair and Regeneration; Tissue Engineering; Growth Factors and Cell Signaling

Smith, Thomas L - Effects of exercise and PPARγ agonists on myocardial performance; Tissue engineered peripheral nerve conduits in mice; Regulation of neuromuscular function at the cellular level

Soker, Shay, PhD - Molecular and cellular biology of the vascular system; Stem and progenitor cell biology and genomics; angiogenesis

Rheumatic diseases –

Loeser, Richard, MD - Lab: The cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate cartilage destruction in osteoarthritis and the role of aging. Clinical: The genetics of osteoarthritis; exercise and weight loss interventions for osteoarthritis

McGee, Maria, MD - Cell-mediated inflammation with emphasis on the biology of monocytes and macrophages

Mishra, Nilamadhab, MD - Epigenetics, chromatin remodeling, transcriptional regulation, gene expression and identifying therapeutic targets by proteomics in lupus

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