| Researcher | Institution | Research Focus: | Techniques/Instrumentation: | Contact Information: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clement Yedjou, PhD | Jackson State University | Research focuses on pharmacology, toxicology and therapeutics. | clement.yedjou@jsums.edu Office: (601) 979-0215 Dr. Yedjou's Faculty Page | |
| Ifedayo Victor Ogungbe, PhD | Jackson State University | Research focuses: Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products Drug Discovery Keywords: Protozoans, Trypanosomiasis, Natural Products, Drug Design, Drug Discovery, Medicinal Chemistry, Alphavirus | Organic Synthesis, Compound isolation and Purification, NMR Spectroscopy, Molecular Modeling, Cell culture, Protein Expression and Purification | ifedayo.v.ogungbe@jsums.edu Office: (601) 979-3719 Dr. Ogungbe's Faculty Page |
| Joseph Cameron, PhD | Jackson State University | Research focuses on biochemical mechanisms of toxicity and hormone action, hormonal control of mammary gland development and function, influence of diet on atherosclerosis, arteriosclerosis and fat deposition during pregnancy and lactation, and mechanisms of hypertension. | - | joseph.a.cameron@jsums.edu Office: (601) 979-2470 Dr. Cameron's Research Page |
| Shan Yang, PhD | Jackson State University | My research interests focus on the development of optical systems, and in turn, the application of novel optical system to address problems in biological and medical system. Keywords: Raman spectroscopy, Full field of view Raman imaging, dental caries detection, water probing and analysis in biological tissues, skin hydration | Major instruments in my lab include all kinds of spectrometers and lasers, which allow us to customize Raman spectroscopy and imaging system operating with at different wavelengths. Students will be trained and challenged in the design in the optical setups, as well as instruments automation via LabVIEW coding. | Shan.Yang@jsums.edu Office: (601) 979-3611 Dr. Yang's Lab Page |
| Wellington Ayensu, PhD | Jackson State University | Research focuses on psychoneuroimmunology with areas of environmental health related to public health issues, and developmental issues affecting the neonate. | wellington.k.ayensu@jsums.edu Office: (601) 979-1452 Dr. Ayensu's Faculty Page | |
| Barbara Kaplan, PhD | Mississippi State University | Research focus is to elucidate the mechanisms by which cannabinoid compounds (i.e., those derived from marijuana) alter immune function. Interested in characterizing the mechanisms by which plant-derived compounds alter T cell function and examining the role of CB1 and CB2 in cannabinoid-mediated suppression of B cell function. Two different model systems are being utilized for these studies. The first model is a mouse-adapted influenza strain, A/PR8/34. The second model is the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of multiple sclerosis (MS). | bkaplan@cvm.msstate.edu Office: (662) 325-1113 Dr. Kaplan's Faculty Page | |
| C. LaShan Hendrix, PhD | Mississippi State University | Research focuses on cardiovascular disease, target therapies (cell and gene therapies) and nanotechnology to treat cardiovascular disease. | clsimpson@abe.msstate.edu Office: (662) 325-8279 Dr. Hendrix's Faculty Page | |
| Donna M. Gordon, PhD | Mississippi State University | Research focuses on characterizing the cellular response(s) induced in S. cerevisiae and Candida spp exposed to the antifungal, occidiofungin with the goal of understanding how this compound induces apoptosis at the molecular level. Specific areas of interest include: characterizing the impact of the antifungal on morphogenic switching; mapping the link between occidiofungin exposure, alterations in actin organization, and cell death; identification of fungal mutants with altered sensitivity to occidiofungin activity; determining the efficacy of occidiofungin in combinatorial drug studies. Keywords: Antimicrobial compound, yeast, microbiology, cell biology | Depending on the project, students will be exposed to cellular, molecular, and microbiological techniques such as: Gel electrophoresis (agarose gel, SDS-PAGE), Western blot analysis, Microscopy (Immunofluorescence, Transmission light microscopy), Microbiological analysis of drug efficacy studies (Minimum inhibitory concentration assays, Colony forming unit assays, Plate drop assays), and Molecular cloning (PCR, bacterial transformation, restriction digest analysis, plasmid isolation). | gordon@biology.msstate.edu Office: (662) 325-9337 Dr. Gordon's Faculty Page |
| Justin Thornton, PhD | Mississippi State University | Research focuses on both sides of the host-pathogen interaction by characterizing how the innate immune response functions to limit progression of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) infections and also how virulence mechanisms of the pneumococcus enable it to cause disease. The overall goal of our research is to identify new targets for intervention which will help to decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with this pathogen. | thornton@biology.msstate.edu Office: (662) 325-8020 Dr. Thornton's Faculty Page | |
| Lauren Priddy, PhD | Mississippi State University | My research focuses on developing improved biomaterial and biological treatments for bone injury and disease. In particular, we’re studying alternative antimicrobial therapies for combating Staph infection in bone, and we’re using 3D printing and design to create customized biomedical implants for applications such as bone fixation after traumatic injury. | lbpriddy@abe.msstate.edu Office: (662) 325-5988 Dr. Priddy's Faculty Page | |
| Mark Welch, PhD | Mississippi State University | Research focuses on how natural populations respond to changes in their environment. A major focus of his lab is to identify molecular mechanisms that increase phenotypic variation by altering gene expression. To do this, he preforms functional genomic analysis on variable, natural populations of sunflowers. | mw497@msstate.edu Office: (662) 325-7564 Dr. Welch's Lab Page | |
| Matthew Brown, PhD | Mississippi State University | Research focuses on genomics and bioinformatics. | mbrown@biology.msstate.edu Office: (662) 325-2406 Dr. Brown's Faculty Page | |
| Michael Nadorff, PhD | Mississippi State University | Dr. Nadorff studies the association between sleep problems, particularly insomnia and nightmares, and suicidal behavior across the lifespan. He also has current grant funding to implement youth suicide prevention programs across the state and is interested in validating the effectiveness of these programs. Keywords: Nightmares, suicide, insomnia, youth, older adults, psychology | Part of what we do with our suicide grant is gatekeeper trainings (think of it like CPR for psychiatric emergencies) and postvention training and intervention (postvention is what is done in the immediate aftermath after a suicide). We have a licensed clinician leading both of these, and students would be able to accompany that clinician and aid in the training and some aspects of the postvention work. | mn487@msstate.edu Office: (662) 325-1222 Dr. Nadorff's Faculty Page |
| Nick Fitzkee, PhD | Mississippi State University | Research focuses on understanding the relationship between a protein’s flexibility and its function, and in particular how proteins can use structural disorder to their advantage during catalysis. An additional research focus is understanding protein structure on nanoparticle surfaces. Keywords: NMR biophysics protein biochemistry kinetics surface interactions | Students will be exposed to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, fluorescence, biophysical calorimetry, and spectroscopic approaches to studying protein interactions. In addition, students will learn how to express and purify proteins biochemically. | nfitzkee@chemistry.msstate.edu Office: (662) 325-1288 Dr. Fitzkee's Faculty Page |
| Renita Horton, PhD | Mississippi State University | Research focuses on better characterizing the mechanisms that lead to the onset and progression of heart disease. My group is especially interested in the role of microenvironmental cues such as substrate stiffness, mechanotransduction, and biomolecules in cardiac tissue health. My second area of interest lies in enhancing our current understanding of the mechanisms that trigger sickle cell disease related co-morbidities. | rhorton@abe.msstate.edu Office: (662) 325-7345 Dr. Horton's Faculty Page | |
| Hossam Abdelhamed, PhD | Mississippi State University | Research foucus: bacterial pathogens of fish including Edwardsiella ictaluri and Aeromonas hydrophila and I have research in the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. I aim to understand the molecular pathogenesis and identify virulence factors. I employ comparative genomics, functional genomics, and molecular microbiology techniques, as well as next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics to evaluate the host-microbe interactions and answer bacterial pathogenesis questions. | ha240@msstate.edu (662) 325-7726 Dr. Abdelhamed's Faculty Page | |
| Sorina Popescu, PhD | Mississippi State University | Biochemistry | cp319@msstate.edu (662) 325-2640 Dr. Sorina Popescu's Faculty Page | |
| Courtney Roper, Ph.D. | The University of Mississippi | The Roper lab studies air pollution, specifically fine particulate matter (PM2.5). We use chemistry and toxicology methods to study air pollutants that are collected from outdoors or inside homes. We remove air pollutants from filters using different extraction methods and measure the chemical components as well as investigate the potential of the pollutants to create reactive oxygen species. Ultimately our work will help create a better understanding of air pollution and the potential health effects related to it. | air sampling equipment, gas chromatography mass spectrometry, spectrophotometry, extraction methods, custom absorbance instruments, gravimetric analysis, pipetting, statistical analysis and software, calibration curves | clroper@olemiss.edu 662-915-1273 courtneyroper.wixsite.com/roper |
| Nicole Ashpole, PhD | The University of Mississippi | One of the most debilitating aspects of advanced age is the accompanying cognitive decline. Patients that experience cognitive deficits are faced with the loss of independence, decreased healthspan, and increased financial burden. Studies suggest that age-related cognitive decline is potentially reversible, but the underlying mechanistic changes have yet to be fully elucidated. My research program focuses on identifying how reduced neuroendocrine signaling impacts the function of neurons, astrocytes, and the supporting vasculature in the aging brain. Using genetic and pharmacological tools, we are able to manipulate growth hormone and IGF-1 signaling within these cells and examine how learning and memory is affected. We then examine the ensuing structural, biochemical, and genetic changes within the brain to understand which signaling cascades are contributing to the observed alterations in learning and memory. We are particularly interested in identifying which kinase signaling cascades are altered by the loss of these endocrine signals in advanced age. By characterizing these changes, we hope to uncover pharmacological targets that may delay or avert the onset of age-related cognitive decline. | nmashpol@olemiss.edu Office: 662-915-2407 Dr. Ashpol's Faculty Page | |
| Kristie Willett, PhD | The University of Mississippi | Research Focus: Our research aims to understand molecular mechanisms underlying toxicity and/or shed light on the potential adverse outcomes due contaminant exposure using zebrafish models. For example: 1) Mechanisms of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) toxicity- The goal of this project is to characterize the transcriptomic and epigenetic changes associated with preconceptional exposure to BaP. Specifically, we are studying the role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in BaP-induced multigenerational adverse outcomes; and 2) Toxicity of cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - The goal of this project is to understand the relative morphological, neurobehavioral, reproductive and multigenerational phenotypes that result after developmental exposures to CBD and THC. | kwillett@olemiss.edu Office- (662)915-6691 Dr. Kristie Willett's Faculty Page | |
| Alex Flynt, PhD | The University of Southern Mississippi | Research broadly focuses on the role of RNA biology in post-transcriptional gene regulation. Current projects are focused on the biogenesis and function of non-coding, small regulatory RNAs. | alex.flynt@usm.edu Office: (601) 266-4748 Dr. Flynt's Faculty Page | |
| Dmitri Mavrodi, PhD | The University of Southern Mississippi | Research focuses on the functional role of natural antibiotics. Mavrodi is a molecular microbiologist who is interested in the ecology of antibiotic-producing and plant-associated bacteria. | dmitri.mavrodi@usm.edu Office: (601) 266-4748 Dr. Mavrodi's Faculty Page | |
| Fengwei Bai, PhD | The University of Southern Mississippi | Research focuses on virology and immunology. Keywords: Viruses, immunology, infectious diseases, knockout mouse models, biomedical research | Mammalian cell and insect cell culture, QPCR, DNA/RNA gel electrophoresis, Immunostaining and blotting assays, viral plaque assay | fengwei.bai@usm.edu Office: (601) 266-4748 Dr. Bai's Faculty Page |
| Hao Xu, PhD | The University of Southern Mississippi | The Xu lab has three major research focuses: 1) We are interested in understanding specific protein-protein interactions and protein-lipid interactions that lead to membrane fusion, which is required for intracellular traffic, hormone secretion and neurotransmission. To achieve that, we exploit a multifaceted approach which includes biochemical analysis, biophysical measurements and in vitro reconstitution. 2) We are interested in unraveling the regulation of mast cell degranulation, which is the culprit of allergic inflammation. We exploit cell-based secretion assays developed in the Xu lab to interrogate the function of specific proteins in the release of different mast cell mediators, from histamine to TNF. We routinely use RNAi to knock down gene expression or CRISPR technology to knock out a target gene. Our goal is to establish functional assays for proteins that are potential drug targets for the control of allergic inflammation. 3) We are interested in host-viral interactions that play central roles in the survival/propagation of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus in host cells. At the moment, we are investigating the biochemical and functional relationship between SNAREs and previously overlooked tegument proteins. This line of investigation is conducted in collaboration with colleagues in other universities Keywords: Membrane fusion; secretion; protein traffic; mast cell degranulation; allergy; host-viral interaction | Molecular cloning including PCR, restriction digestion, ligation, DNA isolation; Protein expression and purification; SDS-PAGE; western blotting; preparing proteoliposomes; FRET-based vesicle fusion assay; cell culture; RNAi; CRISPR | hao.xu@usm.edu Office: (601) 266-4748 Dr. Xu's Faculty Page |
| Shahid Karim, PhD | The University of Southern Mississippi | Research focuses on the arthropod vectors of deadly infectious disease agents and attempts to use functional genomics tools to identify tick-derived proteins required for prolonged blood-feeding and pathogen infection in the mammalian host. Keywords: RNA interference, Genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics, recombinant protein expression, vaccine, Alpha-Gal Syndrome, Lyme Disease, Rickettsiosis, ticks, Acari | RNA interference, western blotting, PCR, real time quantitative PCR, confocal imaging, bioinformatics, ELISA, Mass spectrometry, cell culture | shahid.karim@usm.edu Office: (601) 266-4748 Dr. Karim's Faculty Page |
| Vijay Rangachari, PhD | The University of Southern Mississippi | Research focuses on protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions and molecular recognition, specifically delineating the underlying molecular mechanisms that dictate protein aggregation and amyloid formation. Research also focuses on developing structure-bases design of ‘conformation-specific’ molecules that are directed towards recognizing pathogenic ‘cross-beta sheet’ polypeptide structures. | vijay.rangachari@usm.edu Office: (601) 266-6044 Dr. Rangachari's Lab Page | |
| YanLin Guo, PhD | The University of Southern Mississippi | Research focuses on the study of molecular mechanisms by which endothelial cells assemble into blood vessels and the roles of p38 MAP kinases in the regulation of endothelial cell physiology and vascular biology. | yanlin.guo@usm.edu Office: (601) 266-4748 Dr. Guo's Faculty Page | |
| Lainy Day, PhD | University of Mississippi | Research focuses on understanding the evolution, function and neuroendocrinology of brain regions involved in spatial and motor learning, principally the hippocampus and cerebellum. Projects revolve around steroid induced neuroplasticity and neurogenesis in the avian brain with some work in non-avian vertebrate models as well. Keywords: Spatial ability, neuroscience, cognition, behavior, neurobiology, endocrinology, neurogenesis, neuroplasticity, birds, avian, psychology, behavioral neuroscience, hormones, hippocampus, cerebellum, motor | Histotechniques - dissecting, preserving, cutting, mounting tissue on slides, and using stains for morphological, protein, or RNA analyses, Transcriptomics, Animal Behavior Analysis Software, Animal Behavior Learning Assays, Highspeed videography and analysis, Avian Husbandry | lainyday@olemiss.edu Office: (662) 915-5444 Dr. Day's Faculty Page |
| Nathan Hammer, PhD | University of Mississippi | When molecules interact noncovalently through hydrogen bonding or other electrostatic interactions, pi-pi interactions, or Van der Waals forces, their physical properties change. We study the physical properties of interacting molecules in environments ranging from the single molecule to the bulk using different laser-based spectroscopic methods and computational modeling. Our spectroscopic capabilities include high resolution Raman spectroscopy, the study of size-selected clusters in the gas phase, the use of single molecule techniques such as surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, and other laser-based spectroscopies to study interacting molecular architectures. These include excited state lifetime, time correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) studies, ns, ps, and fs transient absorption spectroscopy, and quantum yield determinations. Such studies help answer long-standing questions involving the effects of intermolecular interactions on biologically relevant systems and also in developing devices such as solar cells that incorporate conjugated organic molecules. Both as team members and individually, we work to make new strides in the overall understanding of how molecules interact with each other and how their structure affects their resulting properties. Keywords: Raman spectroscopy, Fluorescence spectroscopy, Computational Chemistry | Students participating in this program with use computational chemistry and laser-based molecular spectroscopic methods such as Raman spectroscopy to elucidate the effects of noncovalent interactions on important biological building blocks or newly developed emissive or catalytic materials. | nhammer@olemiss.edu Office: (662) 915-3989 Dr. Hammer's Faculty Page Dr. Hammer's Lab Page |
| Suresh Sulochana, PhD | University of Mississippi | Bio-analysis by using UPLC-MS/MS, in-vitro studies and in-vivo PK studies | spsuloch@olemiss.edu 662-915-7341 Dr. Sulochana's Faculty Page | |
| Thomas Werfel, PhD | University of Mississippi | Our lab employs an interdisciplinary approach lying at the interface of materials chemistry, bioengineering, and the biological sciences to discover and implement next-generation cancer therapies. We design environmentally-responsive drug delivery systems to improve the therapeutic index of existing drugs or generate novel drugs against previously “undruggable” targets. We develop therapies that target specific genes or proteins crucial to cancer cell growth to precisely assail cancerous tissue while sparing healthy tissue. And we elucidate cellular and molecular processes that impact a) drug delivery efficiency and b) cancer progression, resistance to therapy, and metastasis. Keywords: Nanotechnology, Cancer, Immunotherapy, Metastasis, Drug Delivery, Bioengineering | Polymer synthesis, polymer characterization (NMR, GPC, HPLC, Mass Spectrometry), nanoparticle fabrication and characterization (Light scattering and electron microscopy), cell culture, molecular analysis (PCR, western blot, fluorescent microscopy), animal models of cancer | tawerfel@olemiss.edu Office: 662-915-8969 Dr. Werfel's Faculty Page |
| Rama Gadepalli, PhD | University of Mississippi | Development of new chemical entities as future drugs by molecular modification methods – Synthesis of small and large biologically active molecules, heterocycles, peptides, fatty acids, steroids, organometallic complexes- Chemistry and analysis of chiral compounds | rama@olemiss.edu 662-915-8865 Dr. Gadepalli's Faculty Page | |
| Kenneth J. Sufka, PhD | University of Mississippi | pysufka@olemiss.edu (662) 915-7728 Dr. Sufka's Faculty Page | ||
| Joshua Sharp, PhD | University of Mississippi | Current focus is on the study of interactions between neutralizing antibodies and the glycoprotein coat of HIV; characterization of chemokines and the structural factors mediating their oligomerization and function; and the identification of glycosaminoglycan structures with potential biomedical applications for a wide variety of fields including anti-microbial agents, anti-cancer therapies, and anti-inflammatory therapies. | jsharp@olemiss.edu 662-915-1758 Dr. Sharp's Faculty Page | |
| Amol Janorkar, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | With his training and experience in the field of biomaterials and tissue engineering over the past 19 years, Dr. Amol Janorkar leads a research group that focuses on cell-biomaterial interactions to direct cell morphology and ultimate cell function. The Janorkar Lab uses chemical and physical modification of biopolymer substrates to create three-dimensional in vitro tissue models that achieve enhanced survival and biological function versus conventional cultures for liver, adipose, and bone tissue engineering. With his research funded by the NIH, NSF, and USDA, Dr. Janorkar has published 27 journal articles and 27 conference proceedings, and made 44 conference presentations in the past 5 years. Recognizing these research accomplishments the University of Mississippi Medical Center has awarded Dr. Janorkar the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medallions for Research Excellence. Dr. Janorkar serves as the Director of the summer research program that has trained 140+ dental and undergraduate students over past 11 years. Recognizing his contributions to dental research, he has been inducted into the Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society, which rarely inducts non-dentist faculty members. Dr. Janorkar has supervised graduate (6), undergraduate (32), dental and medical (10), and post-docs (2). His students have won 32 awards for outstanding research at local and national levels. Recognizing his teaching and mentoring, Dr. Janorkar was awarded the TEACH (Toward Educational Advancement in Care and Health) Prize, the highest award given to an educator by the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He has also been inducted into the Nelson Order of Teaching Excellence. Keywords: Tissue engineering, Drug delivery, Polymeric biomaterials | Materials synthesis and characterization, Cell culture, Biological responses | ajanorkar@umc.edu Office: (601) 984-6170 Dr. Janorhar's Faculty Page |
| Andrew Smith, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Research focuses on development and testing of new imaging biomarkers for detection and staging of cancer, chronic liver disease, stroke, and osteoporosis. These are clinical and/or translational research projects that are run through the Department of Radiology. The projects often involve patient images and data and are aimed at development of new tools for use in clinical practice. | asmith4@umc.edu Dr. Smith's Faculty Page | |
| Babette LaMarca, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Research focuses on identifying immune mechanisms that cause hypertension during pregnancy. | bblamarca@umc.edu Office: (601) 815-1430 Dr. LaMarca's Faculty Page | |
| Bernadette Grayson, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Research focuses on central and peripheral control of obesity and diabetes using rodent models. Research also focuses on the hormonal and dietary effects of maternal in utero environment on the transmission of metabolic disease to offspring. | bgrayson@umc.edu Office: (601) 984-3809 Dr. Grayson's Faculty Page | |
| David Brown, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Research focuses on employing the techniques of molecular genetics to generate stable cell lines that over express normal or in vitro mutagenized H1 variants. | dbrown@umc.edu Office: (601) 984-1849 Dr. Brown's Faculty Page | |
| Denise C. Cornelius, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Dr. Cornelius’s laboratory has research focus in two major areas. The first is related to understanding how immune system activation mechanistically promotes the pathogenesis of hypertension and intrauterine growth restriction during pregnancy. Using multiple experimental models of preeclampsia, Dr. Cornelius’s lab investigates the renal and vascular mechanisms during preeclampsia and how they are influenced by inflammatory and cytotoxic immune cells and mediators. The second is related to understanding mechanisms that lead to the development of multi-organ injury during sepsis. Patients with sepsis have increased platelet activation are prone to develop multi-organ failure and have poor clinical outcomes. Dr. Cornelius’s laboratory uses a modified cecal ligation and puncture model that mimics characteristics of sepsis to investigate an important role for activated platelets in the development of multi-organ injury in sepsis. Keywords: Sepsis, Preeclampsia, Immunology | ELISA, Flow Cytometry, Western Blot, Cytotoxicity Assay, Immune Cell isolation, Placental explant culture, Doppler Ultrasound, Small animal surgery, renal function assays, PCR | dcornelius@umc.edu Office: (601) 815-1551 Dr. Cornelius's Faculty Page |
| Drazen Raucher, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Research focuses on developing an approach that allows peptide therapeutics to be delievered specifically to the tumor site. | - | draucher@umc.edu Office: (601) 984-1510 Dr. Raucher's Faculty Page |
| Frank Spradley, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Dr. Frank T. Spradley is an assistant professor of surgery and physiology. His research program focuses on assessing mechanisms whereby obesity, a global health burden, increases the risk for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases including hypertension and fatty liver injury. Hypertension is the number 1 risk factor for cardiovascular-related morbidity and mortality. Obesity reaches to impact blood pressure regulation pregnancy. His lab is currently examining how obesity impacts blood pressure regulation during pregnancy. His research interests have expanded to explore how obesity increases the risk for liver ischemia/reperfusion injury during transplantation. Keywords: Blood pressure, hypertension, pregnancy, women’s health, liver, transplantation | My laboratory uses a wide range of techniques to examine experimental questions related to hypertension and vascular disease and also liver injury during transplantation. We have expertise in maintaining colonies of genetically-manipulated rodents and generating timed-pregnant rats to assess blood pressure regulation and isolated blood vessel function during pregnancy. We are able to induce placental ischemia, which is a major driver in promoting hypertension during pregnancy. These animal models are useful to assess the molecular basis of disease with methods to assess mRNA and protein expression. We also have ways to induce liver ischemia/reperfusion in fatty livers in order to assess mechanisms of tissue injury following liver transplantation. | fspradley@umc.edu Office: (601) 815-3114 Dr. Spradley's Faculty Page |
| Hamed Benghuzzi, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Research focuses on the development and applications of novel drug delivery systems. | hbenghuzzi@umc.edu | |
| Heather Drummond | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Research focuses on identifying proteins that form mechanosensitive ion channels in sensory neurons and vascular smooth muscle, understanding how mechanosensitive channels transduce force, and seeing how these channels are affected by disease states such as hypertension. | hdrummond@umc.edu Office: (601) 984-1812 Dr. Drummond's Faculty Page | |
| James Shaffery, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | My area of research is focused upon the role that rapid eye movement sleep appears to play in brain development. We aim at understanding the changes initiated when sleep, especially rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, is suppressed in early life that lead to negative outcomes later in life. Additionally, recently my research interests have expanded to investigate the role of gamma aminobutyric acid (type A) (GABAA) receptor modulators (benzodiazepine-like compounds) with high affinities for specific GABAA receptor subtypes in producing and regulating more naturalistic sleep profiles compared to those currently in medical usage. Keywords: REM sleep, electrophysiology, EEG, benzodiazepine, GABA receptors, brain development | My lab uses primarily rodents to explore the alterations in sleep EEGs and standard behavioral tests in untreated and treated (benzodiazepine-like compounds, and / or sleep disruptions) animals. | jshaffery@umc.edu Office: (601) 984-6684 Dr. Shaffery's Faculty Page |
| Jan Williams, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Research focuses on renal physiology and diabetes and hypertension-induced nephropathy. | JMWilliams5@umc.edu Office: (601) 984-1634 Dr. William's Faculty Page | |
| Jane Reckelhoff, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Research focuses on postmenopausal hypertension, polycystic ovary syndrome, and sex steroids and renal injuries. Interested in studying the mechanisms of hypertension and increasing blood pressure to determine treatments for such conditions. Keywords: Women’s health, kidney, blood pressure, androgens | Conscious radiotelemetry, western blots, real time qPCR, various assays | jreckelhoff@umc.edu Office: (601) 984-1502 Dr. Reckelhoff's Faculty Page |
| Jorge E. Vidal, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Molecular pathogenesis of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus). Mechanism(s) of colonization of the upper airways. Molecular epidemiology of pneumococcal disease. Acquisition of antibiotic resistance. Keywords: Bacterial infections, pneumococcal disease, bacterial pathogenesis, bacterial genetics, antibiotic resistance, vaccines | PCR and Real-time PCR assays Protein electrophoresis and Western-blot TaqMan array cards Bacterial cultures and Cell cultures Fluorescence microscopy and confocal microscopy Gene expression studies, RT-PCR, and RNA-Seq Serology DNA and RNA purification Cellular fractionation | jvidal@umc.edu Office: (601) 815-1236 Dr. Vidal's Lab Page |
| Jose Javier Miguel-Hidalgo, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Research focuses on the neurobiology of alcoholism with an especial emphasis on the role of glial cells in the vulnerability and maintenance of alcohol dependence. This research uses animal models of alcohol preference and human postmortem tissue and applies immunohistochemical, biochemical and pharmacological methods to the study of changes in morphology, cell proliferation and the expression of proteins related with crucial functions mediated by glia such as glutamate transport. | JMiguel-Hidalgo@umc.edu Office: (601) 984-5791 Dr. Miguel-Hidalgo's Faculty Page | |
| Kedra Wallace, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Research focuses on the role of T cells in contributing to the breakdown of the blood brain barrier in women with hypertensive pregnancies. Our lab studies both the acute affects and the long-term consequences of BBB damage during pregnancy.The gynecology section of our laboratory examines the relationship between hypertension and uterine fibroid smooth muscle cell proliferation. We also examine how women’s health conditions such as uterine fibroids and endometriosis affect quality of life, depression and anxiety among women with these disorders. Keywords: Women’s health, hypertension, mental health, neuroscience, obstetrics, gynecology | Students rotating through my lab may participate in a variety of techniques ranging from rodent behavior to brain cellular dissection to flow cytometry preparation to the more common enzyme and protein based assays. | kwallace2@umc.edu Office: 601-984-5396 Dr. Wallace's Faculty Page |
| Kevin Freeman, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Research focuses on investigation of the determinants of drug choice over non-drug alternatives and interventions for decreasing drug choice. The study of drugs as punishers with the aim of developing abuse-deterrent technologies for prescription medications. The study of interactions between obesity/eating disorders and drug abuse. | kfreeman@umc.edu Dr. Freeman's Faculty Page | |
| Lir-Wan Fan, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Research focused on investigating the long-term adverse effects of perinatal brain inflammation on late-onset neurodegenerative diseases, such as idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. Studies: Perinatal hypoxic‐ischemia, Periventricular leukomalacia, Intrauterine growth restriction, Parkinson’s disease, Inflammatory and neuropathic pain, Sleep disturbances. Keywords: Neurotoxicity; Development, Inflammation, Cytokines, Neonate, Hypoxic‐ischemia, Neurodegenerative diseases, Neuronal behavior, Brain damage, Spinal cord injury, Motor dysfunction, Cognitive deficits, Inflammatory and neuropathic pain. | Animal behavioral study, sample collection, ELISA, Western blotting, TBARS assay, enzyme activity assay, ATP assay, fixation, microtomy, immunohistochemistry, microscopy, stereological cell counting, IVIS spectrum imaging, micro-CT imaging, unilateral or bilateral carotid artery occlusion surgery, reduced uterine perfusion surgery, stereotaxic techniques, Microlight (ML830) Laser therapy, and transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) therapy. | lwfan@umc.edu Office: (601) 984-2345 Dr. Fan's Faculty Page |
| Michael Garrett, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Research focuses on understanding the genetic basis of complex diseases, including kidney disease, hypertension and diabetes. | mrgarrett@umc.edu Office: (601) 984-4309 Dr. Garrett's Faculty Page | |
| Michelle Tucci, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | mtucci@umc.edu Dr. Tucci's Faculty Page | ||
| Stanley Smith, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Research focuses on understanding disease models and mechanisms, characterization of biomarkers for human illness, prevention of adverse drug response, disparities in health treatment and outcomes, and drug metabolism and pharmakinetics. | svsmith@umc.edu Office: (601) 815-1268 Dr. Smith's Faculty Page | |
| Stephen Stray, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Research focuses on virus evolution, using influenza virus as a model, and developing virus-based therapeutics for the treatment of cancer Keywords: influenza, virus evolution, cancer therapy, protein purification, virus assembly | ‘Flu project: computational analysis of databases, classic virology techniques (hemagglutination, virus growth, plaque reduction assay, chemical neuraminidase assay), in vitro virus evolution. Cancer therapy project: cell growth retardation assays, cytotoxicity assays, cell cycle analysis, bacterial protein expression and purification, in vitro virus-like particle assembly, mass spectrometry. | sstray@umc.edu Office: (601) 984-1735 Dr. Stray's Faculty Page |
| W. Neil Duggar, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Dr. Duggar research interests are in clinically applied research in the field of Radiation Oncology. This may include the handling of CT, MRI, PET, or other patient imaging as well as the harvesting of dosimetric data from patient treatment plans treated with external beam radiation therapy, Gamma Knife, or even High-Dose Rate Brachytherapy. Huge interest lies in the application of big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning technologies to further clinical quality at the University of MS Medical Center, though this is a developing infrastructure. Keywords: Radiation Oncology, Machine Learning, DICOM, Radiosurgery | The student will be exposed to many aspects of Radiation Therapy such as treatment planning systems, linear accelerators, Gamma Knife Icon, HDR Afterloaders. | wduggar@umc.edu Office: (601) 815-6246 Dr. Duggar's Faculty Page |
| Xinchun Zhou, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Research focuses on exploring lipid markers in diagnosis and prognosis of cancers, as well as on the metabolic pathways of identified lipid biomarkers. | xzhou@umc.edu (601) 984-1687 Dr. Zhou's Faculty Page | |
| Noha M. Shawky (Elsayed), PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Long-term consequences of hyper-androgenemic pregnancy on offspring | nelsayed@umc.edu Office: 601-984-1877 Dr. Elsayed's Faculty Page | |
| Lorena M. Amaral | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Progesterone as a treatment option for superimposed PE | lmamaral@umc.edu Phone: (601) 815-1401 Dr. Amaral's Faculty Page | |
| Erin Taylor, PhD | University of Mississippi Medical Center | Immunology, cardiovascular and renal physiology | ertaylor@umc.edu (601) 984-1842 Dr. Erin Taylor's Faculty Page | |
| Alan Mouton | University of Mississippi Medical Center | myocardial infarction, cardiac remodeling, macrophage physiology | amouton@umc.edu (601) 984- 1819 Mouton's Faculty Page |
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