Basic Sciences

Chuanhai Cao, MA, PhD

Chuanhai Cao, MA PhD  – Assistant Professor
Research Interests include vaccine development against Alzheimer’s disease.

Bruce Citron, PhD

Bruce Citron, PhD – Assistant Professor – Department of Molecular Medicine
Research Interests include investigating transcription factor dysregulation important to the health of central nervous system neurons.

Marcia Gordon, PhD

Marcia Gordon, PhD - Professor Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology

Research interests include experimental therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease (preclinical in transgenic mouse models; Mechanisms of glial activation in neurodegeneration; Age –related changes in functions of glial cells)

Amal Hakki, BA, MB

Amal Hakki, BA, MB - Department of Molecular Medicine
Research Interest include investigating risk factors involved in triggering pathological processes resulting in several debilitating illnesses, of mention, cancer and autoimmune diseases. The main focus, at cellular and molecular levels, would be geared towards defining, down-regulating or blocking the initiators. Moreover, in collaboration with other investigators, the aim is to construct a vaccine that would enhance local as well as systemic immunity. The outcome of such investigative research work is promising and it is anticipated to be of great value in dealing with those chronic conditions by either ameliorating the symptoms or might even possibly cure them.

Qingyou Li, PhD

Qingyou Li, PhD – Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology
Research interests include neurodegeneration disorders including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

Ana Mieres, MS, PhD

Ana Mieres, MS, PhD  – Assistant Professor – Department of Physical Therapy
Research interests include system delivery models, access, quality, outcomes for ASD and other related disorders children and their families, interdisciplinary screening for ASD, learning disabilities, leadership development to invoke these changes.

David Morgan, PhD

David Morgan, PhD – Signature Interdisciplinary Program Director in Neuroscience Basic Research- Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology

Michael Nolan, PhD

Michael Nolan, PhD – Department of Pathology and Cell Biology
Research interests include learning strategies and teaching approaches in the neural sciences.

Christopher Phelps, PhD

Christopher Phelps, PhD – Department of Pathology and Cell Biology
Research interests include neuroendocrine and immune interaction during immune challenge in rats.

Samuel Saporta, PhD

Samuel Saporta, PhD – Department of Pathology and Cell Biology
Research in the lab centers on the response of the central nervous system to metabolic or traumatic injury and its repair.  We have examined the response of the spinal cord to direct and indirect injury (in which the blood-brain barrier is not compromised) and the use of adult stem cells in the treatment of spinal cord injury.  Additionally we are studying cell signaling pathways controlling differentiation of cancer stem cells, neural progenitor cells and adult stem cells to neural phenotypes.  Of special interest is the Ntera2/D1 cell line, derived from a human teratocarcinoma, which we have successfully differentiated to multiple neuronal phenotypes (dopaminergic, cholinergic and GABAergic).  We are very interested in examining the cell signaling pathways associated with the differentiation of these cancer stem cells to a neuronal phenotype, the signaling that determines whether these stem cells differentiate to dopaminergic vs. cholingergic vs. GABAergic neurons, and the switching mechanisms that allow this to occur.

Toru Shimizu, PhD

Toru Shimizu, PhD – Department of Psychology
The long-term goal of our lab is to understand the neural basis of cognitive abilities in non-mammals (birds); particularly how their brains, despite the lack of a "neocortex," accomplish complex tasks. In our lab, we use interdisciplinary methods, such as anatomical tract-tracing, immunohistochemistry, lesions, and behavioral analysis, to answer this question.

Shijie Song, Assistant Professor

Shijie Song, Assistant Professor – Department of Neurology & VAH Research 151
Research interests include stem cells and neural degenerative diseases in neuroscience; cell culture and cell biology.

Lynn Wecker, PhD

Lynn Wecker, PhD – Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine
Our laboratory seeks to understand how brain chemistry affects or determines behaviors with an emphasis on the etiology and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, depression and addictive behaviors. Multidisciplinary approaches are used to elucidate how age, drugs of abuse, and environmental and genetic factors affect both brain chemistry and behavior. We are particularly interested in the long-term consequences of drug exposure during adolescence, and how personality traits affect drug response. Studies include elucidating the effects of sustained nicotine exposure on the function and expression of neuronal nicotinic receptors and transcription factors in the brain. Results from these studies will ultimately provide information on the molecular and cellular basis of behavior, thereby leading to new strategies for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Janet Zadina, PhD– Assistant Professor

Janet Zadina, PhD – Assistant Professor – Department of Psychology
My research interests are language (dyslexia and stuttering) , MRI morphomety of brain regions, PTSD, emotion, laterality.