Faculty

Name	Research Interests
R. Craig Albertson Professor of Biology, University of Massachusetts	Evolutionary Developmental Biology
Dominique R. Alfandari Professor of Developmental Biology, University of Massachusetts	Cell migration in Developmental systems
Lauren Andrews Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering	Uncovering genetic design rules to reprogram regulation and metabolism in living cells for applications in health and biotechnology
Kathleen F. Arcaro Professor of Environmental Toxicology, University of Massachusetts	Breast Cancer: Assesing Individual Breast Cancer Risk
Courtney C. Babbitt Associate Professor, Department of Biology	Evolutionary Genomics
Michael J.F. Barresi Professor of Biological Sciences and Neuroscience, Smith College	Developmental Neurobiology, Assistant Neuron and Glial Cell Interactions; Astroglial Cell Development in the CNS
Madelaine Bartlett Associate Professor, Biology	Evolution of plant development; Molecular evolution
Tobias Baskin Professor, Biology	Regulation of Plant Morphogenesis During Growth & Development
Joseph Bergan Assistant Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences	We seek to understand the principles of how social and defensive stimuli are encoded in the activity of neurons, and how this process can be modulated by behavior state, experience, and neuromodulation.
Eric L. Bittman Professor Emeritus, Department of Biology	Circadian Rhythms, Reproduction, and Seasonal Changes in Brain Function
Jeffrey L. Blanchard Associate Professor, Department of Biology	Microbial cellular and community networks; influence of environmental change on the evolution of molecular processes; systems biology; bioinformatics
James Chambers Light Microscopy Director, Cell Culture Director, UMass Amherst	Applying novel chemical biology tools and emerging biophysical techniques to solve fundamental questions in neuroscience
Jianhan Chen Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Computational Biochemistry & Biophysics
Min Chen Associate Professor of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts	Application of Proteins in Biotechnology; Functional Mechanism of Membrane Protein Pores, Channels and Transporters
Alice Cheung Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	Molecular and cell biology of male-female interaction and polarized cell growth in plant reproduction
Peter Chien Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts	Regulated Protein Degradation in Bacterial Cell-Cycle Progression
Soonkyu Chung Associate Professor, Nutrition	Obesity, Brown adipocytes, Adipose Inflammation, Dietary polyphenols, Epigenetics
Eugenia Clerico Research Assistant Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hélène Cousin Research Assistant Professor of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Massachusetts	Cranial Neural Crest Migration during Embryonic Development
Edward P. Debold Associate Professor of Kinesiology, University of Massachusetts	Muscle Myosin in Cardiovascular Disease and Muscular Fatigue
Nathan Derr Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Smith College	Biophysical and cell biological mechanisms of the cytoskeletal molecular motors dynein and kinesin
Gerald B. Downes Professor, Department of Biology	Development and function of spinal cord networks
Stephen J. Eyles Extension Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Director, Mass Spectrometry Core, Institute for Applied Life Sciences	Biological mass spectrometry, protein folding and dynamics
Michelle Facette Assistant Professor, Biology	Cell polarization and asymmetric cell division; cytoskeletal regulation; cellular physiology
Michelle Farkas Assistant Professor of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts, Amherst	Development and Application of Chemical Biology Methods for the Study of Cancer Progression and Metastasis
Rafael A. Fissore Professor and Head, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts	Ca2+ Release Mechanisms in Mammalian Oocytes during Maturation and Fertilization
Patrick Flaherty Assistant Professor, Mathematics and Statistics	Statistical machine-learning methods for genomic and biomedical data analysis
Neil St. John Forbes Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts	Engineering Tumor-Targeting Therapies
Lillian Fritz–Laylin Associate Professor of Biology	Quantitative Evolutionary Cell Biology
Scott C. Garman Associate Graduate Program Director, MCB; Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	Structural biology of glycoproteins in human disease
John G. Gibbons Assistant Professor of Food Science	Genomics, Evolution, Bioinformatics
Lori Goldner Professor of Physics, University of Massachusetts	Single Molecule Biophysics
Jeanne A. Hardy Professor of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts	Design of allosteric pathways in caspases and phosphatases; x-ray crystallography
Lili He Associate Professor, Food Science	The analysis of chemical, physical and biological targets in complex systems
Daniel N. Hebert Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts	Protein Folding, Quality Control and Degradation of Membrane Glycoproteins
Alejandro P. Heuck Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts	Bacterial Pathogenesis
Abigail Jensen Associate Professor, Department of Biology	Molecular and cellular mechanisms of vertebrate retinal development and retinal disease.
D. Joseph Jerry Professor of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts	Tumor Suppressor Genes and the Cellular Basis for Susceptibility to Breast Cancer
Juan M Jiménez Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering	Fluid flow characteristics and fluid flow-dependent biomolecular pathways relevant to diseases and processes in the body.
Igor A. Kaltashov Professor of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts	Architecture and Dynamics of Transport Proteins
Ilia Karatsoreos Associate Professor, Psychological and Brain Sciences	The general research objective in our lab is to understand the neural and physiological systems that the brain and body use to protect us from harm and adapt to changes in the environment. We focus on biological rhythms, stress, immunology, and metabolism
Rolf O. Karlstrom Professor, Department of Biology	Developmental neurobiology; axon guidance and forebrain patterning
Laura A. Katz Elsie Damon Simonds Professor of Biological Sciences, Smith College	Genome evolution and biodiversity studies of microbial eukaryotes
Paul S. Katz Director of Neuroscience and Professor of Biology	Neuroethology, central pattern generators, single neuron RNA-seq, developmental neuroscience, evolution of neural circuits, molluscan systems
Young–Cheul Kim Associate Professor of Nutrition, University of Massachusetts	Impact of Nutrients and Dietary Bioactive Components on Chronic Diseases
Michele M. Klingbeil Associate Professor of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts	Parasitology, the replication and repair of mitochondrial DNA (kinetoplast DNA network) in African trypanosomes
Mike Knapp Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry	Biological and Inorganic Chemistry; Enzyme structure and mechanisms, Hypoxia sensing, Metalloenzymes, Redesign of the second coordination sphere
Ashish Kulkarni Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering	Immunoengineering Nano-immunotheraputics Immunotheranostics Bio-inspired Materials Drug Delivery
Gwenael Layec Assistant Professor of Kinesiology	Musculoskeletal Physiology, Bioenergetics, Mitochondria, Cardiovascular Physiology, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/imaging
Jungwoo Lee Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering	Translational Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering
Zhenhua Liu Associate Professor of Nutrition, University of Massachusetts	Nutrition and Cancer Prevention
Li–Jun Ma Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	Fungal comparative genomics, eukaryotic genome evolution and organism adaptation
Sibongile Mafu Assistant Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Biological chemistry of plant natural products
Jesse Mager Professor of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts	Developmental Biology: Cell-Cell Signaling
Thomas J. Maresca Graduate Program Director, MCB; Associate Professor of Biology	Ensuring Genomic Integrity through Cell Division
Craig T. Martin Professor of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts	Transcription; Protein-DNA Interactions
Lynne A. McLandsborough Professor of Food Science, University of Massachusetts	Involvement of Bacterial Surface Molecules in Attachment to Food and Food Processing Surfaces
Mark S. Miller Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology	Aging, Exercise, Skeletal Muscle, Muscle Mechanics, Sex Differences
Lisa M. Minter Associate Professor of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts	Notch signaling in autoimmune diseases
Matthew D. Moore Assistant Professor of Food Science	Food microbiology; food and environmental virology; eukaryotic virus-bacteria interactions; portable detection and sequencing platforms; viral inactivation strategies and therapeutics; viral concentration techniques.
Sarah Moore Assistant Professor of Engineering, Smith College
David E. Moorman Associate Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences	Cellular and network mechanisms of motivation, learning, and executive functions (e.g., decision-making). Neural function in animal models of addiction, ADHD, obesity, and depression. Neurotechnology and neural computation.
Yasu S. Morita Associate Professor of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts	Mycobacterial Pathogenesis: Glycobiology, Biochemistry, and Cell Biology
Mandy Muller Assistant Professor of Microbiology	Using viruses as a tool to understand cell biology
Murugappan Muthukumar Wilmer D. Barrett Professor of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts	Statistical Mechanics of Polymers
Barbara A. Osborne Professor of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts	Immunoglobulin Gene Diversification; Induction of Apoptosis in Lymphocytes
Stephanie L. Padilla Assistant Professor of Biology	Sex hormones, feeding behavior and body weight homeostasis, circadian rhythms, women’s health
ChangHui Pak Assistant Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	synaptic adhesion molecules
Sarah Pallas Associate Professor, Biology	Developmental neuroscience, Sensory neurophysiology
Om Parkash Dhankher Professor, Stockbridge School of Agriculture	Plant genetic engineering and biotechnology, phytoremediation of soil contaminants
Shelly Peyton Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts	Breast Cancer, Metastasis, Drug Resistance, Biomaterials
Leonid A. Pobezinsky Associate Professor of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts	Non-coding RNAs in the immune system
Jenny Rauch Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	The neurodegenerative protein tau and its role in disease progression
Luke Remage–Healey Program Leader / GPD of Neuroscience and Behavior Program; Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences	Neural basis of behavior
Heather N. Richardson Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences	The focus of the Stress and Addiction Lab is to determine the neurobiological mechanisms underlying stress-related disorders using rodent models.
Vincent M. Rotello Professor of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts	Synthetic Models of Biomolecular Activity
Alissa Rothchild Assistant Professor, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences	Alveolar macrophages and innate immunity, immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, host-pathogen interactions
Ana M. Salicioni Research Assistant Professor of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Massachusetts	Molecular Mechanisms Responsible for Sperm Function. Role of Testis-Specific Kinases in Male Fertility and as Targets for Contraception
Steven J. Sandler Professor and Department Head of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts	The Molecular Mechanisms of DNA Replication and Homologous Recombination
Maria M. Santore Professor of Polymer Science & Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts	Interfacial Polymer Physics, Dynamics, and Colloidal Phenomena
Nathan Schnarr Lecturer of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts	Polyketide Synthase Engingeering
Larry M. Schwartz Professor, Department of Biology	Molecular mechanisms that mediate programmed cell death
David A. Sela Associate Professor, Department of Food Science	Nutrition, human milk, gut microbiome, systems biology, host-microbe interactions/co-evolution, translational research
Tricia Serio Dean, College of Natural Sciences	Prion cycle regulation in vivo, cellular mechanisms and consequences of protein misfolding and resolution
M. Sloan Siegrist Assistant Professor of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts	Adaptation of Intracellular Pathogens to the Host Environment
Sallie W. Smith–Schneider Scientist, Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute Adjunct Research Assistant Professor of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts	Signaling During Mammary Gland Development and Carcinogenesis
Andrew Stephens Assistant Professor of Biology	Nuclear mechanics
Meg Stratton Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department	Molecular level understanding of proteins that are involved in long-term memory formation
Eric R Strieter Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry	Protein Post-Translational Modifications
Yubing Sun Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering	Harnessing the mechanobiology of stem cells
Alexander Suvorov Associate Professor, Environmental Health Sciences	Effects on behavior by environmental xenobiotics with endocrine disruptive properties
Gregory N. Tew Professor of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts	Supramolecular Polymer Science
Sankaran (Thai) Thayumanavan Professor of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts	Biomimetic Organic Molecules and Polymers
Lynmarie K. Thompson Professor of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Director, Chemistry Biology Interface Training Program	Structure and Mechanism of Membrane Proteins
Alicia R. Timme–Laragy Associate Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts	Developmental toxicology of environmental contaminants, transcription-factor-mediated antioxidant defenses, pancreatic B-cell development
Kimberly D. Tremblay Professor of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Massachusetts	Stem Cells and Developmental Biology
Ludmila Tyler Senior Lecturer, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	Using the model grass Brachypodium distachyon to understand development and bioenergy traits.
Richard Vachet Professor of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts	Bioanalytical Chemistry: Analytical Chemistry, Mass Spectrometry, Protein Folding, Metal-Protein Interactions, Gas-Phase Chemistry, Nanomaterials
Elena Vazey Assistant Professor, Departement of Biology	Neuromodulation and Neurodegeneration
Pablo E. Visconti Professor of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts	Signal Transduction Pathways During Sperm Capacitation
Patricia Wadsworth Professor of Biology, University of Massachusetts Director, IDGP	Cytoskeletal Dynamics in Living Cells
Elsbeth Walker Professor, Biology Department	Molecular genetic approaches to studying mechanisms of metal ion homeostasis in plants
Dong Wang Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	Mechanisms of symbiosis between plant hosts and beneficial microbes
Christine A. White–Ziegler Professor of Biological Sciences, Smith College	Environmental Regulation of Gene Expression in Escherichia coli
Steven A. Williams Gates Professor of Biological Sciences, Smith College	Molecular Biology of Human Parasitic Diseases/Genome Projects
Sarah Witkowski Chair and Associate Professor of Exercise & Sport Studies, Smith College	Molecular Mechanisms Contributing to Deleterious changes in Myocardial and Vascular Tissue
Amanda Woerman Assistant Professor, Department of Biology	Protein misfolding in neurodegenerative disease, prion strains, and the effect of protein aggregation on neuronal function
Hen–ming Wu Research Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts	Molecular Biology of Plant Development
Hang Xiao Professor of Food Science, University of Massachusetts	Cancer Preventive Dietary Components, Diet-based Strategy for Cancer Prevention
Nagendra Yadava Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Biology	Understand how mitochondrial dysfunction leads to neurodegeneration and other age-associated diseases such as diabetes and cancer, and the molecular, biochemical and physiological causes of mitochondrial dysfunction.
Mingxu You Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry	DNA/RNA nanotechnology, bioimaging and biosensing

Upcoming Events

Tue, Mar 28 - 4:00pm

4th Year Talks

Emily Lopes
Kaitlyn Gilliam

MCB Seminar

Mon, Apr 3 - 12:15pm

From cilia to swimming: Connecting sub-cellular dynamics with macroscopic behavior

Guillermina Ramirez-San Juan

MCB Seminar

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Mon, Apr 10 - 12:15pm

4th Year Talks

Thomas Harrington
Kevin Guay

MCB Colloquium