Research Mentors

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Stem cells and lymphocytes of the immune lineage are both inherently programmable systems, designed to cope with a broad diversity of demands. Research in the Bhattacharya Lab merges the fields of stem cell biology and immunology to understand the basic biology of lymphocyte development, survival pathways that promote both plasma cell longevity and malignancies, and to develop creative translational strategies to combat cancer.

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RNA biology and proteostasis, spanning both basic and translational topics, stress granules and P-bodies, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

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Molecular mechanisms promoting the development of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, head and neck

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Understanding the molecular basis of directed cell migration

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Molecular mechanisms of oxidative injury and adaptation, stress signal transduction pathways, stress gene expression, senescence, apoptosis and cardiac hypertrophy

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How genetic and epigenetic variations interact with human diets (especially the modern Western diet) to drive inflammation and inflammatory disorders (including cardiovascular disease and cancer), as well as psychiatric/developmental disorders (ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and depression)

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Regulation of normal and cancer cell responses to environmental signals

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Single-cell genomic technologies

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Our team explores the roles of MAP Kinases, PI3-Kinase, mTOR/Akt and TLR4-induced signaling in the development of UV-induced non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). We are examining the use of natural products or small molecule inhibitors of these targets to boost our efficiency at topically preventing NMSC.

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Organelle organization and function

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Dr. Ding studies enzyme function and regulation, genetics as applied to translational research for drug safety and efficacy, and genetic and environmental risks for chemical toxicity.

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Genomic instability, cancer susceptibility, genetic analysis of colorectal cancers

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Use of medicinal compounds for disease treatments such as breast cancer

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Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) latency

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Natural products and medicinal chemistry including isolation, characterization and partial synthesis of anticancer agents and their mechanisms of action

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Computational systems biology and population genetics;  mathematical simulations of protein networks

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Antigen processing and immune recognition of melanoma

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Dr. Hurley’s present research interests are in the areas of design and development of antitumor agents. Most recently his research has centered on secondary DNA structures, particularly G-quadruplexes and C-quadruplexes (also called i-motifs), as gene targets for drug design.

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Mechanisms of tumor-induced immunosuppression; promotion of anti-tumor immunity

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Cancer biology and tumor suppressors

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Cancer pharmacology/biology, cardiovascular pharmacology, molecular and biochemical pharmacology

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Radiation-induced salivary gland dysfunction; mechanisms of damage, clinical prevention measures, and restoration therapies

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Relationship between epigenetic and genomic instability; regulation of transposable elements and repeat-gene clusters

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Gastric cancer

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Prostate cancer, integrin interactions within the tumor microenvironment

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Determine the atomic structures of proteins and seek to understand how protein structure gives rise to protein function - both in vitro and in living cells

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Invasion and metastasis of breast cancer through use of analytical cell biology and quantitative cellular microscopy

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Evaluation of the molecular mechanisms of action of novel experimental cancer therapeutics with an emphasis on targeting protein degradation and autophagy

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Inflammation and tumor progression/metastasis; Racial disparities and cancer; Molecular diagnosis of cancer and other genetic diseases

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Hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer (HLRCC); Development of algorithms for the analysis of transcriptomic data; Transcriptional and metabolic reprogramming in response to physiochemical stimuli

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The Padi lab develops new computational approaches to integrate genomic “big data” and model how cellular networks are functionally altered by disease, genetic variation and epigenetics. Our ultimate goal is to identify drivers of disease, propose new therapeutic targets, and predict prognosis and drug response in a patient-specific manner.

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The Paek Lab research focuses on understanding the heterogeneous response of cancer cells to chemotherapy treatment. The goal is to understand at the single cell level why some cells live while others die in response to treatment. 

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Bone pain in cancer

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Molecular remodeling of cellular metabolic and lipid environments by viruses

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Regulation of centrosome duplication; Genomic instability and cancer

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Cellular and molecular mechanisms in mammary function; gene expression in cell proliferation and differentiation

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Breast cancer progression and invasion

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Transcription regulation by nucleic acids and nucleic acid mimics, transcription regulation by an RNA-binding protein through an assembly process known as phase separation.

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Clinical and translational research in gastrointestinal malignancies

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The effects of exercise and stress on the immune system

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Epigenetic mechanisms of gene expression, particularly their regulation through signaling pathways and their modulation by anti-cancer drugs

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The long-term research goals of my lab are to define the roles of lipid metabolic pathways centered on bioactive sphingolipids in intestinal biology and pathobiology and determine the mechanisms involved.

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Angiogenesis; understanding the chemical and biological mechanisms of the antineoplastic, DNA-damaging natural product leinamycin; understanding inducible resistant mechanisms in human cancer cells to DNA-damaging anticancer drugs

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Molecular basis of aging and age-related disease

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Intestinal stem cells, kinase networks, drug discovery

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My lab is interested in uncovering why, despite being genetically closely related, only a limited subset of human papillomaviruses is associated with human cancers. My research program leverages evolutionary  vidence to gain understanding of the complex, and medically relevant phenotypes. We use state-of-the-art molecular techniques including 3D (organotypic) skin models, genomics approaches, and confocal microscopy combined with thorough evolutionary analysis to address the genetic and molecular basis of tumorigenicity of HPV.

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Mechanisms and pharmacology of acute and chronic models of pain; endogenous opioid systems; sensory neural systems; opioid tolerance; antinociceptive synergy between cannabinoids and opioids.

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Genome instability in yeast and the mechanisms of genetic change

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Epithelial cells and neurons:regulation of development and polarity

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The Wilson lab's research focuses on understand how the dynamic relationship between innate immune sensors and the microbiota impacts chronic inflammation and cancer development at mucosal surfaces.

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Development of novel molecular agents for skin cancer chemoprevention and chemotherapy

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Cancer pathways using quantitative systems biology

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RNA binding proteins and RNA metabolism including protein translation and stress granules under physiological and pathological conditions.