QB Graduate Program Faculty and Students

Gabriela Alexe

Adjunct Faculty

Broad Institute

One research direction is Integrative Cancer Genomics, where I am working on extracting and creating knowledge from multiple genomic data platforms to explore the global mechanisms of cancer initiation, progression and metastasis, with a particular emphasis on discovering driver genetic events and combinatorial biomarkers for improving risk profiling, therapy specificity and treatment efficacy. The second research direction is Cancer Immunology, where I am working on deciphering the mechanisms associated with T cell dysfunction and immune signatures in cancer.

David Alland

Professor

Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Chief, Infectious Diseases
Resident Member, Public Health Research Institute
Associate Dean, Clinical Research

The Alland laboratory is interested in many different aspects of M. tuberculosis molecular biology, epidemiology and diagnostics. Many of these areas are related to understanding how antibiotic resistance develops on both the cellular and epidemiological level. We also have a major program in biodefense diagnostics and pathogenesis.

Ioannis Androulakis

Professor and Undergraduate Program Director

Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering

Our research interests focus on the quantitative systems biology and quantitative systems pharmacology of inflammation and the interplay between immune response and biological rhythms. We are interested in delineating the intricacies of the human response to stress as well as characterizing responses to drugs, including the opportunities for personalizing oral drug formulations to target groups according to sex, age and disease status.

Eddy Arnold

Board of Governors Professor

Chemistry & Chemical Biology, School of Arts & Sciences

Resident Member, Center for Advanced Biotechnology & Medicine
Full Member, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Drug design and development targeting HIV/AIDS and flu, and structural biology of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and integrase, flu polymerase, and bacterial RNA polymerases. A key focal area is to define the structural basis of drug resistance in infectious diseases, and to use structural information to design drugs to overcome drug resistance, including the development of generally applicable strategies.

Gary Aston-Jones

Director, Brain Health Institute
Murray and Charlotte Strongwater Endowed Chair in Neuroscience & Brain Health

Rutgers Biomedical & Health Sciences

Brain neuromodulatory systems, cognitive performance, drug abuse, sleep and waking, and affective disorders

David E. Axelrod

Professor

Genetics, School of Arts & Sciences

Our lab is interested in developing quantitative prognostic factors for detecting early stages of breast and colon cancer, stratifying patients for good and poor survival, and suggesting improved treatments of patients with cancer. We combine experimental techniques such as image analysis of human biopsy specimens to measure the expression of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes and proteins; and mathematical and computer modeling to develop agent based models of normal stem cell stochastic dynamics, abnormal proliferation and development, initiation of cancer, progression to invasive cancer, tumor heterogeneity, and chemoprevention.

William Belden

Associate Professor

Animal Sciences, School of Environmental & Biological Sciences

The research in my laboratory focuses on understanding the molecular aspects of chromatin-remodeling and circadian rhythms. My lab uses the highly-tractable model eukaryote Neurospora crassa in combination with biochemical, genetic and genome-wide studies to understand the molecular mechanisms of chromatin-remodeling in clock function.

Helen M. Berman

Board of Governors Distinguished Professor Emerita

Chemistry & Chemical Biology, School of Arts & Sciences

Director Emerita, RCSB Protein Data Bank
Founding Director, Center for Integrative Proteomics Research
Resident Member, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine

From 1998-2014, I was the Director of the Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank (RCSB PDB). RCSB PDB is a member of the Worldwide Protein Data Bank (wwPDB) that manages the PDB archive of information about the structures of proteins, nucleic acids, and complex assemblies. I play a leadership role for the EMDataBank and am working to develop infrastructure for the archiving of structures determined using Integrative/Hybrid Methods.

The work on these projects has been informed by our research and studies in structural biology, in particular protein-nucleic acid interactions, collagen, binary and ternary complexes with catabolite activating protein (CAP), and nucleic acids. Currently, we are working in new classification schemes for transcription factors with a focus on understanding the details of the protein-nucleic acid interface.

Most recently I am working on how to use film to communicate to a broader audience about the importance of structural biology in medicine and health.

Debashish Bhattacharya

Distinguished Professor

Ecology, Evolution & Natural Resources, School of Environmental & Biological Sciences

Work in the Bhattacharya lab primarily addresses the origin and evolution of photosynthetic eukaryotes. We use a variety of techniques ranging from algal culture and physiology, standard and single cell genomics, and functional genomics to study how algae gained and orchestrate the functions of their photosynthetic organelle, the plastid and how they adapt to changing environmental conditions. We have recently initiated a large-scale genomic and functional genomic analysis of corals and their symbionts to understand the basis of biomineralization, the genetic structure of coral populations, and their pathways of stress tolerance.

Kenneth J. Breslauer

Linus C. Pauling Professor

Chemistry & Chemical Biology, School of Arts & Sciences

Dean, Biological Sciences
Vice President, Health Science Partnerships

The research conducted in my laboratory combines both biophysical and bioorganic chemistry to investigate the following four interrelated programs of research.

Yana Bromberg

Associate Professor

Biochemistry & Microbiology, School of Environmental & Biological Sciences

Bioinformatics approaches to protein function prediction and genome variation analysis. Our main goal is to develop fast, accurate, and meaningful ways of analyzing this growing deluge of biological data and to bring these developments bench- (or patient-) side. To make our predictions we rely on a number of sequence-based features (including evolutionary information and other predictor results) and utilize a variety of methodologies (including Neural Nets, SVMs and random forests).

Linda Brzustowicz

Distinguished Professor & Chair

Genetics, School of Arts & Sciences

Full Academic Member, Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey

My research group applies the techniques of molecular and statistical genetics to approach clinically relevant problems in neuroscience, with the ultimate goal of understanding gene function in both the pathologic and normal states. We are currently studying schizophrenia, autism, and specific language impairment (SLI). Work directly conducted by my group includes development of phenotype definitions, subject recruitment and assessment (for autism and SLI), genotyping and statistical analysis for linkage and association studies, comparative genomic analysis, and gene expression studies.

Stephen K. Burley, M.D., D.Phil.

University Professor & Henry Rutgers Chair

Founding Director, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine
Director, RCSB Protein Data Bank
Chemistry & Chemical Biology, School of Arts & Sciences
Member and Cancer Pharmacology Program Co-Lead, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

As University Professor and Henry Rutgers Chair, Founding Director of the Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and a Member of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, I aim to foster interactive networks of research groups that utilize multidisciplinary approaches to address important biological and biomedical challenges.

In my capacity as Director of the RCSB Protein Data Bank, dividing my time between Rutgers and the University of California at San Diego, I work to sustain open access to the single global archive of biomolecular structure data with >99% uptime 24/7/365.

Javier Cabrera

Professor

Statistics & Biostatistics, School of Arts & Sciences

Rutgers Cardiovascular Institute

New methodology for the analysis of big data in medicine, genomics, clinical and registry data.

David Case

Distinguished Professor

Chemistry & Chemical Biology, School of Arts & Sciences

Resident Member, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine

Our group studies theoretical chemistry of biomolecules, using molecular dynamics simulations of proteins and nucleic acids, electronic structure calculations of transition-metal complexes that model active sites in metalloenzymes, and development and application of methods for NMR structure determination.

Chang S. Chan

Assistant Professor

Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Resident Member, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Associate Director, Center for Systems & Computational Biology

High-throughput sequencing and integration of data in the study of genetics of cancer, complex diseases, and gene regulation, and Integration of diverse data with phenotypes for a systems level understanding of biology

Sunita Chaudhary

Adjunct Assistant Professor

Surgery, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Director, Research Education
Resident Member, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Our current research focuses on understanding the influence of race, gender and immigration status on biomedical career choice.

Neeraj Chauhan

Assistant Professor

Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Resident Member, Public Health Research Institute

The focus of my current research is the opportunistic human pathogenic yeast, Candida albicans. It is the leading cause of invasive fungal disease in premature infants, surgical patients and cancer patients receiving immunosuppressive chemotherapy. My research is directed to elucidate the complex signaling pathways that contribute to the virulence & pathogenesis of this organism. Our approaches include molecular, biochemical and immunological techniques to study these events. This involves isolation of encoding genes, construction of knock-out strains to study gene function, DNA Microarrays, and GFP localization etc. Two component signaling proteins (histidine kinases and response regulators) and downstream MAP kinases are the main focus of research.

Shishir Chundawat

Associate Professor

Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, School of Engineering

The Chundawat Research Group takes a carbohydrate or ‘glycan-centric’ approach to develop advanced protein and glycan engineering (or broadly glycoengineering) toolkits along with applying novel bioprocessing and biophysical techniques to address fundamental scientific and engineering problems relevant to healthcare, bioenergy, and biomaterials research. He has multidisciplinary expertise working with carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes); protein modeling and engineering; carbohydrate chemistry; biomanufacturing; and developing novel analytical techniques for characterization of glycans and protein/CAZymes-glycan interactions. His team at Rutgers is actively working towards expanding the repertoire of applications for carbohydrate-active enzymes and glycans in general in the area of biomanufacturing and human health.

William Craelius

Professor

Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering

In my lab, we study how technology can restore mobility to persons with missing or impaired limbs. My research with amputees developed the first prosthesis that restored multiple finger dexterity. Since then I have translated this technology to assist those with paralysis due to brain injuries. My work with many clients having arm paralysis due to stroke, brain injury and cerebral palsy, has taught me both the potential and limitations of tools that attempt to promote neuroplastic recovery in these populations. I employ technology to measure arm motion and hand control, using cameras and various sensors, and have demonstrated their therapeutic potential. We are also developing new growth substrates for helping nerves regenerate.

Wei Dai

Assistant Professor

Cell Biology & Neuroscience, School of Arts & Sciences

Resident Member, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine
Associate Member, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Our research focuses on charactering the structures of macromolecular machinery in their cellular context using three-dimensional (3D) cryo-electron tomography (cryoET) and correlative light and electron microscopy. Structures of intracellular macromolecular complexes are usually heterogeneous and dynamic, relying largely on interactions with other cellular components. Using cryoET to determine the structure of cellular machinery inside the cell avoids damage to the complexes during purification, captures snapshots of the complex while in action, and provides information on cross-talk of the complexes with their cellular partners during biological processes. Our current research interest includes: Huntington's disease: structure and organization of protein aggregates; 3D architecture of the diseased cells under misfolded protein aggregation stress & Structural biology of phage/virus maturation.

Tirthankar Dasgupta

Associate Professor

Causal inference, experimental design: foundations, philosophies, methodologies, and applications to physical, social, biomedical and engineering sciences, sequential exploration of complex surfaces, statistical modeling of complex physical and engineering systems, quality engineering and statistical process control.

Subhajyoti De

Assistant Professor

Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Systems & Computational Biology
Resident Member, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

The De laboratory develops and applies genomics, systems biology, and mathematical modeling approaches to understand the biology of cancer and use that knowledge for better diagnosis, stratification of cancer patients and their personalized treatment.

Monica Driscoll

Distinguished Professor

Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, School of Arts & Sciences

Our lab uses the elegant and powerful model system C. elegans to decipher conserved molecular mechanisms of cellular function and dysfunction. The main problems we investigate are neuronal degeneration, neuronal regeneration, and the biology of aging, with a focused goal of defining strategies for extending healthspan.

Siobain Duffy

Associate Professor

Ecology, Evolution & Natural Resources, School of Environmental & Biological Sciences

The Duffy lab uses a blend of computational and experimental approaches to understand and model the evolution of emerging RNA and single-stranded DNA viruses.

Shuchismita Dutta

Scientific Educational Development Lead, RCSB Protein Data Bank
Associate Research Professor, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine

I am a structural biologist, dedicated to promoting a molecular structural view of biology and medicine. I work with educators to develop curricular materials and case studies for students (high school, undergraduate, and graduate) to learn about biomolecular structures and visualization. I am also committed to STEM Education, and interested in Science Pedagogy.

Richard H. Ebright

Board of Governors Professor

Chemistry & Chemical Biology, School of Arts & Sciences

Principal Investigator, Waksman Institute of Microbiology

Richard H. Ebright seeks to understand structures, mechanisms, and regulation of bacterial transcription complexes and to identify, characterize, and develop small-molecule inhibitors of bacterial transcription for application as antituberculosis agents and broad-spectrum antibacterial agents.

Christopher Ellison

Assistant Professor

Genetics, School of Arts & Sciences

3D genome organization and transposable element evolution in Drosophila

Laura Fabris

Associate Professor

Materials Science & Engineering, School of Engineering

We are interested in the synthesis and characterization of plasmonic nanoparticles and their use in surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based sensing and cell imaging, and in those applications that require near field enhancement effects. We also focus on the study of nanoparticle assembly in solution and on unraveling the fundamental phenomena at the basis of ligand exchange in plasmonic nanoparticles in solution.

Mikolai Fajer

Senior Scientist

Schrodinger, Inc.

Free energy and conformer sampling of protein computational models

Paul Falkowski

Board of Governors Professor & Bennett L. Smith Chair, Business & Natural Resources

Earth & Planetary Sciences and Marine & Coastal Sciences, School of Environmental & Biological Sciences

Director, Rutgers Energy Institute

My research interests are focused on three areas - origins of life, how electron transfer reactions are mediated, and how organisms transformed the geochemistry of Earth. In the evolution of Earth, microbes became a major force in transforming this planet to make it habitable for animals, including humans. I seek to understand the basic chemical reactions that enabled microbes to transform Earth's goechemistry. I work at the molecular level of proteins and fundamental chemical reactions of minerals, and the global scale of how this planet came to have oxygen as the second most abundant gas. I am most interested in understanding how these kinds of processes have transformed our planet and may evolve on planetary bodies in our solar system and on extra-solar planets. There are only two questions I address: Where did we come from? And are we alone?

Zukang Feng

Research Professor at IQB

RCSB Protein Data Bank

My research interest focuses on developing tools for data acquisition, data validation, data standardization, and data analysis in the structural biology.

David J. Foran

Professor

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Radiology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Director, Center for Biomedical Imaging
Resident Member, Rutgers Cancer Center of New Jersey

A major concentration for my laboratory has been the development of a family of data-mining, imaging and computational tools for characterizing a wide range of malignancies and elucidating the role that protein and molecular expression plays in disease onset and progression. My training, experience and expertise gained while leading and supporting multi-investigator projects in computational imaging, computer-assisted diagnostics, bioinformatics, team-based software development and high-performance computing have provided me with the requisite tools and skills to work in partnership with basic, clinical and translational researchers to address fundamental problems in cancer detection, patient stratification, disease management, and outcomes studies.

Joel Freundlich

Associate Professor

Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

The Freundlich group is a chemical biology lab that utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach to study infectious diseases, with a specific focus on tuberculosis. Within the Department of Pharmacology & Physiology and the Department of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Emerging & Re-emerging Pathogens), we focus on 1) the development and application of novel computational methods to discover and optimize chemical probes with which to study the pathogenesis of disease and 2) the utilization of biological techniques to elucidate how each probe affects disease pathogenesis, often through the complex modulation of more than one biological target. We assert that this approach has significant potential to seed the discovery of novel biological targets and small molecule drug discovery hits/leads.

Zoran Gajic

Professor

Electrical & Computer Engineering, School of Engineering

Graduate Program Director

Research interests are in controls systems, energy systems (fuel and solar cells, wind, smart grids), wireless communications, and networking.

Shridar Ganesan

Associate Professor & Omar Boraie Chair, Genomic Science

Medicine & Pharmacology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Resident Member, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Section Chief, Molecular Oncology
Associate Director, Translational Science

With a research interest in breast cancer biology and DNA repair, I am currently exploring how DNA repair defects in cancers can be exploited to develop novel effective treatments. I am also active in applying next-generation sequencing technology to identify specific genomic changes in cancers that can be therapeutically targeted. As a physician/scientist I both run a basic research laboratory focused on breast cancer biology and see patients in the Stacy Goldstein Breast Cancer Center. In the clinic, I work collaboratively with experts across multi-disciplines and have the opportunity to put theory into practice as we aim to develop the next generation of targeted treatments for breast cancer. Working with a team of radiation oncologists, surgical oncologists, nurses, social workers, genetic specialists and others, I help patients understand their specific disease and their treatment options so that they can make informed decisions. I am also an associate professor of medicine and pharmacology at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Marc R. Gartenberg

Professor

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Full Member, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

My lab investigates the ways that heterochromatin is assembled, maintained and inherited. Our recent work includes focus on the specialized roles of heterochromatin in sister chromatid cohesion. We use budding yeast as a model eukaryotic system where we have developed molecular biological tools to ask questions at the mechanistic level.

Michael Gatza

Assistant Professor

Radiation Oncology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Resident Member, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Our research program is focused on understanding the mechanisms of oncogenic signaling and therapeutic response in human breast and ovarian cancers. Leveraging a multi-disciplinary approach spanning cancer biology, molecular biology, genomics, genetics, bioinformatics, and statistics allows us to identify relevant genomic alterations in human tumors and then experimentally investigate the mechanisms by which these alterations affect given tumor phenotypes in order to develop rational therapeutic strategies based on the unique complement of genomic alterations present in each patient's tumor.

Panos Georgopoulos

Professor

Rutgers Biomedical & Health Sciences

Director, Ozone Research Center

Multiscale computational modeling of environmental and biological systems and of their interactions; computational toxicology; quantitative frameworks for adverse outcome pathways in environmental health systems.
Enviroinformatics, bioinformatics, and socioinformatics for public health applications; predictive data analytics for human exposures and associated health outcomes.

Nasrin Ghesani

Associate Professor

Radiology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Molecular imaging and Positron Emission Tomography

David Goodsell

Associate Professor

Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute

Research Professor, Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Rutgers University

My research uses computer graphics and simulation to explore structure/function relationships in key biological systems. For two decades, I have pioneered approaches for the integrative modeling of the cellular mesoscale, visualizing the molecular structure of cellular environments and entire cells. Building on AutoDock, the first method for computational docking of flexible molecules to proteins and DNA, I continue to develop advanced docking methods and apply them to the understanding of HIV and its interaction with cells of the immune system. Science education is also a strong focus of my laboratory. I am author of the Molecule of the Month, a feature at the RCSB Protein Data Bank that presents the structure and function of a new molecule each month, and several illustrated books on biological molecules, their diverse roles within living cells, and the growing connections between biology and nanotechnology.

Derek Gordon

Associate Professor

Department of Genetics, School of Arts & Sciences

My research focuses on linkage and associate methods. I perform both theoretical and applied studies of these methods. My theoretical work is mainly concerned with phenotype and genotype misclassification and their effects on tests of linkage and association. My applied work involves gene mapping studies of scoliosis, Alzheimer’s Disease, and hair and skin phenotypes

Masayori Inouye

Distinguished Professor

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Molecular biology of cellular adaptation to stresses

Kenneth Irvine

Distinguished Professor

Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, School of Arts & Sciences

Principal Investigator, Waksman Institute of Microbiology

The lab is engaged in projects whose long-term goal is to define relationships between patterning and growth in developing and regenerating organs. Much of their research takes advantage of the powerful genetic, molecular, and cellular techniques available in Drosophila melanogaster, which facilitate both gene discovery and the analysis of gene function.

Mehdi Javanmard

Assistant Professor

Electrical & Computer Engineering, School of Engineering

Our lab focuses on exploiting emerging micro- and nanotechnologies for health and environmental monitoring.

Shantenu Jha

Associate Professor

Electrical & Computer Engineering, School of Engineering

High-performance and distributed computing; computational and data-intensive science and engineering

Jason Kaelber

Director, Rutgers New Jersey CryoEM/CryoET Core Facility

Associate Research Professor, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine

As director of the cryoEM/ET core facility, I support structural biology research across the IQB and Rutgers community via scientific collaborations, technical services, and the development of new methods. Cryoelectron microscopy can solve structures of biomolecules in their native states at atomic resolution; it is fundamentally a single-molecule imaging technique, and by developing project-specific strategies, we can test hypotheses over a set of individual molecules. Additionally, I investigate the deep evolutionary history of viruses through comparative structural analyses. I have a specific interest in ssDNA viruses including their potential applications.

Andrew Kern

Associate Professor

Genetics, School of Arts & Sciences

Our research focuses on variation among individuals in the genomes of humans, fruit flies, and plants. In particular we are interested in the role that natural selection has played in shaping patterns of genome variation. Look around you- casual observation of the natural world leads to the intuition that organisms are superbly adapted to their environments. We are interested in dissecting these adaptations at the genomic level, and in turn learning about the nature of the adaptive process. To this end we use computational and mathematical approaches towards using genome sequence data for evolutionary inference.

Sagar Khare

Associate Professor

Chemistry & Chemical Biology, School of Arts & Sciences

Resident Member, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine
Graduate Program Director, Quantitative Biomedicine

The Khare lab seeks to develop new enzymes and proteins using a combination of computational protein design and experimental characterization. Our goal is to develop a quantitative and predictive understanding of enzymatic structures and functions and use this understanding to inform various therapeutic and synthetic applications. Some areas of interest are biodegradation of pollutants, improving cancer chemotherapy, and designing catalytic protein drugs.

Hossein Khiabanian

Assistant Professor

Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

The research of our laboratory at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey focuses on cancer genomics and computational biology. We develop novel analytical methods to understand the underlying genetics of human diseases and the molecular epidemiology of disease-causing organisms using high-throughput genomic data. We are interested in identifying prognostic markers in cancer, as well as studying tumor clonal evolution, especially in the contexts of therapeutic resistance, disease transformation, and relapse.

John Kolassa

Professor

Statistics & Biostatistics, School of Arts & Sciences

Explore approximate and exact statistical methods for small data sets.

Anat Kreimer

Assistant Professor

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Pediatrics, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Resident Member, Center for Advanced Biotechnology & Medicine

The main focus of our group is to develop predictive models of transcriptional regulation by integrating large-scale datasets to shed light on regulatory processes that are condition-specific. In conjunction with high-throughput experimental techniques, we will leverage such models to identify functional variants and mechanisms of action driving disease. Specifically, we are interested in investigating early stages of neural development using a combination of genomic profiling, functional genomics and computational analysis.

Arek Kulczyk

Assistant Professor

Biochemistry & Microbiology, School of Environmental & Biological Sciences

Resident Member, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine

Our laboratory integrates structural approaches, in particular single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and single-molecule techniques to study DNA replication and repair in human mitochondria. We also develop novel correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) methods that allow simultaneous visualization of an enzymatic activity and structure determination.

Edmund Lattime

Professor

Surgery, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Resident Member, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

The primary focus of our laboratory is the study of the tumor host interaction with the ultimate gial being the design of effective immunotherapy regimens for cancer. The interaction between the host immune system and tumor is a multifaceted one with the generation of productive immunity requiring the cooperation of immune cells from multiple lineages. Further complicating the system. tumor cells themselves can produce immune suppressive factors.

Catherine Lawson

Research Professor

Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine

My research explores the diverse landscape of biological structure-function relationships, with the goal of improving our fundamental understanding of life processes. My current projects involve structure database development (EMDataResource, Nucleic Acid Database, Protein Data Bank), with emphasis on improving representation of large biological assemblies.

Joel Lebowitz

George William Hill Professor

Mathematics, School of Arts & Sciences

Director, Center for Mathematical Sciences Research

Mathematical physics and statistical mechanics

Jeehiun Katherine Lee

Professor

Chemistry & Chemical Biology, School of Arts & Sciences

Our group combines experimental and computational methods to understand mechanisms of reactions important for chemistry and biology. Specifically, we utilize traditionally physical methods, primarily mass spectrometry and computational chemistry, to tackle problems at the chemistry/biology interface, focusing on catalysis. We work on both biological catalysis, uncovering the mechanisms by which enzymes excise damaged DNA from the genome; as well as organic catalysis, examining N-heterocyclic carbenes as organocatalysts.

Kibum Lee

Professor

Chemistry & Chemical Biology, School of Arts & Sciences

The primary research interest of my group is to develop and integrate nanotechnologies and chemical functional genomics to modulate signaling pathways in stem cells towards specific cell lineages or behaviors. In particular, we are exploring critical problems in cancer research and stem cell biology pertaining to the cell-microenvironmental interactions, and how to control these interactions at the subcellular and single cell level using chemical biology and nanotechnology. From this research effort, we have developed innovative technology platforms that may overcome the critical barriers to harnessing the full therapeutic potential of stem cells for regenerative medicine and personized medicine.

Sang-Hyuk Lee

Assistant Professor

Physics & Astronomy, School of Arts & Sciences

Resident Member, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine

Lee lab is a single-molecule biophysics/biophotonics laboratory. Our lab features a wetlab, cell culture facility, and a one-of-a-kind single-molecule optical instrument. Utilizing advanced fluorescent microscopy, optical tweezers, and digital holography, we are pushing the limit of our understanding of biological processes at the single-molecule level.

Peter Lobel

Professor

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Resident Member, Center for Advanced Biotechnology & Medicine

Our laboratory studies lysosomes and associated human. Lysosomes are organelles found in all eukaryotic cells that contain many different proteases, glycosidases, lipases and other hydrolytic enzymes. The lysosome functions as the cell's recycling compartment, breaking down complex biological macromolecules into simple components. The importance of these organelles is underscored by the existence of over thirty human genetic disorders (e.g.. Tay-Sachs disease) where loss of function of a single lysosomal enzyme can lead to severe health problems including neurodegeneration, progressive mental retardation, and early death.

Richard Ludescher

Professor

Food Science, School of Environmental & Biological Sciences

The research in my lab is concerned with the physical chemistry of edible molecules and biomaterials, with the physical properties, molecular mobility, and molecular states of amorphous solids, and with developing novel applications of luminescence spectroscopy, and especially the identification, characterization and use of edible optical luminescent (fluorescent and phosphorescent) probes, to solve basic scientific as well as practical problems related to the structure, dynamics and function of edible biomaterials.

David M. Lukac

Associate Professor

Microbiology, Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Director, Graduate Track in Infection, Immunity & Inflammation

We have two major projects: 1. using herpesvirus infection models to investigate the specificity of cellular responses to the Notch signal transduction pathway, and application of learned paradigms to non-viral cancers. 2. investigating the intracellular dynamics of histone deacetylase 6 in autophagy, the stress response, and herpesviral infection.

Michael Manhart

Assistant Professor

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Department of Medicine

I lead the Quantitative Evolutionary Microbiology Lab. We study how microbes grow, interact, and evolve using a combination of laboratory experiments, computational models, and theoretical approaches. In particular, we seek to understand how fundamental evolutionary processes (such as mutation and selection) shape, and are shaped by, ecological and physiological aspects (such as nutrient limitation and intercellular interactions) of microbial communities. Our long-term goal is to develop a predictive theory of microbiology to solve problems in human health.

Michael B. Mathews

Professor & Chair

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Member, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

His research interests include the control of gene expression, HIV and AIDS, and cellular antiviral defenses. Work in his lab is focused on regulatory systems involved in human disease and host defenses, with RNA-protein interactions as a common theme.

Dimitris Metaxas

Distinguished Professor

Computer Science, School of Arts & Sciences

Physics-based techniques for modeling of organ shape and motion; computer graphics and animation; computational vision; medical imaging

Keith Mickolajczyk

Assistant Professor

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

The Mickolajczyk Lab develops single-molecule biophysical tools including optical tweezers, magnetic tweezers, and high-resolution localization microscopy to study how ATPase motor proteins convert chemical energy into mechanical work. We focus on the enzymology of ribosome biogenesis to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying this core process, particularly as it related to associated diseases including ribosomopathies and cancer.

James Millonig

Associate Professor

Neuroscience & Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Senior Associate Dean, School of Graduate Studies

My lab studies dorsal CNS development by taking the unique approach of combining mouse genetics with neuroanatomy. Our goal is to identify the pathways, which control the generation and differentiation of dorsal CNS neurons.

Aaron Milstein

Assistant Professor of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, RWJMS
Resident Faculty at the Center for Advanced Biotechnology & Medicine, RBHS

Konstantin Mischaikow

Distinguished Professor

Mathematics, School of Arts & Sciences

We use algebraic and computational topological methods to investigate the global structures of multiparameter nonlinear dynamical systems and to study high dimensional spatially-temporally complex data sets.

Antonina Mitrofanova

Assistant Professor

Health Informatics, School of Health Professions

Director, Biomedical Informatics Research

Her laboratory investigates transcriptional as well as epigenetic mechanisms that drive cancer initiation, progression, and metastases. Furthermore, her lab interests expand to elucidating mechanisms of drug response and resistance and identifying novel drug and drug combinations to target cancer malignancies.

Prabhas V. Moghe

Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Distinguished Professor

Biomedical Engineering

The Moghe laboratory has four broad research areas. Two of the areas focus on the design, synthesis, characterization, and mechanisms of interactions of nanoscale materials with cellular matrix proteins. A third area is focused on cell reporter-based biological profiling biological profiling of synthetic polymeric biomaterials for regenerative medicine using high content imaging and high throughput evaluation methods. The fourth effort is on studies of human embryonic stem cell pluripotency and differentiation behaviors on biomaterials.

Gaetano Montelione

Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Constellation Endowed Chair in Structural Bioinformatics
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

The unique strengths of our laboratory involve development of NMR methods and software for analysis of protein structures and dynamics, and in applying these methods in structure-function studies.

Alexandre Morozov

Associate Professor

Physics & Astronomy, School of Arts & Sciences

Research in my group focuses on understanding how chromatin structure affects gene regulation in eukaryotic organisms. We employ methods from statistical mechanics and polymer physics to develop biophysical models of chromatin. Another major focus area in the group is on mechanisms and theoretical descriptions of molecular evolution, especially on evolutionary constraints due to molecular energetics. Finally, we are interested in non-equlibrium dynamics and propagation on multi-dimensional landscapes and networks.

Vikas Nanda

Associate Professor

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

We design proteins for applications in biomedical research, nanotechnology and use them as tools for understanding protein folding and evolution. Significant progress has been made using computer methods to engineer proteins with novel folds and functions. We maintain and develop software for protein design, structure prediction and docking of protein-ligand complexes.

Joseph Naus

Professor

Statistics & Biostatistics, School of Arts & Sciences

Applied probability, sampling theory, data quality control, clustering and coincidence models, matching in DNA sequences

Andrew Nieuwkoop

Assistant Professor

Chemistry & Chemical Biology

Our research focuses on lipid membranes and their interactions with integral and peripheral membrane proteins. We seek to develop high resolution solid-state NMR (ssNMR) techniques to investigate the structure and dynamics of both proteins and lipid molecules, as well as their interactions. We unitize very-fast magic-angle-spinning to increase the sensitivity and resolution of our spectra, enabling us to address large systems in biologically relevant settings.

Wilma Olson

Mary I. Bunting Professor

Chemistry & Chemical Biology, School of Arts & Sciences

All of the processes necessary for the survival of a living system hinge on its ability to store and read the genetic information encoded in its DNA. The packaging of the long human genome into the very small confines of the nucleus is complicated by the necessity of maintaining the accessibility of the DNA for genetic processing. The Olson group is establishing new chemistry- and physics-based computational methodologies to unravel the mystery of how genomes can at once be tightly packed and yet available for read-out.

Zhiping Pang

Assistant Professor

Neuroscience & Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

My laboratory studies the neural basis of the regulation of feeding, satiety, metabolism and obesity. Our studies may provide insights into the neural causes and consequences of childhood obesity. We also developed novel techniques for deriving neuronal cells from primary skin cells and pluripotent stem cells, providing novel opportunities to study the pathogenesis of neurological disorders, including pediatric developmental disorders and autism spectrum disorders.

Manish Parashar

Visiting Professor

Computer Science, School of Arts & Sciences

Founding Director, Rutgers Discovery Informatics Institute
Director, The Applied Software Systems Laboratory

High-performance applied, distributed, and autonomic computing; computational and data-intensive science and engineering

Smita Patel

Professor

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

The overarching goal of our research is to understand the basic mechanisms of life's essential processes including DNA replication, DNA transcription, and pathogen recognition by innate immune receptors. We specialize in quantitative characterization of protein-nucleic acids interactions and dissection of multistep enzymatic reactions into its elementary steps for complete characterization of biochemical pathways. We are pushing fluorescence based methods, transient state kinetics, single molecule kinetics, and computational kinetic modeling to characterize the mechanisms of nucleic acid motor proteins such as DNA and RNA helicases and polymerases in various processes. Our current research investigates the cooperativity and enzymatic mechanisms of multisubunit protein complexes that catalyze human mitochondrial DNA replication and transcription and self and non self RNA recognition by the RIG-I like helicase innate immune receptors. Our research has application in biotechnology and therapeutics.

Vladimir Pavlovic

Professor

Computer Science, School of Arts & Sciences

Sequence Analysis and Modeling Lab conducts research in computational modeling methods for analysis of multimodal and multivariate data, with particular focus on sequential data, such as time-series (video, audio, motion sensors), biomedical data (imaging, genomic, proteomic, etc.) We develop mathematical and statistical models and the accompanying algorithms that can rapidly process large and heterogeneous datasets and reveal the underlying, latent factors affecting the data.

Ezra Peisach

Assistant Research Professor

Chemistry & Chemical Biology, School of Arts & Sciences

Biocurator, RCSB Protein Data Bank

My research centers on the automation of biocuration activities, distributed computing and distributed infrastructure management of distributed of RCSB Protein Data Bank.

John Pintar

Professor

Neuroscience & Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Graduate Program Director

The Pintar laboratory has used mammalian molecular genetic approaches to produce 16 lines of mice containing null alleles for genes involved in growth as well as nervous system development and function. Current work involves both the study of these mutant strains using multiple analytic levels as well as producing conditional knock-outs for several genes. Perhaps most notably, the lab has produced knock-outs of the entire opioid system and is now studying the consequences of these mutations on pain perception and anxiety as well as on drug-induced tolerance and dependence.

Vincenzo Pirrotta

Professor and Chair

Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, School of Arts & Sciences

Associate Member, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Chromatin structure and dynamics. polycomb silencing mechanisms, epigenetic mechanisms, developmental gene regulation, genomic programming, Drosophila genetics

Arnold Rabson

Laura Gallagher Endowed Chair, Developmental Biology

Pediatrics; Pharmacology; & Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Director, Child Health Institute of New Jersey
Full Member, Cancer Institute of New Jersey

The Rabson laboratory studies the pathogenesis of human retroviral infections including the human T cell leukemia virus type 1-an important cause of human leukemias and inflammatory diseases, and the human immunodeficiency virus. He also studies the roles of the NF-kB transcription regulators in the genetic basis of normal and malignant T cells, and the molecular basis of hematopoiesis and childhood leukemias.

Fred Roberts

Distinguished Professor

Mathematics, School of Arts & Sciences

Director Emeritus, DIMACS
Director, Homeland Security Center of Excellence CCICADA

Mathematical modeling of problems in the biological, social, and environmental sciences; biological and medical data; social science aspects of biomedicine and epidemiology; metrics and measurement; applications of discrete mathematics; information-based decision making

Charles Roth

Professor

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, School of Engineering
Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering

The Roth laboratory applies approaches from nanobiotechnology to biomedical problems, ranging from cancer to heterotopic ossification. Our main expertise is in the development of multifunctional nanoparticles to overcome delivery barriers ranging from the systemic to intracellular, and their application for gene silencing (antisense, RNAi), drug delivery and biomedical imaging.

Monica Roth

Professor

Pharmacology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Full Member, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Our research studies three stages of the retroviral life-cycle: entry, replication and integration. Retroviruses are RNA viruses capable of inducing various diseases including cancers and immunodeficiencies. The focus of our research is to study three stages in the infectious retroviral life cycle. These include the entry, replication and integration of the virus.

Anirvan Sengupta

Professor

Physics & Astronomy, School of Arts & Sciences

I have two main broad subjects of interest: Condensed Matter Physics and Cellular Biology. In condensed matter physics, I have been working on effects of interaction and disorder on electrons. I am specially interested in magnetic phase transitions in metals. More technically speaking, I have tried to use insights gained from impurity models like Kondo model to understand the local physics of extended interacting systems. I have been interested in off-equilibrium dynamics of unidirectional processes, specially in context of ion pumping on cellular membranes. I am also interested in enzymatic networks and how they control gene expression or transduction.

Konstantin Severinov

Professor

Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, School of Arts & Sciences

Principal Investigator, Waksman Institute of Microbiology

Transcription is the central step, and a major regulatory checkpoint of gene expression. Defective transcription regulation is the common cause of aberrant growth and development and may result in malignant transformation. Transcription is carried out by DNA-dependent RNA polymerases–large, multisubunit molecular machines. Understanding RNA polymerase (RNAP) structure and function is a key to understanding gene expression in molecular detail. The long-term objective of our research is to uncover the molecular basis of transcription mechanism and regulation through structure-functional analysis of bacterial RNAP and associated proteins. In addition, we use bacteriophage development as a model system to study temporal regulation of gene expression and to uncover novel mechanisms of transcription regulation. We also study microcins, small ribosomally-synthesized inhibitors of bacterial growth.

Premal Shah

Assistant Professor

Genetics, School of Arts & Sciences

Our research integrates mechanistic models of biological processes with population-genetic models to understand the forces shaping genome architecture. Our research program is focused on: evolution of codon usage bias and protein translation (by building detailed biophysical models of protein translation, we seek to explain the mechanistic bases of protein production in a cell as well as the factors that drive the evolution of biased codon usage) and epistasis in protein evolution (by combining models of protein structure and function with a population-genetic framework, we seek to explain how mutations individually and collectively influence protein evolution)

Chenghua Shao

Assistant Research Professor

Chemistry & Chemical Biology, School of Arts & Sciences

My research focuses on data curation and analysis at the Protein Data Bank (PDB). PDB provides free public deposition and distribution services on macromolecular 3D structures determined by experimental methods. As PDB data are broadly used in biomedical research, we develop system and methods for data process and validation, to ensure data accuracy and archive consistency. With combination usage of structure biology, biochemistry, and statistics, we also perform data analysis to find trends, patterns, outliers, and the underlying biological explanation, which enables better data collection and curation to improve data quality. In addition, I supervise curation on the structural and chemical data of ligands and drugs to ensure the PDB representation of such compounds is up to the standard for their usage in biomedical research.

Troy Shinbrot

Professor

Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering

Our first area of research concerns the formation of structures during development of tissues and organs, especially in the central nervous system. This work includes the study of neuronal pathfinding following spinal cord injury and a simulation of the development of folds, for example in the mammalian cerebellum. A second area of investigation deals with the flow and mixing of both dry and wet grains. The results have applications spanning a broad range from pharmaceutic formulation to geophysical pattern formation.

David Shreiber

Professor & Chair

Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering

We are interested in understanding Central Nervous System injury, repair, and regeneration. We study and attempt to dictate the tissue and cellular biomechanics associated with traumatic injury using in vivo, in situ, and computational models. We also use in vitro and computational models to investigate mechanotransduction as a mechanism underlying the response to acupuncture.

Eduardo Sontag

Distinguished Professor

Department of Bioengineering
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Northeastern University

Our interests cover a wide variety of areas, including systems and synthetic biology, modeling in cancer and immunology, feedback control and dynamical systems, computational complexity and theory of computing, & drug combinations and resistance

Ruth Steward

Professor

Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, School of Arts & Sciences

Principal Investigator, Waksman Institute of Microbiology

We are studying the mechanisms controlling RNA processing (i.e. translation, localization, and stability)of specific sets of transcripts. We have identified and characterized a novel highly conserved gene, Zfrp8/PDCD2 and shown that it is essential in stem cells in flies, mouse and human and is also required for growth of cancer cells. Recently, we discovered that it is required for the nuclear export of select mRNAs and TE transcripts. It also interacts with the small ribosomal subunit and complexes with mRNA binding proteins. Our data suggest that Zfrp8/PDCD2 controls subcellular localization of select RNAs and the association of mRNA-RNP with ribosomes.

Ann Stock

Professor

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Interim Director, Center for Advanced Biotechnology & Medicine

Research in the Stock laboratory focuses on investigating the molecular mechanisms of receptor-mediated signal transduction. Studies range from elucidating structure/function relationships in signaling proteins in vitro using a combination of molecular genetic, biochemical, and X-ray crystallographic methods to systems biology approaches aimed at characterizing signaling pathways in vivo. Specific interest is directed toward investigating the role and regulation of covalent modifications of proteins in bacterial signaling pathways.

Judith Storch

Distinguished Professor

Nutritional Sciences, School of Environmental & Biological Sciences

Campus Dean, G.H. Cook Campus Co-Graduate Program Director

Lipids such as fatty acids and cholesterol are involved in innumerable cellular processes, including energy storage and production, membrane biogenesis, signal transduction, and the regulation of gene expression. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which lipids are transported and targeted within cells remain largely unknown. Abnormal lipid trafficking, such as that occurring in lipid-storage diseases, can lead to severe cellular pathologies. The overall focus of research in this laboratory is on lipid traffic in cells, with particular emphasis on long-chain fatty acids, monoacylglycerols, and cholesterol.

Zoltan Szekely

Research Professor

Pharmaceutics, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy

Director, Chemical Biology Core Facility
Associate Member, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Antibody-drug conjugates, focusing on linkers and drugs, Tumor hypoxia and its application for prodrug design, Sequence selective DNA-targeting agents, Drug delivery by nanoparticles and bio-conjugates, Drug design, High-throughput synthesis of small molecules and peptides

Bin Tian

Professor and Program Co-Leader, Gene Expression & Regulation Program, Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center

Co-director, Center for Systems & Computational Biology
Wistar Institute

Our research is focused on understanding how gene expression is regulated at the RNA level. My lab was among the first to discover the widespread nature of alternative polyadenylation (APA) using bioinformatic and genomic approaches. Wistar Institute

Jay Tischfield

Duncan & Nancy MacMillan Distinguished Professor

Genetics, School of Arts & Sciences
Pediatrics & Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical school

Founder, CEO and Scientific Director, RUCDR Infinite Biologics
Executive Director, Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey

Jay Tischfield's group is investigating the genetics and pathophysiology of complex neuropsychiatric disorders such as Tourette Syndrome and addiction disorders such as alcoholism. Other research areas include genomic structure and modifications associated with cell differentiation and maintenance of genome stability with emphasis on mechanisms of loss of heterozygosity.

Brinda Vallat

Associate Research Professor

Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine

PDB-Dev Project Lead

I am a computational biologist interested in understanding the molecular basis of life. My research interests include modeling and analysis of biomolecular structure and function using data obtained from experimental and theoretical methods. I currently lead the PDB-Dev project, which is focused on building the infrastructure for archiving integrative structural models of macromolecules. Integrative modeling methods combine complementary information from various experimental and computational techniques to determine the structures of complex macromolecular assemblies. The complexities of handling different data types involved in integrative modeling provide challenging opportunities for data acquisition, standardization, archiving, validation and dissemination.

Andrew Vershon

Professor

Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, School of Arts & Sciences

Principal Investigator, Waksman Institute of Microbiology
Director, Waksman Student Scholars Program

A major focus of his research is on the regulation of transcription in the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Specifically, he is investigating how different regulatory proteins interact to control gene expression and how these interactions influence the regulatory activity of the proteins. As Professor, Vershon is one of the most enthusiastic molecular biologists, and loves involving undergraduates in research . During the summer, Dr. Vershon works with high school teachers to encourage their students to participate in genuine molecular biology research in the Waksman Summer Scholars Institute program.

Michael Verzi

Assistant Professor

Genetics, School of Arts & Sciences

Member, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Member, Human Genetics Institute

We employ epigenomic approaches to understand how the mammalian intestine develops and functions, and to understand why this tissue is susceptible to cancer and inflammatory disease. We put particular emphasis on transcriptional regulatory mechanisms governing these processes.

Lu Wang

Associate Professor

Chemistry & Chemical Biology, School of Arts & Sciences

Resident Member, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine

We develop and utilize theoretical and simulation methods to study the structure, dynamics and spectroscopy of biological systems.

Sijian Wang

Professor

Statistics & Biostatistics, School of Arts & Sciences

Resident Member, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine

Our long-term research goal is to develop, evaluate, and disseminate effective statistical and computational methods to identify the biological mechanisms underlying complex diseases, and use the information to improve patient outcomes. We utilize advanced statistical and machine learning methods (including high-dimensional regression, causal inference, modern survival analysis, SVMs, boosting, random forest, deep learning and reinforcement learning) to addresses some of the most important statistical and computational deficiencies that are currently preventing the scientific community from turning valuable high-throughput measurements into meaningful results.

William Welsh

Norman H. Edelman Professor

Department of Pharmacology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Associate Director, Division of Cheminformatics, Biomedical Information Shared Resource, RCINJ

Dr. Welsh's research program specializes in the development and application of computational algorithms and tools to accelerate and streamline drug discovery.

Jinchuan Xing

Assistant Professor

Genetics, School of Arts & Sciences

My long-term research interest is to understand the mechanisms and consequences of human genomic variation. My current projects involve elucidating human population history and genetic adaptation at both global and regional scale, with or without disease implication.

Martin Yarmush

Paul & Mary Monroe Chair

Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering

The research activities in our laboratory address various challenging areas in biotechnology and bioengineering. Among the current projects are: the development of new nanoparticle technology to enhance wound healing and siRNA delivery; microfabricated tissue-on-a-chip-systems for drug and environmental toxin testing; pulsed electric field techniques to promote scarless wound healing and wound disinfection; whole liver re-engineering through recellularization of decellularized scaffolds and revitalization perfusion of marginal organs; supercooling preservation of cells, tissues, and organs; encapsulated mesenchymal stem cells for treatment of spinal cord injury and osteoarthritis; and development of automated robotic venipuncture devices with point-of-care capabilities. Success in tackling these projects is enabled by the use of state-of-the-art techniques that include microfabrication and nanotechnology; physical biochemistry; genomics, proteomics and genetic engineering; cell biology and tissue engineering; advanced microscopic imaging; physiologic instrumentation; animal studies; and numerical simulation.

Darrin York

Professor

Chemistry & Chemical Biology, School of Arts & Sciences

Resident Member, Institute for Quantitative Biomedicine

The York Group research involves the development of a broad range of theoretical methods aimed, ultimately, at providing the computational biology community with greatly improved tools for the simulation of biological macromolecules in solution. The main application focus of our group is on an extremely interesting and challenging area of biology: the study of the molecular mechanisms of RNA catalysis. This area is immensely important, not only from a fundamental biological perspective, but also for the design of medical therapies that target genetic disorders, and new biotechnology such as allosteric RNA chips.

Jasmine Young

Research Professor

Chemistry & Chemical Biology, School of Arts & Sciences

Biocuration Team Lead, RCSB Protein Data Bank
Global Project Lead, worldwide Protein Data Bank

I oversee practices, management, and OneDep tool developments for data deposition, curation, validation, and remediation of the Protein Databank (PDB) archive to ensure data standardization, high quality and uniformity. Collaborating with wwPDB partners globally, I represent RCSB PDB to set common annotation practices and procedures, set data standards, and establish daily operation and weekly release procedures across wwPDB sites. I also manage wwPDB projects across wwPDB partners, including development of OneDep tools, data remediation, data analysis, and strategic planning.

Miguel Zaratiegui

Associate Professor

Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, School of Arts & Sciences

Full Member, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Role of transposons and heterochromatin in genome regulation and stability

Steve Zheng

University Professor of Pharmacology

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

Co-Director, The Cancer Pharmacology & Pre-clinical Therapeutics Program
Resident Member, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

Growth is the process whereby cells accumulate mass, which determines the sizes of cells, organs and organisms. Deregulation of growth is directly linked to human diseases from cancer to aging. Specifically, our current focus is on the target of rapamycin (TOR) protein, a highly conserved phosphatidylinositol kinase-related kinase (PIKK) and a central controller of cell growth. We are interested in dissecting the basic signal transduction mechanisms by TOR and in understanding the mechanisms by which cancer cells resist rapamycin and rapamycin analogs. We hope to ultimately develop more effective therapeutics against human cancer.