Faculty
John F. Hancock, MA, MB, BChir, PhD
Vice-Dean of Research
Interim Director, Institute of Molecular Medicine,
Professor and Chairman, Dept Integrative Biology and Pharmacology
Fondren Chair in Cellular Signaling
Dr. Hancock’s laboratory studies basic mechanisms of mammalian cell signaling. He is especially interested in the function of Ras proteins.
David Gorenstein, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Research, School of Medicine
Interim Chair, Department of NanoMedicine and Biomedical Engineering
Deputy Director and James T. Willerson Distinguished Chair
Director, IMM Center for Proteomics and Systems Biology
David Gorenstein, Ph.D., joined UTHealth January 1, 2009 as Professor and Deputy Director of the IMM. Dr. Gorenstein. He was most recently the Associate Dean for Research, School of Medicine, the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) and the Charles Marc Pomerat Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Neurosciences & Cell Biology.
Zhiqiang An, Ph.D.
Professor, Texas Therapeutics Institute
Dr. Zhiqiang An is Professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases (IMM), where he will direct the newly established Texas Therapeutic Institute.
Ali Azhdarinia, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Center for Molecular Imaging
Dr. Azhdarinia’s research expertise is in the area of imaging probe design using radioactive and optical contrast for multimodality imaging. Through the development of such agents, clinical diagnostics, therapeutics, and intraoperative surgical procedures can be redefined with more accuracy and sensitivity for early detection and management of disease.
Eric Boerwinkle, Ph.D.
Professor and Director, IMM Center for Human Genetics
Kozmetsky Family Chair in Human Genetics
Professor and Director, Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health
The research interests of Dr. Boerwinkle encompass the genetic analysis of the common chronic diseases in humans, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, and non-insulin dependent (type II) diabetes.
Nathalie Brouard, Ph.D.
Instructor, Centre for Stem Cell Research
Nathalie Brouard received her PhD from Denis Diderot University -Paris VII., and pursed her postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Dr Paul Simmons at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne, Australia. She joined the newly created Centre for Stem Cell Research at the IMM in December 2006.
Nathan S. Bryan, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Texas Therapeutics Institute
Dr. Bryan earned his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin and his doctoral degree from Louisiana
Yeonseok Chung, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Center for Immunology and Autoimmune Diseases
Dr. Chung's research interests are directed at understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in mediating the immune-mediated disorders.
Charles Cox, Jr. , MD
Children’s Fund Distinguished Professor
Director of the Pediatric Trauma Program at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital
Department of Pediatric Surgery
Brian R. Davis, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Interim Director for Center for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine
Dr. Davis graduated in 1976 from Harvard University with an A.B. degree, summa cum laude, in Physics. His undergraduate research on searches
Peter A. Doris, Ph.D.
Professor, Center for Human Genetics
Dr. Doris is investigating the genetics and pathophysiologic mechanisms of common cardiovascular diseases. His work is focused on high blood pressure, stroke, and renal injury.
Scott M. Drouin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Center for Immunology & Autoimmune Diseases
Dr. Drouin's current research interests lie in understanding the molecular basis of obstructive pulmonary diseases such as asthma and COPD.
Myriam Fornage, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Center for Human Genetics
Laurence and Johanna Favrot Distinguished Professor in Cardiology
Dr. Fornage's research interests lie in the molecular genetics of complex diseases, with an emphasis on cerebrovascular disease and stroke.
Irma Gigli, M.D.
Professor Emeritus
The Walter & Mary Mischer Distinguished Professor in Molecular Medicine
The Hans J. Müller-Eberhard Chair in Immunology
Director Emeritus, IMM Center for Immunology & Autoimmune Diseases
Dr. Irma Gigli received her undergraduate education in Argentina and did her medical training at Cook County Hospital, Chicago.
Manuel Gonzalez-Garay, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Center for Molecular Imaging
Over the past 12 years, working in industry and academia, Dr. Gonzalez-Garay has developed extensive experience in bioinformatics, software development, and computational analysis. In 1996, Dr. Gonzalez-Garay completed his Ph.D. at the University of Texas, writing a dissertation about the regulation of the stoichiometry of tubulin.
Barrett R. Harvey, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Center for Molecular Imaging
Dr. Barrett Harvey earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 2003. He joined Merck Research Laboratories in
Chuantao Jiang, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Center for Proteomics and Systems Biology
Chuantao Jiang was trained as a neurosurgeon after graduation from medical school. Motivated by a desire to become a neuroscientist
Dong H. Kim, M.D.
Professor, Chair, The Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery
Director, Mischer Neuroscience Institute
Mikhail Kolonin, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, John S. Dunn Research Scholar
Jerold B. Katz Distinguished Professor in Stem Cell Research
Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine
Research in the Kolonin Laboratory is aimed at understanding how adult progenitor cells from adipose tissue promote cancer progression in obesity and at using high-throughput screening techniques to develop agents for targeted inactivation of progenitor cells in pathology.
Sun Kuk Kwon, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Center for Molecular Imaging
The main research interest focuses on investigating lymphatic function in health and disease using a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence optical imaging technique.
Wenliang Li, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Texas Therapeutics Institute
Dr. Wenliang Li’s research is to study novel molecular mechanisms of metastasis with the goal of identifying new drug targets for the development of better therapeutics for human cancers.
Yong Li, MD, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Within the newly established program in Children’s Regeneration Medicine at UTHealth, Dr. Li and his team will continually interest in investigating the field of stem cells, fibrosis prevention, and tissue engineering by using ground-breaking molecular and cellular biology techniques.
Qingyun (Jim) Liu, Ph.D.,
Professor, Texas Therapeutics Institute
Dr. Qingyun (Jim) Liu obtained his B.S. in virology from Wuhan University, China. He studied in the Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry of Yale University via the CUSBEA (China-U.S. Biochemistry Examination and Application) program and obtained his Ph.D. in molecular biology. He did his postdoctoral training in the Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School.
Ying Liu, M.D., PhD.
Assistant Professor
Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine at
The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine - UTHealth Houston, and
Research Scientist at the Mischer Neuroscience Institute
Ali J. Marian, M.D.
Professor and Director, Center for Cardiovascular Genetic Research
George and Mary Josephine Hamman Foundation Distinguished Professor in Cardiovascular Research
Dr. Marian received his M.D in 1981 from Tehran University in Iran. He completed post-doctoral training in Internal Medicine at Cook
Amber Luong, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Center for Immunology and Autoimmune Diseases and Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
Dr. Amber Luong received her MD/PhD in Molecular Genetics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas through the NIH sponsored Medical Scientist Training Program.
Nami McCarty, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Centre for Stem Cell Research
Dr. Nami McCarty received M.S. degree at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL in 1994. She obtained her Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology from Purdue University in 2000. From 1998 - 2005, she received her postdoctoral training at the Cancer Center, MIT and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard Medical School.
Kalpana Mujoo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Center for Cell Signaling
Dr. Mujoo’s current research interests lie in elucidation of molecular mechanisms in proliferation and differentiation of stem cells with an emphasis on nitric oxide/cGMP pathway
Naoki Nakayama, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Center for Stem Cell Research
Dr. Nakayama serves as Associate Professor of the Centre for Stem Cell Research at the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine.
Vihang A. Narkar, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Disease
Narkar lab uses a combination of genetic engineering and pharmacological targeting in mice to study transcriptional pathways that control skeletal muscle function in health and in diseases such as diabetes and muscular dystrophies.
John Rasmussen, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Center for Molecular Imaging
Dr. Rasmussen’s research interests focus on the continued development and clinical translation of technologies for non-conventional therapies, particularly in the use of optical imaging to further our understanding of biological systems and to develop diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for a variety of diseases including lymphovascular disorders and cancer.
Kevin Rosenblatt, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Center for Proteomics and Systems Biology
Dr. Kevin P. Rosenblatt’s clinical area of expertise is in biomarker development and assay development; his basic science areas of interest include systems biology, cancer cell and neural cell signaling, and the elucidation of signaling pathways that regulate aging/longevity in animal and cellular models.
Eva Sevick-Muraca, Ph.D.
Professor, Cullen Chair in Molecular Medicine
Professor and Director Center for Molecular Imaging
Part of the National Cancer Institute Network for Translational Research
Eva M. Sevick, Ph.D. is Professor and Cullen Chair in Molecular Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center's Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM) where she currently directs the Center for Molecular Imaging.
Paul J. Simmons, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor
Dr. Simmons serves Adjunct Professor for the Center for Stem Cell Research at the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine.
Babie Teng, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Center for Human Genetics
Dr. Teng’s laboratory is interested in the discovery of mechanisms contributing to the complex process of atherosclerosis in humans and animal models and design and development of genetic and cell therapies for the treatment of atherosclerotic vascular disease.
Qingchun Tong, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Disease
The Tong lab studies how neurocircuitry in the brain controls feeding, energy expenditure and glucose homeostasis.
David Volk, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Center for Proteomics and Systems Biology
His research interests are generally related to human health and structural biology, and past work has included the study of cancer-causing DNA mutations, flavivrirus structures, immune regulation, DNA synthesis, quantum chemistry and Lewis acid-mediated stereochemistry.
Dachun Wang, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Center for Immunology and Autoimmune Disease
Dachun Wang received his M.D. degree from Fujian University of Medical Sciences and graduate training at Sun Yat-Sen University of Medical Sciences and Institute of Forensic Sciences of Justice Department in China, where he focused on the study of wound-healing responses to tissue injury.
Pamela L. Wenzel, Ph.D.,
Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatric Surgery and at the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine.
Dr. Wenzel’s research is focused on understanding the relationship between stem cell potential and biomechanical force. Members of her lab study how extracellular cues, such as friction and stretching, impact function, development, specification, and expansion of stem cells and their precursors.
Rick Wetsel, Ph.D.
William S. Kilroy, Sr., Chair in Pulmonary Disease
Professor and Director
Hans J. Muller-Eberhard & Irma Gigli Research Center for Immunology
And Autoimmune Diseases
Dr. Wetsel's research interests are directed at understanding the molecular events in mediating the inflammatory and immune response in both normal and pathological conditions. His laboratory is also focused on the development of novel therapeutics using embryonic stem cell derived progenitor cells.
Jiaqian Wu, Ph.D
Assistant Professor
Department of Neurosurgery
Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine
Dr. Wu’s research interests lie in understanding gene transcription and regulatory networks governing stem cell self-renewal and differentiation, with an emphasis on neural and hematopoietic differentiation.
Ningyan Zhang, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Texas Therapeutic Institute
Dr. Zhang joins the Texas Therapeutic Institute and The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM) at UTHealth from Merck Research Laboratory where she was a research fellow.
Sheng Zhang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases
With a rapidly growing aging population, society is facing a mounting challenge from aging-related neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases.
Eva M. Zsigmond, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Center for Immunology and Autoimmune Diseases
Director, Transgenic and Stem Cells Service Unit
Dr. Eva Zsigmond is Assistant Professor, Center for Immunology and Autoimmune Diseases and Director of Transgenic and Stem Cell Service Unit at the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases.
Question regarding this faculty page can be addressed by emailing Monica.J.Bennett@uth.tmc.edu. No phone calls please.
