Primary Faculty

Hal E. Broxmeyer, Ph.D. - Professor & Chairperson
The laboratory focuses on mechanisms regulating the growth, survival and homing/mobilization of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells at cellular, intracellular, and animal levels. It also focuses on immune activity and differentiation of T-lymphocytes, monocytes, and dendritic cells.

Ann Roman, Ph.D. - Professor & Associate Chairperson
Dr. Roman's laboratory studies the pathobiology of human papillomaviruses (HPV). Aspects of her research include: regulation of the HPV life cycle by cellular proteins; altered regulation of cell cycle control and differentiation by HPV; and HPV and angiogenesis.

Ghalib Alkhatib, Ph.D. - Associate Professor
Studies in this laboratory are focused on the molecular determinants involved in retrovirus infection. Our research is directed at understanding how interactions of HIV-1 (AIDS virus) and HTLV-1 (human T cell leukemia virus) envelope glycoproteins with host cell receptors lead to membrane fusion and viral entry. Analyzing the mechanisms of retroviral entry is a key step in the development of anti-viral agents.

Margaret E. Bauer, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor
Our laboratory focuses on the pathogenesis of bacterial sexually transmitted diseases, with an emphasis on the host-pathogen interactions of Haemophilus ducreyi , which causes chancroid, and Chlamydia trachomatis , which causes genital and extragenital chlamydia infections, with the human host.

Sunanda Basu, Ph.D. - Assistant Research Professor

Janice S. Blum, Ph.D. - Professor
Immune responsiveness in humans and its role in protective immunity to tumors and pathogens as well as suspectibility to autoimmune disease.

Randy R. Brutkiewicz, Ph.D. - Associate Professor
We study the host's innate antiviral and antitumor immune responses mediated through CD1d/NKT cell interactions.

Alexander L. Dent, Ph.D. - Associate Professor
Transcripional control of cytokine gene expression, lymphocyte differentiation and lymphomagenesis.

Wilbert Derbigny, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor
Chlamydia trachomatis infections are major causes of several sexually transmitted diseases and are prevalent in both industrialized and developing countries.   The epithelial cells lining the reproductive tract are the major cell type productively infected with C. trachomatis, and the emphasis of our research will be to investigate the contribution of the infected epithelial cells to host defense.

Xin-Yuan Fu, Ph.D. - Professor
We are taking new challenges in investigating physiological and pathological roles of STAT proteins in inflammation, innate & adaptive immunity and body homeostasis.

Johnny J. He, Ph.D. - Professor
Dr. Johnny He's laboratory research mainly focuses on the molecular biology of virus-host interactions.   This includes molecular mechanisms of HIV-1 neuropathogenesis, regulation of HIV and HCV replication by host factors, and the role of HIV-1 Tat-interacting protein Tip110 in eukaryotic control of gene transcription and pre-mRNA processing. Dr. He is also the Director of the Center for AIDS Research.

Young-June Kim, Ph.D. - Assistant Research Professor
TGF- b 1 is an immune suppressive cytokine and inhibits effector differentiation of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL), facilitating tumors to evade anti-tumor immune responses. My research is focused on investigation of how 4-1BB (CD137) and CD30, costimulatory molecules as members of TNF receptor family, interact with TGF- b 1 signaling to regulate CTL cytotoxic activity against tumor cells.

Michael J. Klemsz, Ph.D. - Associate Professor
My laboratory has two main areas of focus. In the first, we are studying how chromatin structure regulates the expression of the PU.1 gene. The second area of focus began as studies on the regulation of TAP gene expression in macrophages. The Tap-1 and Tap-2 genes encode proteins which form a heterodimer that functions as a peptide transporter.

Steven H. Larsen, Ph.D. - Associate Professor
Dr. Larsen's laboratory desires to understand the genetics and control of disease for Chlamydiae.

Ying Liu, M.D. - Assistant Research Professor
My search is focused on molecular mechanisms of the HIV-1 Tat protein neurotoxicity and roles of the recently identified Tat-interacting protein Tip110 protein in HIV-1 gene expression.

Louis Pelus, Ph.D. - Professor
To identify mechanisms of action of stem cell mobilizers that will lead to safer and faster isolation of blood stem cells that can be used to cure leukemia and other cancers; to understand the role of the   inhibitor of apoptosis family of proteins   in normal and cancer biology.

Robert H. Schloemer, Ph.D. - Professor
Research interest of Dr. Schloemer's laboratory centers on hepatitis viruses, liver diseases, and heptocellular carcinoma.

Martin L. Smith, Ph.D. - Associate Professor
We are studying mechanisms of DNA repair that distinguish cancer cells from normal cells. The cancer-preventive agent selenium is being used to differentially regulate DNA repair levels in cancer cells versus normal cells.

Wen Tao, Ph.D. - Assistant Research Professor
The major focus of my current research is to identify and functionally characterize proteins important for engraftment, differentiation and migration of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.

Charles E. Wilde, Ph.D. - Associate Professor

Xiaofeng Frank Yang, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor
Dr. Yang's laboratory focuses on the gene regulation and pathogenesis of Borrelia burgdorferi , the causative agent of Lyme disease.

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