Basic Science Departments at UNM Health Sciences Center

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
The mission of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is to be a center of academic excellence that creates and imparts knowledge of the biochemical and molecular bases of disease through individual and collaborative multidisciplinary research; undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate and medical education; and the training of basic and clinical research scientists. The Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department has been providing quality educational and research opportunities for graduate, undergraduate and medical students for over 30 years. Presently, there are 18 faculty members conducting research in the following areas: gender specific cancer, diabetes, signal transduction, education techniques, nutrition, and bioinformatics.
The Faculty:
William L. Anderson, PhD	Bioconjugate chemistry, biosensors, membrane bound enzyme arrays, biomedical education.
Marco Bisoffi, PhD	Mechanisms of cancer metastasis, androgen independence in prostate cancer, telomere biology.
Robert H. Glew, PhD	Maternal/child health problems in sub-Saharan Africa, fatty acid metabolism, sickle cell anemia.
Jeffrey K. Griffith, PhD, Chair	Telomere biology, genetic polymorphisms and chromosome structure in cancer.
Chien-An Andy Hu, PhD	Apoptosis and cancer, p53 downstream targets, proline metabolism.
Charlotte Mobarak, PhD	Applications of proteomics to cancer research, cancer marker discovery.
Tudor I. Oprea, MD, PhD	Drug discovery, chemi-informatics, molecular modeling, virtual screening.
Robert A. Orlando, PhD	Obesity and cardiovascular disease, LDL receptor family, proteoglycans, Alzheimer's disease.
Marcy Osgood, PhD	Biochemical education strategies, peer-assisted/cooperative learning techniques.
Karlett J. Parra, Ph.D.	Metabolic/nutritional control of proton transport/cellular pH by V-type ATPase pumps, V-ATPase molecular motors structure/function/regulation.
Laurel Sillerud, PhD	Prostate cancer, metabolic regulation in tumors, biomedical NMR, cancer metastasis.
David L. Vander Jagt, PhD	Structure-based drug design, molecular modeling, cancer research, diabetes research.
Dorothy Vanderjagt, PhD	Maternal/child health in sub-Saharan Africa, nutrition assessment, sickle cell anemia, body composition.

Biocomputing
The Division of Biocomputing is responsible for informatics and computing support for genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and cheminformatics in assessing the effects of existing or virtual compounds on pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics at the molecular and cellular level. The Division of Biocomputing aims to develop state-of-the-art capabilities in the analysis of microchip gene arrays, 2D gel electrophoresis, X-ray and NMR data, as well as virtual and high-throughput screening data, and to assist Health Sciences Center scientists in transforming these data into information and knowledge, via statistical analysis and data mining techniques.
The Faculty:
Tudor I. Oprea, MD, PhD Division Chief	Drug discovery, cheminformatics, molecular modeling and virtual screening.
Dan Fara	Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Cell Biology & Physiology
The Department of Cell Biology and Physiology is a basic science department within the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. The department was established in 1997 to provide an integration of the more reductionistic sciences of biochemistry, molecular and cell biology with the more systems-based sciences of physiology and developmental biology. The members of the departmental faculty come from a wide variety of academic backgrounds that include clinical anatomy; biochemistry; biophysics; molecular, cellular and developmental biology; and physiology.
The Faculty:
David Bear, PhD	Regulation of mRNA biosynthesis and transport in muscular dystrophies and muscle cell cancers; novel electron microscopy techniques to study gene expression
Oscar Bizzozero, PhD	Molecular mechanisms of tissue injury in multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating disorders
Dusanka Deretic, PhD	Biosynthesis, sorting and post-Golgi trafficking of rhodopsin to the rod outer segments (ROS)
Laura Gonzalez Bosc, PhD	Transcriptional regulation of vascular smooth muscle phenotype
Rebecca Hartley, PhD	Post-transcriptional regulation of the cell cycle in cancer and embryogenesis
Helen Hathaway, PhD	Mammary gland development and breast cancer
Nancy Kanagy, PhD	Study of the mechanisms leading to altered vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cell physiology in animal models of hypertension and sleep apnea
Paul McGuire, PhD, Chair	The role of extracellular proteinases and growth factors in the regulation of ocular angiogenesis and vascular permeability
Eric Prossnitz, PhD	Cellular signaling mechanisms initiated by G protein-coupled receptors
Tom Resta, PhD	Mechanisms of chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension
Ben Walker, PhD	Effects of hypoxia on vascular regulation

Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute
The Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute is a private biomedical research institute dedicated to the reduction of the nation's substantial respiratory health burden. The Institute brings a broad range of research capabilities and research alliances to bear on respiratory health issues of concern to government, industry, universities, health advocacy organizations, and the public. The Institute strives to cure respiratory diseases through research aimed at understanding their causes and biological mechanisms, eliminating exposures to causal agents, and developing improved treatments. With its diverse research capabilities, its close working relationships with universities and other laboratories, and its endowed and sponsored research programs, the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute is one of the nation's largest independent, non-profit biomedical research institutions, and the nation's only such organization wholly dedicated to basic research on respiratory health problems.
The Faculty:
Edward G. Barrett, PhD	Fetal and infant immune maturation
Steve Belinsky, PhD	Role of gene promoter hypermethylation lung cancer and use as a biomarker for early detection
Janet Benson, PhD/DABT	Toxicological evaluations of single compounds and complex mixtures of occupational and environmental concern
Susan E. Boggs, PhD	Lung epithelial cellular responses to tobacco smoke
Matthew Campen, PhD	How the cardiovascular system may become impaired as a result of insults to the respiratory system
Yung-Sung Cheng, PhD	Aerosol drug delivery; the design and test of air sampling instruments; deposition in the respiratory tract; air quality of ambient, occupational and indoor environments; measurement of radon and radon progeny; inhalation toxicology
Kelly Dix, PhD/DABT	Preclinical drug development, xenobiotic metabolism and pharmacokinetics
Gary Grotendorst, PhD	Biology of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) as a regulator of cell proliferation and differentiation
Kevin S. Harrod, PhD	Dissecting the molecular mechanisms of pathogenesis to respiratory viruses leading to understanding of host-pathogen interactions
Adriana Kajon, PhD	Molecular biology and evolution of respiratory adenoviruses
Joe L. Mauderly, DVM	Health effects of air pollution
Jacob McDonald, PhD	Implementation of analytical chemistry and aerosol science to address questions of environmental relevance
Matthew Reed, PhD/DABT	Toxicology of inhaled toxicants and chemical and biochemical toxicology
Bobby Scott, PhD	Mechanisms-based modeling of low-dose radiation and chemical-induced stochastic effects (mutations, apoptosis, neoplastic transformation)
JeanClare Seagrave, PhD	Mechanisms of health effects of inhaled materials including air pollution and cigarette smoke
Mohan Sopori, PhD	The immunosuppresive and anti-inflammatory properties of nicotine are mediated through its direct interaction with immune cells and indirectly through the sympathetic autonomic nervous system
Yohannes Tesfaigzi, PhD	Mechanisms underlying the proper regulation of cell numbers in airway epithelia following inflammatory injury and their relation to chronic diseases and cancers of the lung
Dale Walker, DVM	Evaluation of biomarkers of early toxic, genetic, and/or carcinogenic changes in human and animal tissues, with special emphasis upon the effects of exposure of lung tissue to low doses of chemicals or ionizing radiation
Vernon Walker, DVM/PhD	The identification and validation of biological markers that are suitable for investigating genotoxic mechanisms, determining human exposures, and evaluating human cancer risks associated with exposure to chemicals in the environment or as a consequence
Julie Wilder, PhD	Genetic regulation of inflammatory responses to allergens and infections agents, and understanding the development and consequences of immune responses in the lungs

Molecular Genetics & Microbiology
Laboratories in this Department focus on two principal areas of research: fundamental cellular processes such as transcription, RNA splicing, protein interactions and DNA repair, with a strong emphasis on cancer-related topics; and studies of infectious disease including basic aspects of microbial and viral systems, immunology, and host-pathogen interactions. Faculty interests include oncogene regulation, oncoprotein function, protein-nucleic acid interactions, structure and replication of RNA viruses, pre-mRNA splicing, regulation of gene expression, DNA repair, and recombination. These studies relate to the fields of cancer cell biology, genomics, molecular biology, immunology, vaccine development, and the development of sensitive diagnostic tests. The faculty, students, fellows and staff in our Department have a strong commitment toward education, mentoring and research. Graduate students and post-doctoral fellows participate in Department seminars and retreats in order to gain experience presenting their research projects, to improve critical thinking skills, and to learn about the work of others. These activities play an important role in furthering the Department's research and educational missions.
The Faculty:
Bryce Chackerian, PhD	Interactions between virus particles and the immune system
Vojo Deretic, PhD	Our latest interest is the process of Autophagy, an exciting new cell homeostatic process that maintains the cellular interior (organelles and cytosolic components) in a functional state, but sometimes can go awry and cause cell death
Jeremy S. Edwards, PhD	Spatial temporal modeling, epidermal growth factor receptor, functional genomics technologies, sequencing
Hattie Gresham, PhD	Phagocytic regulation and biology
Carolyn Mold, PhD	Acute phase proteins particularly C-reactive protein in the regulation of inflammation and autoimmunity through interactions with Fc receptors and induction of cytokines
Scott A. Ness, PhD	Stem cells, oncogenes, signaling and the regulation of transcription, differentiation and cell cycle
Jac A. Nickoloff, PhD, Chair	Molecular mechanisms of eukaryotic DNA repair with emphasis on DNA double-strand break repair and its roles in maintaining genome stability and tumor suppression
Mary Ann Osley, PhD	Histone modifications and the regulation of gene expression and DNA damage repair
Michelle A. Ozbun, PhD	Human papillomaviruses, animal papillomaviruses, cervical cancer, skin cancer, epithelial biology, cancer biology, virology
Antonito Panganiban, PhD	Virology, HIV, RNA structure, assembly
David Peabody, PhD	RNA-protein interactions, translational regulation, virus assembly
Roger Radloff, PhD	UV spectroscopy, microorganism detection, structure and replication of RNA bacteriophage
Robert L. Rubin, PhD	The main focus of the laboratory is on systemic autoimmunity and how environmental factors such as drugs and toxicants influence development of autoreactive T cells
Stephanie Ruby, PhD	RNA splicing, snRNPs, spliceosome, regulation of gene expression, DNA-damage response, cancer biology, genomics
Zhiyuan Shen, PhD	Molecular oncology, DNA repair, cell cycle
Cosette Wheeler, PhD	Human papillomaviruses, cervical cancer, molecular epidemiology, vaccine development

Neurosciences
Neuroscience research at UNM-HSC is comprised of laboratory investigations in the fundamental areas of neuroscience, as well as clinical and translational research among the Departments of Neurosciences, Neurology, Psychiatry and Psychology. Molecular genetics, neurophysiology and cell biology approaches are applied to research questions concerning Learning and Memory, Addiction, Brain Injury and Repair, and Psychiatric disorders. In addition, new efforts to coordinate basic and clinical neuroscience research have emerged in association with state-of-the-art functional brain imaging facilities of the MIND (Mental Illness and Neuroscience Discovery) Imaging Center and the BRaIN (Biomedical Research and Integrative Neuroscience) Institute.
The Faculty:
Andrea M. Allan, PhD	Prenatal drug and environmental exposure models; neural control of cognition; learning and memory
Kevin K. Caldwell, PhD	Signal transduction mechanisms underlying learning and memory
John A. Connor, PhD	Ca2+ and related second control of normal and degenerative responses in brain neurons
Lee Anna Cunningham, PhD	Mechanisms of cell death, plasticity and repair in Parkinson's disease and stroke
John Leach, MD	Complement, Fc receptors, innate immunity, C-reactive protein
L. Donald Partridge, PhD	Electophysiology and calcium imaging
Nora I. Perrone-Bizzozero, PhD	Gene expression control during brain development; synaptic plasticity and neurodevelopmental disorders
Linda C. Saland, PhD	The effects of ethanol on brain opiate receptor expression and function
Daniel D. Savage II, PhD, Chair	Impact of ethanol and other environmental stressors on brain development and function
C. William Shuttleworth, PhD	Mechanisms underlying degenerative calcium signaling in central neurons
C. Fernando Valenzuela, MD, PhD	Regulation of synaptic transmission during development, and how teratogenic drugs of abuse, such as alcohol, affect this process
James A. Wallace, PhD	The role of neurotransmitters in regulating neural stem cell development and differentiation
Michael C. Wilson, PhD	Molecular mechanisms of neurotransmission and its impact on brain development and behavioral maturation
Xinyu Zhao, PhD	To understand molecular regulations of postnatal neurogenesis and neuronal maturation for brain repair

Pathology
UNM's Department of Pathology is committed to improving human health through disease-oriented research and education. Emphases include serving New Mexico's special populations and needs in respiratory, infectious and kidney diseases, immunology and cancer biology. We promote rigorous graduate and postgraduate training in contemporary cell and molecular biology. An integrated program of mentoring, formal courses, journal clubs, laboratory research and career development opportunities serve to prepare trainees to pursue health-related career opportunities in research. A Scholars Program is available for students with a keen interest in Pathology and demonstrated academic excellence. Many faculty in the department are internationally-ranked scientists with a strong funding base and publication record. Students are encouraged to visit individual faculty web pages to explore the research opportunities in the UNM Department of Pathology.
The Faculty:
Tione Buranda, PhD	Cellular biophysics and membrane structure
Brian Hjelle, MD	Investigations into the pathogenesis of, and treatments and vaccines for, zoonotic viruses and their associated diseases
Walt Kisiel, PhD	Biochemistry of the initiation and regulation of blood coagulation; role of coagulation in atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and cancer
Richard Larson, MD/PhD	Cell adhesion and ligand design in the application to disease diagnosis, biosensor design and imaging agent development
Diane Lidke, PhD	Biophysical and live cell imaging approaches to study protein dynamics and interactions during signal transduction
Mary Lipscomb, MD	Dendritic cell function in asthma and infectious disease
Barbara Masten, PhD	Function of dendritic cell subsets in pulmonary immunity
Janet Oliver, PhD	IgE receptors of mast cells and basophils; spatio-temporal modeling of signal transduction in allergy and leukemogenesis
Larry Sklar, PhD	GPCR signaling, integrins and cell adhesion, high throughput screening using flow cytometry
Angela Wandinger-Ness, PhD	Stem cells, kidney cell biology and mechanisms of protein trafficking
Thomas Williams, PhD	Genetics of the MHC in human and non-human primates
Cheryl Willman, MD	Genomics and genetics of acute leukemia; genomics for molecular classification, risk assessment, and target identification
Bridget Wilson, PhD	Membrane microdomains, calcium signaling and modeling, signal transduction
Weihua Zeng, PhD

Toxicology & Pharmacology
Toxicology and Pharmacology are two closely related disciplines. Pharmacology focuses on the study of the effects of chemicals (including drugs) on living systems, but primarily the beneficial or therapeutic effects. Toxicology focuses on the study of the adverse effects of chemicals, drugs and other environmental insults on living systems. Many of the faculty working in this area investigate various mechanisms of Molecular and Environmental Disease and are members of the the NIEHS-funded UNM Center for Environmental Health and/or COBRE: Center of Biomedical Research Excellence: Integrative Program in CNS Pathophysiology Research. Research interests of the faculty working in this area utilize exciting multidisciplinary approaches and state-of-the-art molecular, cellular, and physiological techniques to study problems of environmental toxicology, chemical carcinogenesis, signal transduction pathways, radical- mediated cell damage, immunotoxicology, neurotoxicology, metabolism and bioactivation of chemical toxicants, pharmacogenomics and new approaches to drug discovery, drug design and drug delivery.
The Faculty:
Scott Burchiel, PhD	Immunotoxicity and carcinogenicity of environmental agents
Linda Felton, PhD	Drug delivery systems and pharmaceutics
Changjian Feng, PhD	Structure/function and reaction mechanism of nitric oxide synthase
Donald Godwin, PhD	Development and testing of novel sunscreen formulations to prevent skin cancer
Laurie Hudson, PhD	Signal transduction pathways regulating functional and phenotypic plasticity in normal tissue and tumor metastasis
Jim Liu, PhD	Free radical and oxidative stress in disease development, including carcinogenesis and brain injury
Craig Marcus, PhD	Role of Cytochromes P450 in disease, cancer, and toxicology
Steven Peterson, PhD	Mechanisms of neuropathology in experimental models of seizures and epilepsy
Hugh D.C. Smyth, PhD	Drug delivery and pharmaceutics
Todd A. Thompson, PhD	Investigate the molecular pathways in breast and prostate cancer development, prevention, and treatment
Graham Timmins, PhD	Investigate the role of UV-induced radicals in melanoma; drug radicals in antibiotic action
Mary K. Walker, PhD	Study the molecular mechanisms of the Ah receptor in cardiovascular physiology and disease