Faculty
Faculty Network
We ensure that trainees are exposed to the breadth of biological approaches throughout their training years. To that end, there is a large network of UVA researchers from 3 schools and 10 departments to provide a comprehensive graduate training program in modern cell and molecular biological sciences. In addition there is a tremendous amount of collaboration among the CMB faculty as illustrated by the network of collaborative publications.
Faculty
![Herve Agaisse](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2024/03/hfa5y-100x132.jpeg)
Agaisse, Hervé
Genetic approaches, cellular and molecular biology of intracellular pathogen infection
![Stefan Bekiranov](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2024/01/sb3de.jpeg)
Bekiranov, Stefan
Computational Biology; Bioinformatics; Precision Medicine; Machine Learning/AI; Quantum Computing
![John Bushweller](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/01/jhb4v-100x75.jpeg)
Bushweller, John H.
Drug Development Targeting Transcription Drivers in Cancer; Structure/Function Studies of Transcription Factor Drivers in Cancer
![James Casanova](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/01/jec9e.jpeg)
Casanova, James E.
Role of Arf family GTPases in vesicular transport and cytoskeleton assembly.
Cell Biology of bacterial pathogenesis.
The innate immune response to bacterial infection.
![Christopher Deppmann](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/09/cd2fj-100x111.jpeg)
Deppmann, Christopher
Elucidating and Understanding the Mechanisms Underlying Nervous System Development
![Douglas DeSimone](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2024/06/dwd3m-100x100.jpeg)
DeSimone, Douglas W.
Cell Adhesion and Adhesion-Dependent Cell Signaling in Vertebrate Morphogenesis
![Victor Engelhard](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/01/vhe-100x150.jpeg)
Engelhard, Victor H.
Identification of MHC-restricted tumor antigens / Control of T cell homing to tumors / Tertiary lymphoid structures and intratumoral immunity
![Jennifer Guler](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/01/jlg5fw-100x67.jpeg)
Guler, Jennifer
Mechanisms of Genetic and Metabolic Adaptation in the Malaria Parasite, Plasmodium falciparum
![Marie-Louise Hammarskjold](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/01/mh7g-100x150.jpeg)
Hammarskjöld, Marie-Louise
Post Transcriptional Gene Regulation and the Molecular Biology of Human Retroviruses
![Jay Hirsh](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/10/jh6u.jpeg)
Hirsh, Jay
Molecular genetics; development and function of neurotransmitter-synthesizing neurons in Drosophila
![Brant Isakson](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/01/bei6n-100x125.jpeg)
Isakson, Brant
Translating our discoveries in the microcirculation to tangible benefits in patients.
![Hao Jiang](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/09/hj8d-100x95.jpeg)
Jiang, Hao
Regulation of stem cell function and tumorigenesis by epigenetics and biomolecular condensation (phase separation)
![Peter Kasson](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/01/pmk2f-100x150.jpeg)
Kasson, Peter M.
Physical mechanisms of infectious disease; influenza infection; membrane fusion; antibiotic resistance; molecular dynamics simulation; machine learning.
![Kimberly Kelly](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/09/kak3x.jpeg)
Kelly, Kimberly
Advancement in the design of imaging agents; molecular imaging and radiological sciences.
![Sarah Kucenas](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/01/sk4ub-100x129.jpeg)
Kucenas, Sarah C.
The role of glia in the development, maintenance and regeneration of the nervous system
![Norbert Leitinger](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/09/nl2q.jpeg)
Leitinger, Norbert
Role of lipid oxidation products in inflammation and vascular immunology in atherosclerosis and diabetes
![Hui Li](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/09/hl9r.jpeg)
Li, Hui
Gene regulation in cancer, RNA processing; Epigenetic modification; Stem cell and development
![Xiaowei Lu](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/01/xl6f-100x99.jpeg)
Lu, Xiaowei
Wnt/PCP signaling in inner ear development Mouse models for human deafness Wnt/PCP signaling in neural tube closure
![Wladek Minor](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/01/wm4n-100x75.jpeg)
Minor, Wladek
Structure-Function Relationships in Macromolecules; Infectious Diseases and Drug Discovery; Bioinformatics and Big Data; Scientific Reproducibility
![Golam Mohi](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/01/gm7sj-100x140.jpeg)
Mohi, Golam
Cell signaling, stem cell biology, molecular and epigenetic mechanisms of blood and breast cancers
![Gary Owens](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/01/gko.jpeg)
Owens, Gary K.
Identification of Factors and Mechanisms that Regulate the Stability of Late Stage Atherosclerotic Lesions and the Probability of Thromboembolic Events Including a Heart Attack or Stroke
![Shayn Peirce-Cottler](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/01/smp6p-100x102.png)
Peirce-Cottler, Shayn M.
Tissue Engineering and Regeneration, Computational Systems Biology, Vascular Growth and Remodeling, Stem Cell Therapies
![Edward Perez-Reyes](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/07/ebp8n-100x118.png)
Perez-Reyes, Edward
Exploring epilepsy circuits then preventing seizures using gene therapies. Developing drug-inducible genetic switches for insulin replacement gene therapies.
![David Rekosh](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/01/dr4u.jpeg)
Rekosh, David M.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Gene Expression; Human Endogenous Viruses; SARS-CoV-2 Protein Trafficking; Post-transcriptional Gene Regulation
![Jeffrey Saucerman](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/06/jjs3g.jpeg)
Saucerman, Jeffrey J.
Roles of complex signaling networks involved in the regulation of cardiovascular function and disease
![Nathan Sheffield](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/01/ns5bc-100x99.png)
Sheffield, Nathan
computational biology & bioinformatics; high performance computing; epigenomics & chromatin; pediatric cancer; computational regulatory genomics; machine learning
![P. Todd Stukenberg](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/01/pts7h-100x145.jpeg)
Stukenberg, P. Todd
Mechanisms of chromosome segregation in Mitosis and generation of Chromosomal Instability in tumors
![Lukas Tamm](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2024/03/lkt2e.jpeg)
Tamm, Lukas K.
Biomembrane Structure and Function; Cell Entry of Enveloped Viruses; Neurosecretion by Exocytosis; Structure of Bacterial Pathogen Membrane Proteins; Lipid-Protein Interactions
![B. Venton](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/01/bjv2n-100x150.jpeg)
Venton, B. Jill
Analytical Neurochemistry; Dopamine and Serotonin Neurotransmission in Drosophila; Mechanisms of rapid adenosine signaling in rodents
![Bettina Winckler](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/01/bw5h-100x121.jpeg)
Winckler, Bettina
Endosomal function and dysfunction in neurons. Development of the nervous system: cytoskeleton and membrane traffic in axon and dendrite growth.
![David Wotton](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/04/dw2p.jpeg)
Wotton, David
Regulation of Gene Expression, Development and Tumor Progression by TGF beta Signaling
![Martin Wu](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/11/mw4yv.jpeg)
Wu, Martin
Research: microbial evolution and ecology, microbial genomics, metagenomics, bioinformatics, phylogenomics, endosymbionts
![Chongzhi Zang](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/01/cz3d-100x133.jpeg)
Zang, Chongzhi
Bioinformatics methodology development; Epigenetics and chromatin biology; Transcriptional regulation; Cancer genomics and epigenomics; Statistical methods for biomedical data integration; Advanced machine learning; Theoretical and computational biophysic
![Jochen Zimmer](https://med.virginia.edu/cell-and-molecular-biology/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2023/01/jz3x-100x119.jpeg)
Zimmer, Jochen
Transport of biopolymers across biological membranes with a particular interest in polysaccharide and protein translocation.