IDP ADVANCED CONCENTRATION IN
BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Members of the BMB Concentration
THE ADVANCED CONCENTRATION IN
BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
The Advanced Concentration in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (B&MB) is
comprised of faculty from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, together
with biochemists and molecular biologists from other College of Medicine departments.
For the Fall 2010 incoming class, 15-20 of these faculty members will be actively recruiting
new graduate students. Students in these laboratories will study a wide range of diseasedbased research problems involving epigenetics, gene expression/ regulation, protein
structure/function, enzyme mechanisms, membrane protein, DNA repair, and cancer
biology. Upon completion of the degree, past graduates have had an outstanding record of
obtaining academic positions or non-academic jobs in the pharmaceutical and
biotechnology industries. Students who are interested in the Ph.D. degree in biochemistry
and molecular biology can view individual B&MB faculty research interests at the
Department (http://biochem.med.ufl.edu) or the B&MB IDP (http://idp.med.ufl.edu/BMB/
index.html) web sites. The IDP home page (http://idp.med.ufl.edu/) has a complete listing
of all faculty interested in having students join their laboratories.
First year IDP students have the opportunity to focus their studies within a
specific Advanced Concentration at the start of the Spring semester. For the student
who knows which discipline and/or Advanced Concentration interests them, this earlier
focus will permit them to begin completing their core requirements of an Advanced
Concentration during the first year. All graduate students in the College of Medicine IDP
must enroll in the Fall semester interdisciplinary core curriculum (GMS 6001). For the
Spring semester students who have decided on an Advanced Concentration or discipline can
begin taking their specialized advanced modules/courses. Dr. Linda Bloom
(lbloom@ufl.edu), Graduate Coordinator, will be available to provide guidance about
course selection.
In the B&MB program, most students complete their coursework by the close
of the second year, taking another two to three years to complete their research work.
Records show that the average time required to complete the Ph.D. in any of the IDP
concentrations varies by less than 6 months. The overall B&MB Advanced
Concentration is designed to be flexible and allow the student to complete the classroom
coursework as quickly as possible. Each student's program of study is individually
designed to satisfy his/her scientific interests. Progress toward degree completion is
overseen by a Supervisory Committee chosen by the student and mentor, which meets twice
annually to help the student achieve maximal success in the laboratory.
EXAMPLES OF A FIRST YEAR CURRICULUM
WITHIN THE B&MB ADVANCED CONCENTRATION
STUDENT INTEREST: Molecular Biology or Epigenetics
1st Year Fall
IDP Core Semester
1st Year Spring
BCH 6415 Advanced Molecular and Cell Biology
Elective modules
Summer Year 1
Thesis Research
2nd Year Fall
Three elective modules
(BMB- Advanced Metabolism, Epigenetics,
Advanced Gene Regulation)
(genetics, virology, immunology, cell biol., etc.)
Journal Clubs – Program specific-disciplined specific
6 credits
Didactic
Credits
3 credits
3 credits
3 credits
Thesis Research
2nd Year Spring
Three elective modules
3 credits
(Advanced Chromatin Structure, genetics, virology,
immunology, cell biology, etc including modules from IDP GMS 6002)
Journal Clubs
Thesis Research
Summer Year 2
Thesis Research, prepare proposal, and take oral exam
Years 3-4
Thesis Research
STUDENT INTEREST: Structural Biology
1st Year Fall
IDP Core Semester
6 credits
1st Year Spring
BCH 6740 Advanced Structural Biology
Three elective modules
3 credits
3 credits
Summer Year 1
Thesis Research
2nd Year Fall
Three elective modules
(BMB-Advanced Metabolism, NMR Spectroscopy,
X-ray Crystallography)
(neuroscience, immunology, cell biol., etc.)
Journal Clubs – Program specific-disciplined specific
3 credits
Thesis Research
2nd Year Spring
Three elective modules
(Biophysical Techniques, genetics, virology, immunology,
cell biology, etc including modules from IDP GMS 6002)
Journal Clubs
Thesis Research
Summer Year 2
Thesis Research, prepare proposal, and take oral exam
Years 3-4
Thesis Research
3 credits
Recent Graduates and Current BMB Students
Entering Class of 2002
Iman Al Naggar (completed in Spring, 2008)
Jason Brant (completed in Spring, 2009)
Jose Hernandez (completed in Spring, 2006)
Zoe Fisher (completed in Fall, 2006)
Valerie Davis (completed in Spring, 2007)
Vijay Antharam (completed in Spring, 2008)
Entering Class of 2003
Allyn Spear (completed in Summer, 2009)
Antonette Bennett (completed in Summer, 2009)
Jewell Walters (completed in Summer, 2009)
Michele Thiaville (completed in Summer, 2008)
Roxana Coman (completed in Summer, 2007)
Shane Claggett (completed in Summer, 2008)
Xiaolei Qiu (completed in Fall, 2008)
Entering Class of 2004
Altin Gjymishka (completed in Fall, 2008)
Zhuo Zhou (completed in Fall, 2009)
Jesse Kay (completed in Fall, 2009)
Justin Bickford
Marsha Bush (completed in Summer, 2010)
Melissa Marzahn (completed in Summer, 2009)
Nan Su (completed in Fall, 2008)
Suhasni Gopalakrishnan (completed Summer 09)
Mina Hiona (completed in Summer, 2007)
Santhi Pondugula (completed in Summer, 2010)
Carolina Pardo
Entering Class of 2005
Ada Ao (completed in Summer, 2010)
Amanda Welch
Brittney Whitaker (completed in Spring, 2009)
John Domsic (completed in Fall, 2009)
Ying Li
Entering Class of 2006
Balendu Avvaru
Tolunay Beker
Lisa Dyer
Suznne Farver
Dan Gibson
Sujata Halder
Sushama Kamarajugadda
Kat Sippel
Entering Class of 2007
Mukundh Balasubramanian
Ankita Chiraniya
Lauren Drouin
Ryan Skehan
Kavitha Gnanasambandan
Mollie Martin
Robert Ng
Lawrence Tartaglia
Balasubramanian Venkatakrishnan
River Ybarra
Entering Class of 2008
Sarah Barilovits
Jaclyn Hayner
Joeva Hepburn
Bhavitaben Patel
Justin Runac
Dayne West
Entering Class of 2009
Yu-Shan Tseng
Kyle Heim
Gregory Stupp
Chaevien Clendinen
Bridget Lins
Mayank Aggarwal
Harald Messer
Mavis Agbandje-McKenna, Ph.D.
Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Using structural biology tools, namely Xray crystallography and cryo-electron
microscopy,
combined
with
other
biophysical approaches, biochemistry and
molecular biology, we study members of
the Geminiviridae, Circoviridae, and
Parvoviridae ssDNA virus families. The
aim is to elucidate the roles of viral capsid
and capsid protein structures in the
dynamic array of biological processes
occurring in the viral life cycle, from the
initial stages of host infection to the
delivery of genetic material into host cells
and encapsidation of genomic DNA in
viral progeny. We are also interested in
understanding viral capsid adaptations that
govern interactions with host immune
machineries, especially mechanisms of
host immune surveillance evasion and
antibody neutralization.
The ultimate
goal is to develop disease treatments, in
the form of capsid assembly disrupters,
viral vaccines, foreign antigen delivery
vehicles, and gene therapy vectors.
AAV2
AAV8
MSV
AAV4
AAV5
MVM
Capsid Structures of ssDNA Viruses
Professor
Mavis
Agbandje-McKenna
received her Ph.D. in biophysics at the
University of London in 1989 under the
direction of Prof. Stephen Neidle for work
on the biophysical characterization of a
novel
group
of
DNA-intercalating
anthraquinone anti-tumor agents. She then
joined
Prof.
Michael
Rossmann’s
laboratory at Purdue University, Indiana,
where she carried out research on structure
to function correlation for the ssDNA
Parvoviridae.
In 1995, she joined the
Department of Biological Sciences at the
University of Warwick, England, UK, as an
independent research fellow, where her
research expanded to studies of the ssDNA
Circoviridae and Geminiviridae. Dr.
Agbandje-McKenna joined the Faculty at
the University of Florida in 1999.
Linda B. Bloom, Ph.D.
Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Our general research interests are in the
dynamic protein-protein and proteinDNA interactions that are required to
maintain the structure and to preserve
the genetic integrity of DNA. We are
working on defining molecular
mechanisms by which the replication
machinery duplicates genomes to
support normal cell division, and
defining mechanisms by which these
enzymes respond to DNA damage that is
encountered during replication.
Although our current work is not
directly aimed at developing a cure for a
specific disease, basic research in the
area of DNA replication provides the
foundation of knowledge on which to
make clinical correlations between
defects in DNA replication and disease
and on which to develop therapeutic
agents targeted at the replication
machinery of pathogens or cancer cells.
Professor Linda Bloom earned her
Ph.D. degree in organic chemistry
from the University of Florida for
her work on anabaseine. She joined
Myron Goodman’s laboratory at the
University of Southern California in
1990 where she used novel
fluorescent techniques to study the
fidelity of DNA replication. From
1996-1999, Dr. Bloom was an
Assistant Professor of Chemistry &
Biochemistry at Arizona State
University. She joined the faculty in
the Department of Biochemistry &
Molecular Biology at the University
of Florida in 1999.
L. Jeannine Brady, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Oral Biology
jbrady@dental.ufl.edu
Dr. Brady received her B.A. in Microbiology from Rutgers University in 1979. After working
as a diagnostic virologist and then as a Clinical Research Monitor for Organon, Inc. and
Schering Plough, she received her Ph.D. in Immunology and Medical Microbiology from the
University of Florida College of Medicine in 1989 where she studied the secretory IgA
binding protein of the neonatal pathogen Streptococcus agalactiae. She took a post-doctoral
fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Arnold Bleiweis at the University of Florida College of
Dentistry where she began studying the cariogenic oral pathogen Streptococcus mutans. Dr.
Brady joined the faculty of the College of Dentistry as an Assistant Research Scientist in 1990
and as an Assistant Professor in 1998. She is currently the Principal Investigator or coInvestigator of several NIH funded projects. She has served as an Ad Hoc reviewer for
several NIH study sections and special emphasis panels and for journals including Vaccine,
Molecular Microbiology, Journal of Molecular Membrane Biology, and Proteomics. She is on
the editorial board of Molecular Oral Microbiology.
Research in my laboratory is focused in several broad areas: antigenic characterization and
immune responses against pathogenic microorganisms; protein translocation and membrane
biogenesis; studies of intra- and inter-molecular protein-protein interactions relevant for
bacterial protein stability, translocation, and function; and the structure of cell surface
localized proteins as related to functional amyloid formation.
Specifically:
•We are elucidating molecular mechanisms of antibody-mediated
immunomodulation and the use monoclonal antibodies as tools to
probe structural features of antigens and improve vaccine design.
•We are studying the signal recognition particle (SRP), a
ribonucleotide-protein complex conserved in all three domains of life
that delivers membrane and secretory proteins to the cyoplasmic
membrane or endoplasmic reticulum. The SRP pathway is dispensable
in S. mutans and two homologs of the Oxa/YidC/Alb family of
membrane-localized chaperones exist in streptococci. We are
examining the respective roles of the S. mutans SRP and YidC
pathways in membrane biogenesis and environmental stress tolerance.
•We recently identified a highly unusual stalk-like structure in which
an alpha helix intertwines with a polyproline II helix within the major
P1 surface adhesin of S. mutans This and other proteins demonstrate
biophysical properties characteristic of amyloid forming proteins and
we are studying the molecular basis of bacterial amyloid fibrillization
and its contribution to biofilm formation.
S. mutans P1
Kevin D. Brown, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
DNA damage initiates a series of
signals that trigger responses such as
activating cell cycle checkpoints and
apoptosis. These pathways are crucial
in maintaining stability of the human
genome and limiting cancer
development. One focus of the lab is
studying how DNA damage response
(DDR) is activated following exposure
to SN1 methylators, a specific group
of chemotherapeutic drugs. What sets
the SN1 methylators apart from other
drugs is that DDR is activated via the
mismatch repair (MMR) system and
we are determining how MMR is
mechanistically involved in this
process. The second project in the lab
is focused on understanding how
ATM, a key activator of DDR,
functions in the development and
maintenance of mammary gland
homeostasis and how ATM suppresses
mammary tumorigenesis. These
studies are being conducted using a
novel conditional knockout mouse line
(Atm cKO) that we have developed.
Associate Professor Kevin D. Brown
earned his Ph.D. degree in Cell Biology at
the University of Alabama-Birmingham in
1991 in the lab of Dr. Lester (Skip) Binder.
He then joined Dr. Don Cleveland’s
laboratory at Johns Hopkins where he
worked on molecular mechanisms
controlling chromosome migration and the
cell cycle. In 1995 he joined Dan Tagle’s
and Francis Collins’ group at the National
Human Genome Research Institute/NIH
where he began research on the function of
the ATM kinase in the DNA damage
response. In 1998 he took a position at
LSU Health Sciences Center-New Orleans
and rose to the rank of Associate Professor.
He joined the the Department of
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at
UF in 2004. Dr. Brown has served on NIH
and DOD study sections and as a reviewer
for numerous journals in the field.
Michael R. Bubb, M.D.
Associate Professor, Dept. of Medicine
The actin cytoskeleton provides the
structural framework that maintains cell
shape and facilitates cell motility, but it also
organizes the cellular interior, creating a
network for intracellular transport and
communication. Our laboratory studies the
complex and dynamic relationship between
actin and the proteins that regulate the
formation of actin polymer. Investigations
focus on the cell biology & biochemistry of
actin pertinent to apoptosis, angiogenesis,
immunology, cancer biology, and
neuroplasticity. We also study natural
products that could be used as drugs to
therapeutically manipulate actin polymer.
Biophysical techniques, including timedependent fluorescence spectroscopy and
analytical ultracentrifugation, are routinely
utilized. Translational research studies of
rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are in
progress. The figure below depicts our
success in crystallization of actin, leading
to a novel hypothesis about the mechanism
of actin polymerization.
Michael Bubb earned his M.D. degree at
Johns Hopkins University in 1985. After
studying Internal Medicine at Washington
University in St. Louis, he did postdoctoral
work with Dr. Edward Korn at the NIH,
where he began his studies of the actin
cytoskeleton and completed clinical training
in arthritis and immunology. He joined the
faculty of the University of Florida in 1994
and became an Associate Professor in 2000.
Dr. Bubb was recipient of the Pfizer Scholar
award in 1995, an NSF grant in 2004 and
VA Merit Review Awards in 1998, 2001 and
2005. His scientific expertise crosses cell
biology, biochemistry, natural product
chemistry, biophysics, neuroscience and
immunology. He is an editor for FEBS
Letters, serves on the board of the cell
biology section of the Faculty of 1000, and
is director of graduate studies at the
Malcom Randall VA Medical Center.
Jörg Bungert, Ph.D.
Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
We use a combination of genetic and
biochemical approaches to analyze the
structure and function of the human βglobin locus control region (LCR), a
powerful regulatory genetic element
located far upstream of the globin
genes. The LCR, which is composed
of several sub-regions revealing high
sensitivity to nucleases in erythroid
cells, provides an open chromatin
structure over the entire globin locus
and enhances globin gene transcription
in a developmental stage specific
manner. We use transgenic mice,
embryonic stem (ES) cell
differentiation systems, and in vitro
assays to elucidate the mechanism by
which the LCR regulates the
recruitment of transcription and
chromatin modifying complexes to the
β-globin gene locus.
Jörg Bungert earned his Ph.D. degree
in Molecular Genetics from PhilippsUniversity (Marburg, Germany) for his
work on the characterization of
erythroid specific transcription
complexes under the direction of
Klaus Seifart. In 1992, he joined
Doug Engel’s laboratory in the
Department of Biochemistry,
Molecular Biology and Cell Biology at
Northwestern University, where he
studied the developmental regulation
of the human β-globin genes. Dr.
Bungert joined the faculty at the
University of Florida in 1998.
Brian D. Cain, Ph.D.
Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Research in the Cain lab centers on the
structure, function and regulation of
proton translocating ATPases. The
primary project investigates the F1F0
ATP synthase of E. coli. Research
focuses on the organization of the F0
subunits, the mechanism of proton
conduction across the membrane, and
the coupling of proton movement to
ATP synthesis. We use a combination
of site-directed mutagenesis, bacterial
genetics and enzymology to look at the
mechanism of enzyme function. The
second project is a collaborative effort
with Dr. Charles Wingo (Medicine)
focusing on the mammalian renal H,KATPases. expression in animals and
tissue culture cells.
Professor Brian D. Cain earned his Ph.D.
in Cell Biology from the University of
Illinois in 1983. His graduate work
focused on phospholipid metabolism and
cell cycle dependent assembly of the
photosynthetic membranes of Rhodobacter
sphaeroides. He was a postdoctoral fellow
in Dr. Robert Simoni’s laboratory at
Stanford University. While at Stanford, he
initiated studies on F1F0 ATP synthase
which led to the recognition that the a
subunit houses most of the F0 proton
channel. In 1988, Dr. Cain joined the
faculty of the University of Florida. His
lab has demonstrated flexibility in the
peripheral stalk of F1F0 ATP synthase. Dr.
Cain served terms as Chairman of the NIH
Physical Biochemistry Study Section and
as a member of the Editorial Board of The
Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Robert J. Cousins, Ph.D.
Eminent Scholar, Food Science & Human Nutrition
Our laboratory’s primary research
emphasis involves the molecular and cell
biology of zinc absorption, metabolism,
function, and nutritional status
assessment. Nutritional and physiological
factors regulating expression of the zinc
trafficking defense protein
metallothionein and the zinc transporter
gene families receive particular attention.
Projects are aimed at the cellular or
subcellular level, but animal models,
including knockout mice, and human
subjects are also used. Zinc-responsive
genes are being identified using cDNA
microarray analysis. Zinc transporter
proteins are being characterized and their
integrative regulation studied. Human
zinc status assessment research uses
microarray and quantitative RT-PCR
technologies. Our overall research goal is
to understand the biological significance
of this essential micronutrient.
From Cousins et al., JBC 281:24085-24089, 2006
Robert J. Cousins holds the Boston Family
Professorship of Human Nutrition. He
received his Ph.D. in nutritional
biochemistry from the University of
Connecticut, and did postdoctoral research
in vitamin D biochemistry with Hector
DeLuca at the University of Wisconsin.
Dr. Cousins has trained over 60 graduate
students and postdoctoral fellows in both
nutritional sciences and biochemistry. His
research has been continuously supported
by the NIH since 1972. He has served as
president of both the Federation of
American Societies for Experimental
Biology and the American Society for
Nutritional Sciences, associate editor of
the Journal of Nutrition, and is currently
Editor of the Annual Review of Nutrition.
Dr. Cousins has won many university,
national, and international awards, and is
an elected member of the National
Academy of Sciences.
Ben M. Dunn, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
The research of my lab is focused on
understanding the specificity of the
proteolytic enzymes. Much of our work
has been done on enzymes from the
malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum,
and the retroviral enzymes such as HIV
and FIV PRs. We utilize site-specific
mutagenesis as well as domain exchange
to ascertain the effect on catalysis, and
obtain structural information via
crystallography or NMR. Given that we
must have pure samples of fully
functional proteins and because we are
working with many mutant forms of
recombinant proteins, we frequently solve
problems to optimize protein folding.
Our work on active site specificity has
proved valuable in the process of drug
design for targets involved in infectious
diseases. Ph.D. students from our lab are
employed in major pharmaceutical
companies and universities. [Below:
Detail of active site of PfPM2 with bound
inhibitor designed in the Dunn lab.]
Professor Ben M. Dunn worked with
Thomas C. Bruice at the University of
California Santa Barbara on the
mechanism of lysozyme and earned his
Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1971. He
examined the mechanism of nucleases
as a Postdoctoral Associate and a Staff
Research Fellow with Christian B.
Anfinsen at the NIH. Dr. Dunn joined
the Faculty at the University of Florida
in 1974 and rose to the rank of
Professor in 1986. He has won the
College of Medicine Faculty Research
Prize and became a Distinguished
Professor in 1998. Dr. Dunn has
served on many NIH review panels and
is Editor-in-Chief of Protein and
Peptide Letters and Current Protein
and Peptide Science.
Arthur S. Edison, Ph.D.
Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
The Edison laboratory is interested in
chemical signaling and communication.
Most of our research involves NMR
spectroscopy, natural products chemistry,
Caenorhabditis elegans, and molecular
biology. We have developed very highsensitivity NMR methods to analyze small
amounts of material. We are developing
approaches to analyze complex biological
mixtures of small molecules like
metabolites and pheromones. We are
expanding our work in nematodes with a
newly funded NIH grant to discover
additional pheromones in species related
to C. elegans. The major goal of the C.
elegans project is to isolate and identify
small molecules that the nematodes use
for communication. This will increase
our understanding of chemical
communication in general and will
provide potential new leads for parasitic
nematode control.
We recently discovered that the 4 molecules
above act as mating pheromones at low
concentrations but induce a dormant “dauer”
state at higher concentrations.
Srinivasan, Kaplan, et al., Nature 454, 11151118 (2008).
Arthur S. Edison completed his Ph.D. in
biophysics from the University of
Wisconsin-Madison where he developed
and applied NMR methods for protein
structural studies under the supervision
of John Markley and Frank Weinhold.
In 1993, Dr. Edison joined the laboratory
of Antony O. W. Stretton at the
University of Wisconsin as a Jane Coffin
Childs postdoctoral fellow where he
investigated the role of neuropeptides in
the nervous system of the parasitic
nematode Ascaris suum. He joined the
faculty at the University of Florida in
1996. Dr. Edison is the recipient of the
1997 American Heart Association
Robert J. Boucek Award and of a
CAREER Award from the National
Science Foundation in 1999.
James B. Flanegan, Ph.D.
Professor & Chairman, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
RNA viruses cause a variety of diseases
including poliomyelitis, hepatitis, the
common cold, encephalitis, etc. We use
poliovirus as a model system to study the
molecular basis of (+)-strand RNA virus
replication. Using cell-free translationRNA replication reactions, we synthesize
authentic progeny RNA and infectious virus
in vitro. This approach has allowed us to
characterize the biochemical activities of
the viral proteins and to identify cis-active
replication elements in the viral genome.
We are now investigating how the viral
proteins and these cis-active sequences
interact to regulate the translation,
replication, recombination and stability of
viral RNA. Our results suggest that the
ends of the viral genome interact to form a
circular RNP complex that regulates the
viral RNA replication cycle (see model).
Since other (+) strand RNA viruses utilize
similar replication strategies, we are now
adapting this system for use with other
RNA viruses such as hepatitis C virus.
Professor and Chairman James B. Flanegan
earned his Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry at
the University of Michigan in 1975 for his
work with Dr. G. Robert Greenberg on
bacteriophage T4 DNA replication. In
1975, he joined Dr. David Baltimore’s
laboratory at MIT where he began his
research on the replication of RNA viruses.
He joined the faculty of the University of
Florida in 1978 and rose to the rank of
Professor in 1987. In 1998, he was named
Chair of the Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology. Dr. Flanegan has
served as a member of the NIH Virology
Study Section and the Editorial Boards of
Virology and the Journal of Virology. He
was awarded the College of Medicine
Faculty Research Award in 1989, the
University of Florida Research Foundation
Professorship in 1998 and the Professorial
Excellence Program (PEP) Award in 1999.
Susan C. Frost, Ph.D.
Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
My laboratory studies the regulation of
glucose transport in adipocyte and
mammary carcinoma cells. In adipocytes,
we hypothesize that a novel protein
interacts with the GLUT1, glucose
transporter in lipid rafts to enhance
glucose uptake in response to nutrient
deprivation. Lipid rafts are cholesterolrich plasma membrane domains that serve
as signaling platforms for a number of
pathways. We are using molecular
approaches to identify this protein which
may provide a therapeutic target in insulin
resistant (type II) diabetics. In breast
cancer cells lines, we are interested in the
role of cellular acidification in response to
hypoxia. Hypoxia induces GLUT1 whose
activity contributes to acidification by
converting glucose to lactic acid. Carbonic
anhydrase IX is also upregulated and we
hypothesize that its activity contributes to
acidification by converting extracellular
carbon dioxide to bicarbonate and a
proton. We are currently testing
expression of CA family members and
specific inhibitors of CAIX to determine
its role in metastatic potential.
Zoe Fisher, 2005
Dr. Susan C. Frost earned her Ph.D. degree
in biochemistry from the University of
Arizona in 1979. She was an Adjunct
Assistant Professor at Arizona for three
years where she studied lipid metabolism
in neonates. In 1982, she took a
postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of
M. Daniel Lane at Johns Hopkins
University where she studied insulin action
on glucose transport in adipocytes. Dr.
Frost joined the Faculty at the University
of Florida in 1985. She served on the
Editorial Board of the American Journal of
Physiology from 1992 to 2001. Dr. Frost
chaired the Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology from 1996 to 1998.
She has served as an Ad Hoc reviewer for
Endocrinology study section and a member
of several special advisory committees to
the NIH. Currently, she is the Director of
the Advanced Program in BMB.
Steven C. Ghivizzani, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation
Our work is translational in nature in that we
are developing effective gene-based
treatments for musculoskeletal disorders.
By delivering cDNAs encoding therapeutic
proteins to cells at sites of disease, we can
convert these cells into factories for
sustained, localized protein synthesis and
secretion. Our primary targets are arthritis
and tissue repair. For arthritis, using
recombinant adenovirus, adeno-associated
virus and lentivirus we are working to stably
insert therapeutic genes into cells in articular
tissues to enable the persistent localized
production of anti-inflammatory proteins
within diseased joints. Toward tissue repair,
we are developing strategies to enable the
sustained synthesis of growth factors,
morphogens and transcription factors within
damaged tissues to stimulate mesenchymal
stem cells toward specific differentiation
pathways. Methods are being explored to
improve synthesis of repair tissues for
cartilage, bone, ligament and tendon.
Gene Therapy for Arthritis
Steve Ghivizzani, earned his Ph.D. in
Immunology and Medical Microbiology
at UF in 1991 in Dr. William Hauswirth’s
laboratory where he studied
mitochondrial DNA replication and
transcription. As a post-doc he joined the
laboratories of Drs. Paul Robbins and
Christopher Evans at the University of
Pittsburgh where he performed research
in gene therapy for musculoskeletal
disorders. He was instrumental in the
implementation of the first clinical trial
of a gene therapy for a non-fatal disease.
After a stint in the biotech industry, in
1999 he was recruited to Harvard
Medical School as an Assistant Professor
in the Center for Molecular Orthopaedics.
In 2004, he returned to the University of
Florida to join the faculty as an Associate
Professor in the Department of
Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation.
Research Interests:
My primary research efforts are in two areas.
My primary focus is on developing new
therapeutic strategies using gene therapy and
stem cell therapy for patients with inherited
diseases such as lysosomal storage disorders
and hemophilias. I am focused on studying
the frequent cell transfer between mother and
fetus during gestation that establish
microchimerism and am determining ways to
modulate the level of this chimerism to
enable therapy of disease. Through the use
of gene replacement, I hope to correct the
underlying deficiencies underpinning the
disease manifestations.
Additionally I am studying the spread of
breast malignancies through the use of
xenografting. By studying the spread of
tumors from breast cancer patients in mice, I
hope to determine if metastases is determined
by tumor specific or host factors. This model
will allow identification of what factors are
important in tumor spread and
localization. Additionally, the model will
allow testing of therapeutic agents. The goal
is to identify new targets for therapy to
personalize oncologic therapeutics.
Coy Heldermon, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Division of Hematology/Oncology
University of Florida
1600 SW Archer Road/Box 100278
Gainesville, FL 32610-0277
(352) 273-7832
Degree
Program
Residency/
Fellowship/
Instructor
Internship
Ph.D.
M.D.
B.S.
Institution
Field/Specialty
Washington
University in St.
Louis
Stanford
University
University of
Oklahoma
University of
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
University
Internal Medicine/
Hematology &
Oncology
Obstetrics &
Gynecology
Biochemistry &
Molecular Biology
Medicine
Animal Science
Coy D. Heldermon, M.D., Ph.D., is a board certified medical oncologist with expertise
in the treatment of breast cancer. He is a member of the American Society of
Hematology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. His research expertise is
in the use of gene replacement and stem cell therapies for the treatment of inherited
disorders such as lysosomal storage diseases. He also studies the spread of stem cells
from maternal or malignant sources using mouse models.
Suming Huang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Epigenetic modifications play an important role
in chromatin organization and gene expression.
Perturbation of this process often leads to cancer.
My lab is interested in understanding the epigenetic
mechanism that underlies the controls of the
enhancer and promoter interaction during
transcriptional activation. We are currently focusing
on examining the epigenetic mechanisms by which
the chromatin insulator binding factor USF1
maintains a local environment of active chromatin,
both by biochemical and functional analysis of the
USF1 associated histone modifying enzyme
complexes. We are also studying the effects of
these complexes on histone modification patterns,
local and long-range chromatin structure, and
transcriptional regulation.
Another project that my lab is focusing on is the
transcriptional regulation of TAL1/SCL, which plays
a critical role in normal and malignant
hematopoiesis. Activation of TAL1 is the most
frequent gain-of-function mutation occurred in
T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). We will use
biochemical and cell biology approaches such as
protein purification, siRNA knockdown, tissue
culture, ChIP-Seq, ChIP, microarray, and in vitro
and in vivo transformation assays to determine:
1) the mechanism that triggers the ectopic
activation of TAL1 transcription in T-ALL, and 2) the
mechanism that dictates the TAL1 transcriptional
activity in normal and malignant hematopoiesis.
A
B
Dr. Suming Huang received his PhD
in Molecular Virology from
Mississippi State University in 1996.
He then joined Dr. Stephen Brandt’s
laboratory at Vanderbilt Medical
Center as a postdoctoral fellow,
where he worked on the
transcriptional regulation of
hematopoiesis. In 2001, he joined
Gary Felsenfeld’s group at
NIDDK/NIH to study the chromatin
insulator and epigenetic regulation of
chromatin structure and gene
expression. Dr. Huang joined the
faculty at the University of Florida in
2006.
Michael S. Kilberg, Ph.D.
Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
We are investigating transcriptional and
epigenetic regulation of several human
genes in response to nutrient stress;
either protein/amino acid deprivation,
which activates the Amino Acid
Response signaling pathway or ER
stress, which activates the Unfolded
Protein Response pathway. For
example, genomic analysis of the
human asparagine synthetase (ASNS)
gene has allowed us to identify several
genomic cis-acting sequences, the
corresponding transcription factors, and
the assembly mechanisms of the general
transcriptional machinery that are
responsible for nutrient-dependent
transcriptional control. These data have
led us to focus on the molecular control
of the genes for the nutrient-responsive
transcription factors themselves, to
understand the mechanisms for
“regulation of the regulators.” Among
these transcription factors are ATF4,
ATF3, C/EBPβ, JUN, FOS, and NF-kB.
Model for Transcriptional Control
of the Human ASNS Gene
Professor Michael S. Kilberg has received
the University of Florida Doctoral
Advisor/Mentoring Award, the highest
graduate student mentoring award given
by UF. Dr. Kilberg earned his Ph.D. in
biochemistry and molecular biology for
work on membrane transporters. He did
post-doctoral studies at the University of
Michigan, before joining the faculty at UF
in 1980. He has written numerous
reviews, organized several international
symposia, and written multiple chapters
for both the Annual Review of Nutrition
and the Annual Review of Biochemistry.
Dr. Kilberg has served three terms on the
Editorial Board of the Journal of
Biological Chemistry. He was awarded
the 1992 College of Medicine Faculty
Research Award and a University of
Florida Research Foundation
Professorship in 1997.
Michael P. Kladde, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Associate Professor Mike Kladde earned his Ph.D.
degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology with Dr. Jack
Gorski at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1991
on estrogenic regulation of gene expression. He then
pursued postdoctoral work on chromatin structure and
function in the laboratory of Dr. Robert T. Simpson at
the National Institutes of Health and then at The
Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Kladde took a
position at Texas A&M University in 1998 and rose to
the rank of Associate Professor continuing his studies
on activation of gene expression in the context of
chromatin. He joined the Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology at UF in 2007.
Packaging DNA into
chromatin comprised of
repeating nucleosomes
regulates all DNA-based
functions in eukaryotes.
One emphasis of the lab is
on studying how chromatin is
disassembled or remodeled to
activate transcription. These
studies focus on a proven
model system, the PHO5
promoter in the budding
yeast, S. cerevisiae. Yeast
offers many experimental advantages, including ease in biochemical, genetic, and
molecular approaches. Another area of investigation concerns the role of epigenetic or
post-replicative methylation of DNA in tumor progression. In a recent collaboration, we
have discovered increased DNA methylation of a novel mammalian tumor suppressor
gene that is associated with elevated invasiveness of breast cancer. Future studies will
examine mechanisms of epigenetic silencing of this tumor suppressor in human breast
cancer lines and patient tumor tissue. Both areas of study take advantage of our powerful
population and single-molecule strategies (MAP and MAP-IT, respectively) for probing
chromatin structure with DNA methyltransferases.
Philip J. Laipis, Ph.D.
Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
My lab studies phenylketonuria (PKU), a
common inborn error of metabolism in
man, affecting about 1 in 16,000 births in
the United States. Our studies are primarily
carried out in a mouse model of this
disorder. We initially attempted therapeutic
approaches to PKU treatment via gene
therapy. While successful in mice, this
approach could not be easily extended to
humans. We moved to using enzyme
replacement therapy with phenylalanine
ammonia lyase (PAL), a cyanobacterial
enzyme. Treatment of mice with a
recombinant, post-translationally modified
form of PAL results in long-term
suppression of PKU symptoms, including
Maternal PKU Syndrome. Phase I human
clinical trials were successful, and Phase II
trials of PAL in adult PKU patients are in
progress. The current focus of my lab is to
extend the studies in adult mice to pregnant
and newborn mice. These will provide preclinical data for future human trials in
pregnant women and young children.
14 days after injections of rAvPAL-PEG
were begun, the melanin biosynthetic
defect in PKU mice is reversed, showing
new bands of black hair. Coat color will
become as dark as wild type or Pahenu2
heterozygous carrier BTBR mice.
Professor Philip Laipis received the
Ph.D. in genetics from Stanford
University in 1972. His thesis
research with Dr. A.T. Ganesan
examined the role of DNA
polymerases and DNA ligase in
repair and recombination of B.
subtilis DNA. He joined A.J.
Levine’s laboratory at Princeton
University as an NIH postdoctoral
fellow, and he studied replicating
SV40 viral DNA. He joined the
University of Florida in 1974. He
rose to the rank of Professor in
1986. Dr. Laipis has served on the
NIH Physiological Chemistry and
Therapeutic Approaches to Genetic
Disease Study Sections and since
1997 has been the Associate Chair
of the Department.
Joanna R. Long, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Our research focuses on the relationship
between proteins and their environment in
mediating the properties of specialized
tissues. My lab uses a combination of biophysical techniques, functional assays (in
collaboration with other research groups at
UF), and solid state NMR experiments to
address three research areas: 1) We are
funded by the NIH to study the structure
and dynamics of lung surfactant peptides
interacting with lipids found in the lung;
2) We are studying the ion channelforming M2 segments of the nicotinic
acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) to yield
insights into key features of aging-related
changes in membrane composition that
affect the function and regulation of ion
channel gating; 3) We are exploring the
molecular level interactions of bone sialoprotein II with hydroxyapatite and collagen
and examining the regulation, through
phosphorylation, of BSP in mineralizing
tissue. We also work on developing solid
state NMR methodologies.
Protein Regulation of Lipid Dynamics
Joanna R. Long received her Ph.D. in
Physical Chemistry from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
in 1997 for work done in the laboratory
of Dr. R. G. Griffin on applying solid
state NMR techniques to the study of
peptide and lipid structure and
dynamics. She then joined the
laboratory of Dr. Pat Stayton at the
University of Washington, in
collaboration with Dr. Gary Drobny, to
do postdoctoral research studying
protein structure and dynamics at
mineral and polymer interfaces for
tissue engineering applications. In
2000, she joined the Department of
Chemistry at the University of
Washington as Director of the NMR
Facility. Dr. Long joined the Faculty at
the University of Florida in 2002.
Jianrong Lu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Our research focuses on the epigenetic
mechanisms underlying tumor metastasis.
Tumor metastasis is a multistage process
during which malignant cells spread from the
primary tumor to distant sites. It consists of a
series of sequential steps: angiogenesisdependent sustained growth of primary
tumors, local invasion and intravasation,
survival of tumor cells in the circulation,
arrest in a capillary bed and extravasation,
and eventual formation of clinically evident
metastases after a period of dormancy.
Angiogenesis is a critical part of metastasis:
it not only supports tumor growth but also
provides a getaway for tumor dissemination.
Currently we are investigating a chromatin
structure-based regulatory mechanism of
angiogenesis. To metastasize, carcinoma
cells often undergo morphological changes,
namely epithelial-to-mesenchymal and
subsequent mesenchymal-to-epithelial
transitions. Ongoing work in lab explores the
epigenetic basis underpinning this cellular
plasticity. Finally, cancer cells are notorious
for their altered metabolism. We aim to
delineate the potential link between the
metabolic state and tumor cell's metastatic
potential.
Each step of the metastatic cascade is
believed to be rate limiting as a blockade at
any step may halt the process. Better
understanding of the metastatic process
may lead to design of more effective
therapies.
Dr. Lu received his Ph.D. from the
University of Texas Southwestern
Medical Center at Dallas in 2000 in
the laboratory of Dr. Eric Olson. His
graduate work focused on
transcriptional regulation of muscle
development and diseases. He then
joined Dr. Philip Leder's group as a
postdoctoral fellow at Harvard
Medical School, where he began
studies on cancer biology. Dr. Lu
joined the Department of
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
at the University of Florida in 2005.
Thomas H. Mareci, Ph.D.
Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dr. Mareci studies tissue structure and
biochemical processes in the nervous
system using nuclear magnetic resonance
(NMR). His current projects are: 1)
Image nervous tissue fiber structure in
white and gray matter (see figure below
of human brain in vivo) and measure
functional connectivity between gray
matter regions. 2) Study convection drug
delivery into the nervous system using
dynamic contrast enhanced MR imaging
in vivo. 3) Design and construct unique
MR coils with enhancement sensitivity to
allow the acquisition of very high spatialresolution MR images and spectra.
Future work will be directed toward the
NMR measurement in vivo of a
neurochemical profile of the brain for the
study of nervous system disorders, like
epilepsy. His students come from
diverse disciplines: biochemistry,
biomedical and electrical engineering,
chemistry, neuroscience, and physics.
Professor Mareci received a doctoral
degree in physical chemistry in 1982
from Oxford University for his work on
nuclear magnetic resonance multiplequantum spectroscopy. Dr. Mareci
joined the faculty of the University of
Florida in 1982 and served as the
Director of the Center for Structural
Biology from 1993-2007. He is an
affiliate faculty member of the
Departments of Physics and Biomedical
Engineering and a member of the
National High Magnetic Field
Laboratory, where he is helping to
develop the in vivo magnetic resonance
program. He has published over 65
journal articles and 12 book chapters.
Robert McKenna, Ph.D.
Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
My research interests are focused on
interpreting how the structure of a
biological molecule plays a role in its
function. We use the techniques of Xray and neutron crystallography and insilico modeling to obtain 3D structural
information and correlate this to
mutational, kinetic, and biochemical
data. The result is a structural map of
the biological molecule in the context
of its function . The goals of these
studies are 1) to understand the
mechanism of how the system works,
and 2) to develop therapeutic strategies
of treatments of human diseases
attributed to these targeted biological
molecules.
Current studies include: Carbonic
anhydrases, manganese superoxide
dismutase, HIV-protease, malariaplasmepsins, the cancer-associated
Mycoplasma hyorhinis protein Mh-p37.
Associate Professor Robert McKenna
received his Ph.D. in crystallography at
the University of London in 1989
under the direction of Prof. Stephen
Neidle for work on structural studies of
nucleic acid targeted anti-cancer drug
design. He then joined Prof. Michael
Rossmann’s laboratory at Purdue
University, Indiana, where he carried
out research on structure to function
correlation for ssDNA virus capsids.
In 1995, he joined the Department of
Biological Sciences at the University
of Warwick, England, UK, as a
research fellow, where he continued his
research on structure-function analysis
of virus capsids. Dr. McKenna joined
the Faculty at the University of Florida
in 1999.
Harry S. Nick, Ph.D.
Professor, Neuroscience
Our laboratory studies the molecular
mechanisms that control gene expression
during acute inflammatory events. Research
has focused on proteins that exhibit both
pro-and anti-inflammatory activities in the
lung, central nervous system and the
kidney. These genes include: manganese
superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), a potent
anti-apoptotic antioxidant enzyme;
cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2), the
first step in prostaglandin and leukotriene
biosynthesis; microsomal prostaglandin E
synthase, the enzyme that synthesizes one
of the most physiologically potent
eicosanoids, PGE2 and heme oxygenase-1
(HO-1), the primary enzyme in heme
metabolism. Our efforts include state of
the art molecular biology approaches to
understand the underlying events that
orchestrate gene regulation. Our laboratory
is also actively developing strategies for
gene delivery specifically targeted to
diabetes, asthma, inhibition of cancer
growth and events associated with acute
spinal cord injury.
Dawn Beachy
Model of the MnSOD intronic enhancer-promoter
and some trans-acting factors that mediate gene
induction by inflammatory cytokines.
Professor Harry Nick earned his Ph.D.
in chemistry from the University of
Pennsylvania (1982) working with Dr.
Ponz Lu on protein-DNA interactions
using high resolution NMR
spectroscopy. As a postdoctoral fellow
with Dr. Walter Gilbert at Harvard
University, Dr. Nick helped develop in
vivo footprinting methodology for the
molecular analysis of cytosine
methylation and detection of proteinDNA interactions in vivo. He joined the
University as an Assistant Professor in
1985 and became a full Professor in
1997. He served as a charter member of
the NIH Lung Biology Study Section
and recently received a MERIT award
from the NIH. He is also currently the
Associate Director of the McKnight
Brain Institute.
Daniel L. Purich, Ph.D.
Professor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Molecular Motors in Actin-Based
Motility
A specialist in enzyme chemistry and cell
motility, Dr. Purich has published over 150
papers, chapters, and review articles on the
mechanisms
of
action
of
enzymes,
microtubules, and actin filaments. To account
for noncovalent substrate- and product-like
states of mechanoenzyme reactions (e.g.,
State1 + ATP = State2 + ADP + Pi), he
redefined enzyme catalysis as the facilitated
making/breaking of chemical bonds - not just
covalent bonds. He also coined the term
energase to signify those energy-driven
enzymes (e.g., molecular motors, active
transporters, translocators, GTPregulatory
proteins, ribosomes, etc.) comprising a hitherto
unrecognized seventh and distinct class of
enzyme-catalyzed reactions. He and UF
colleague Richard Dickinson co-discovered
actoclampin, an entirely novel class of
molecular motors that harness the Gibbs
energy of ATP hydrolysis as they track along
actin filament (+)-ends and generate the
substantial forces needed for amoeboid-like
cell crawling, endosome and phagosome
motility, as well as dendritic spine remodeling
into functional synapses
Dr. Purich earned his Ph.D. for investigating
brain hexokinase kinetics and regulation under
Herbert Fromm at Iowa State University. A
Staff Research Fellow under Earl Stadtman at
the NIH, he elucidated the enzyme
nucleotidylation cascade controlling bacterial
glutamine synthetase. Purich joined the
University of California Santa Barbara
Department of Chemistry in 1973, and rose
through the ranks to full professor in 1982.
While at UCSB, he was awarded an A. P. Sloan
Award, the. Plous campus-wide teaching award,
and a NIH Research Career Development
Award. In 1984, he became Chairman of
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology here and
resumed full-time professorial activities in
1996. Dr. Purich served on the editorial boards
of Journal of Biological Chemistry and
Archives of Biochemistry & Biohysics, served
on the NIH Biochemistry Study Section, and
edited the six-volume Enzyme Kinetics &
Mechanism series in Methods in Enzymology,
as well as Contemporary Enzyme Kinetics &
Mechanism. Dr. Purich is the lead author of The
Handbook of Biochemical Kinetics (2000) and
The Enzyme Reference (2002), His latest book
Modern Enzyme Kinetics: Principles &
Practices will appear in Spring, 2009.
Gregory S. Schultz, Ph.D.
Professor Obstetrics and Gynecology
Growth factors, cytokines and proteases play key
roles in regulating wound healing. The cost of
chronic wounds that fail to heal, or wounds that
heal with excessive scar is over $4 billion/year in
the US. My lab uses biochemical approaches to
identify and understand the molecular imbalances
that prevent wounds from healing or stimulate
excessive scar formation, then translates that
understanding into new clinical therapies that
selectively identify and correct the biochemical
abnormalities. Our analyses of biopsies and
wound fluids have revealed that chronic, nonhealing wounds have bacterial biofilms that
induce sustained, elevated levels of inflammatory
cytokines (TNFα, IL-1β), and proteases (MMPs)
that destroy proteins that are essential for healing
(growth factors, receptors and ECM proteins).
These data have led to our development of a rapid,
point-of-care detector for MMPs and ongoing
clinical trials of topical treatment of diabetic foot
ulcers with protease inhibitors. Our biochemical
analysis of fibrotic scars established the prolonged
elevated activity of two growth factors,
transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and
connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) are
primarily responsible for causing excessive
scarring and fibrosis. We are developing antisense
oligonucleotides, siRNAs, and ribozymes that
selectively target TGF-β and CTGF mRNAs. We
are also part of a collaborative team developing
ribozymes that inhibit Herpes virus replication, for
which the ultimate clinical goal is permanent
treatment for corneal and genital herpes
infections.
Professor Schultz received a Ph.D. in
Biochemistry from Oklahoma State University
in 1976 in the area of endocrine regulation of
breast cancer. He then completed 3 years of
post-doctoral training in cell biology at Yale
investigating angiotensin II receptors of vascular
smooth muscle cells. In 1979, he joined the
Department of Biochemistry at the University of
Louisville and developed a research program on
growth factor regulation of cancer cell growth
and wound healing. In 1989, he was appointed
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the
University of Florida and established the
Institute for Wound Research. Dr. Schultz has
>250 publications with over 6,500 citations, is
an editor for six journals, and continuously
funded by NIH and biotech companies. He was
President of the Wound Healing Society (19992001), awared a Medicinae Doctorem (hc) from
Linkoping University, Sweden, the COM
International Educator Award (2008), COM
Basic Science Research Award (2008), and
Florida Research Foundation Professorial
Award (2010).
Thomas P. Yang, Ph.D.
Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Our laboratory studies the regulation of
transcription, particularly epigenetic
mechanisms that regulate activation and
silencing of mammalian genes. We
employ two genetic systems of
monoallelic gene expression:
mammalian X chromosome
inactivation, and genomic imprinting in
the Angelman/Prader-Willi syndrome
region of human chromosome 15 and
mouse chromosome 7. In each system,
both a transcriptionally active and
inactive allele of a given gene reside
within the same nucleus. We are
interested in the mechanisms by which
these systems of differential gene
expression are established and
maintained during mammalian
development. Our current studies focus
on the roles of DNA methylation and
chromatin structure in regulating
transcription using mouse genetic
models.
Dr. Yang received his A.B. degree from
Cornell University and his Ph.D. in
Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
from the University of California,
Irvine. As a postdoctoral fellow, he
studied medical and human molecular
genetics with Dr. C. Thomas Caskey at
the Baylor College of Medicine, and
transcriptional regulation with Dr.
Arthur D. Riggs at the Beckman
Research Institute of the City of Hope.
Dr. Yang joined the Dept. of
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in
1988 and rose to the rank of Professor in
1999. He also serves as the Program
Director of the Center for Mammalian
Genetics, is a member of the American
Cancer Society, Florida Division, Peer
Review Committee, and was a member
of the National Institutes of Health
Biological Sciences-1 Study Section.
BMB Concentration Members
Email address
Agbandje-McKenna, Mavis
mckenna@ufl.edu
Barbet, Anthony
barbet@ufl.edu
Battelle, Barbara-Ann
battelle@whitney.ufl.edu
Bloom, Linda
lbloom@ufl.edu
Boulton, Michael
meboulton@ufl.edu
Brady, Linda
jbrady@dental.ufl.edu
Brantly, Mark
brantml@medicine.ufl.edu
Brown, Kevin
kdbrown1@ufl.edu
Bubb, Michael
bubbmr@medicine.ufl.edu
Bungert, Jorg
jbungert@ufl.edu
Burke, Brian
bburke@ufl.edu
Burne, Robert
rburne@dental.ufl.edu
Cain, Brian
bcain@ufl.edu
Cardounel, Arturo
cardounel.1@ufl.edu
Chaffari, Giti
ghaffari@pathology.ufl.edu
Chesrown, Sarah
chesrse@peds.ufl.edu
Clapp, William
clapp@pathology.ufl.edu
Conrad, Kirk
kpconrad@ufl.edu
Cousins, Robert
cousins@ufl.edu
Culp, David
dculp@dental.ufl.edu
Delp, Judy
jdelp@ufl.edu
Dame, John
damej@ufl.edu
Deng, Xingming
xdeng@ufscc.ufl.edu
Denslow, Nancy
ndenslow@ufl.edu
Dunn, Ben
bdunn@ufl.edu
Edison, Arthur
aedison@ufl.edu
Flanegan, James
flanegan@ufl.edu
Frost, Susan
sfrost@ufl.edu
Ghivizzani, Steven
ghivisc@ortho.ufl.edu
Goldberg, Eugene
egoldberg@pol.net
Grieshaber, Scott
sgriesha@ufl.edu
Harvey, William
wharvey@whitney.ufl.edu
Heldermon, Coy
coy.heldermon@medicine.ufl.edu
Holliday, Shannon
sholliday@dental.ufl.edu
Huang, Suming
sumingh@ufl.edu
Ishov, Alexander
ishov@ufl.edu
Johnson, Judith
jajohnson@pathology.ufl.edu
Kasahara, Hideko
hkasahar@phys.med.ufl.edu
Kaushal, Shalesh
skaushal@eye.ufl.edu
Kilberg, Michael
mkilberg@ufl.edu
Kladde, Michael
kladde@ufl.edu
Kusmartsev, Sergei
s.kusmartsev@urology.ufl.edu
Laipis, Philip
plaipis@ufl.edu
Lavalle, Phyllis
luvalle@ufl.edu
Leeuwnburgh, Christiaan
cleeuwen@aging.ufl.edu
Litherland, Sally
sal@burnham.org
Long, Joanna
jrlong@ufl.edu
Lu, Jianrong
jrlu@ufl.edu
Mareci, Thomas
thmareci@ufl.edu
May, Stratford
smay@ufl.edu
McFadden, Grant
grantmcf@ufl.edu
McKenna, Robert
rmckenna@ufl.edu
Mergia, Ayalew
mergiaa@mail.vetmed.ufl.edu
Moyer, Richard
rmoyer@ufl.edu
Narayan, Satya
snarayan@ufl.edu
Nelson, Peter
prnelson@ufl.edu
Nick, Harry
hnick@ufl.edu
Ostrov, David
ostroda@pathology.ufl.edu
Petersen, Byron
petersen@pathology.ufl.edu
Purich, Daniel
danpurich@yahoo.com
Raizada, Mohan
mraizada@phys.med.ufl.edu
Reddy, Vijay
reddyvs@medicine.ufl.edu
Rogers, Richard
rrogers@arnest.ufl.edu
Salemi, Marco
salami@pathology.ufl.edu
Sayeski, Peter
psayeski@phys.med.ufl.edu
Schultz, Greg
schultzg@obgyn.ufl.edu
Silverman, David
silvrmn@ufl.edu
Snyder, Richard
rsnyder@gtc.ufl.edu
Southwick, Fred
southfs@medmac.ufl.edu
Srivastava, Arun
asrivastava@gtc.ufl.edu
Stacpoole, Peter
stacpool@gcrc.ufl.edu
Strosberg, Donny
strosber@scripps.edu
Terada, Naohiro
terada@pathology.ufl.edu
Tu, Chingkuang
cktu@ufl.edu
Wallace, Margaret
peggyw@ufl.edu
Walter, Glenn
glennw@phys.med.ufl.edu
Wang, Kevin
kwang@psychiatry.ufl.edu
Weinstein, David
weinsda@peds.ufl.edu
Wingo, Charles
cswingo@ufl.edu
Wubah, Judith
jawubah@ufl.edu
Xiao, Lei
lxiao@ufl.edu
Yang, Thomas
tpyang@ufl.edu
Zhou, Lei
leizhou@ufl.edu
Zolotukhin, Sergei
szlt@ufl.edu