Faculty

All of the faculty associated with the BMS graduate program are listed below. Click on a faculty name to view a detailed description of an individual research program, contact information, recent publications and links to other relevant websites. Each of our faculty is associated with one or more of our eight thematic areas; click on the thematic area name listed by each of our faculty to read more about the research going on in that area, and to view a list of all faculty associated with that thematic area.
 

Tomasz Nowakowski, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Neurobiology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Developmental & Stem Cell Biology
Research Summary: 
Developmental origins of cellular diversity in the nervous system. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of cortical development.

Todd Nystul, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Developmental & Stem Cell Biology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Tissue / Organ Biology & Endocrinology
Research Summary: 
Epithelial stem cells and cancer

Hideho Okada, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Cancer Biology & Cell Signaling
Research Summary: 
Brain Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy

Ross Okimoto, MD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Cancer Biology & Cell Signaling
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Human Genetics
Research Summary: 
The Okimoto lab aims to understand how transcriptional dysregulation leads to cancer growth and metastasis.

Michael Oldham, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Neurobiology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Cancer Biology & Cell Signaling
Research Summary: 
We develop and apply novel experimental and computational strategies for studying the cellular and molecular organization of the developing and adult human brain in health and disease
Mentorship Development: 
  • DEI champion training (3/2022)
  • Setting training expectations for trainees on the academic career track (12/2019)

 

Melanie Ott, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Virology & Microbial Pathogenesis
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Research Summary: 
Molecular Pathogenesis of HIV and Hepatitis C Virus Infections

Jorge J. Palop-Esteban, PhD

Mentorship Development: 

9/11/20    Mentoring Across Differences

Barbara Panning, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Developmental & Stem Cell Biology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Cancer Biology & Cell Signaling
Research Summary: 
The Panning lab studies mammalian stem cell epigenetics, focusing on X-inactivation and chromatin modifiers.
Mentorship Development: 

4/26/19    Sharpening your Mentoring Skills (SyMS) with Sharon Milgram (Mission Bay)
10/20/20    Gathering in Community: a Training for Faculty and Staff

Feroz Papa, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Tissue / Organ Biology & Endocrinology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Developmental & Stem Cell Biology
Research Summary: 
Protein misfolding diseases and novel therapies

Mercedes Paredes, MD, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Neurobiology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
None
Research Summary: 
Studying cortical development to understand the molecular and cellular basis of neuropsychiatric conditions, such as epilepsy and brain malformations.

Jeanne Paz, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Neurobiology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
None
Research Summary: 
Neural dynamics and plasticity in Epilepsy and associated cognitive dysfunction
Mentorship Development: 

9/11/20    Mentoring Across Differences
2/18/21    Three Truths and Three Tries: Facing and Overcoming Critical Social Justice Challenges at the Micro, Mezzo, and Macro Levels

Karin Pelka, PhD

Primary Thematic Area: 
Immunology
Secondary Thematic Area: 
Cancer Biology & Cell Signaling
Research Summary: 
Using single cell genomics and tissue imaging, we study the cellular interactions that shape immune responses in human tumors in order to harness the immune system in the fight against cancer.

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