Faculty Miller School of Medicine

Primary Faculty

Sylvia Daunert, Pharm.D., M.S., Ph.D.
Professor and Lucille P. Markey Chair, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Publications
Biography: Sylvia Daunert, PharmD, MS, PhD, is the Lucille P. Markey Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Miller School of Medicine and the Director of the JT Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute, and Director of hte Frost Institutes and University STEM Centers and Institutes of the University of Miami. Prior to joining the University of Miami, Dr....
View Full Profile >

Mohd Tasleem Arif, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Publications
Biography: Dr. Tasleem Arif is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. He received a Bachelor of Science (with Honours) from the University of Delhi, India, and a PhD from the Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, followed by post-doctoral training at the Icahn School of Medicine...
View Full Profile >

Luisa Cimmino, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Publications
Biography: Dr. Luisa Cimmino is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. She received a Bachelor of Science (with Honours) from the University of Melbourne, Australia, and a PhD from Columbia University in New York City, followed by post-doctoral training at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute...
View Full Profile >

Emiliano Cocco, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Publications
View Full Profile >

Sapna Deo, Ph.D.
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Publications
View Full Profile >

Shanta Dhar, Ph.D.
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Biography: Our research is at the interface of chemistry and biology with particular emphasis on nanocarrier mediated intracellular delivery of payloads for potential applications in various diseases. Our research is directed to develop organelle targeted nanoparticles and to study nanoparticle assisted targeted delivery for possible applications in cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative...
View Full Profile >

Amjad Farooq PhD DIC
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Publications
View Full Profile >

Maria E. Figueroa, M.D.
Professor
Publications
Biography: Dr. Figueroa received her MD from Universidad del Salvador, School of Medicine in Buenos Aires, and a Degree in Hematology from University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. She completed her postdoctoral training in the field of epigenetics of myeloid malignancies at Weill Cornell Medicine under the mentorship of Dr. Ari Melnick. Dr. Figueroa’s research seeks to understand the...
View Full Profile >

Flavia Fontanesi, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Publications
View Full Profile >

Feng Gong, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Publications
View Full Profile >

Thomas K. Harris, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

View Full Profile >

Roland C. Hendrickson, Ph.D.
Director, Cancer Proteomics Shared Resource Facility, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Publications
Biography: I am an analytical biochemist with over 25 years of relevant experience in protein biochemistry and protein mass spectrometry. My career path and training has been counter current by starting in biotechnology, maturing in pharmaceutical research and focusing most recently in academia all the while working to solve challenging problems in various disease areas such as infectious...
View Full Profile >

Chaitanya Jain, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

View Full Profile >

Ralf Landgraf, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Publications
Biography: Dr. Landgraf earned his master's in Biochemistry in 1990 at the University of Tuebingen, Germany with additional research time in Enzymology at Queen Mary College, London. He received his PhD in Physiological Chemistry in 1995 at UCLA working on molecular recognition in Protein-DNA interactions, and he did a postdoc in structural studies and computational protein work...
View Full Profile >

Giacomo Lanzoni, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Tenure Track
Publications
View Full Profile >

Anna Lasorella, M.D.
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Publications
Biography: Catholic University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy MD 1982 Medicine

Catholic University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy Post grad 1990-92
Pediatric OncologyCatholic

University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy Residency 1982-86 Hematology

Catholic University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy Residency 1986-90 Pediatrics

Brain Tumor Research Ctr., UCSF, San Francisco Res. Fellow...
View Full Profile >

Stephen Lee, Ph.D.
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Publications
Biography: The laboratory studies mechanisms involved in the cellular adaptation to the adverse environmental conditions commonly found within the tumor microenvironment (hypoxia and extracellular acidosis). These extracellular stimuli alter fundamental cellular pathways by 1) activating an alternate translation apparatus that synthesizes proteins only in the absence of oxygen and...
View Full Profile >

Fan Liu, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

View Full Profile >

Arun Malhotra, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

View Full Profile >

Richard Myers, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Publications
View Full Profile >

Zafar Nawaz, Ph.D.
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Publications
View Full Profile >

Min Seon Park, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Publications
View Full Profile >

Mercedes Prudencio, PhD
Publications
Biography: Dr. Prudencio grew up in Spain where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Biology, and then emigrated to the USA and obtained her PhD in Biomedical Sciences-Neuroscience at the University of Florida. Under the guidance of Dr. David Borchelt, her PhD work focused on animal models and protein aggregation of SOD1-ALS. She then continued towards her postdoctoral training...
View Full Profile >

Martin A. Rivas, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Publications
Biography: Education

M.S., Clinical Epidemiology & Health Services Research. Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University. New York, USA. 2019-2021.

Ph.D., Biological Chemistry. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, University of Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires, Argentina. 2006-2011.

B.S./M.S., Biological Sciences (Major in animal physiology). Facultad de Ciencias...
View Full Profile >

Wei Shao, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

View Full Profile >

Aristeidis G. Telonis, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Publications
Biography: Dr Telonis is a Research Assistant Professor at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He is a Biologist by training, graduating from the University of Patras, Greece with a B.Sc. in Biology. As an undergraduate researcher, he conducted research in behavioral and molecular neurobiology. He holds a M.Sc....
View Full Profile >

Michal Toborek, M.D., Ph.D.
Leonard M. Miller Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Publications
Biography: Dr. Toborek is the Miller Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Vice-Chair for Research in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Toborek is double Doctor Honoris causa by the Silesian Medical University and the Academy of Physical Education in his native Poland. He is proud to be an alumnus of the SRP, as...
View Full Profile >

Yu-Ping Yang, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor

View Full Profile >

Yanbin Zhang, Ph.D.
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Publications
Biography: Dr. Zhang is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He is interested in understanding the causes of genome instability and how it contributes to cancer development. Dr. Zhang's group aims to determine how the proteins in the Fanconi anemia pathway affect DNA damage repair and breast cancer development.
View Full Profile >

Yongjie Zhang
Publications
Biography: I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Neuroscience Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. My research program focuses on the molecular mechanisms, toxicity, and cellular consequences of abnormal protein aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases, including frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), amyotrophic...
View Full Profile >

Jean-Marc Zingg Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor
Publications
Biography: 1988 Diploma/Master in Biology II (Biocenter, University of Basel, Switzerland)
1993 PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Biocenter, University of Basel, Switzerland)
2005 Habilitation (Private Lecturer) in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty, University of Bern, Switzerland

Academic:
1984-1988: Study of Biology II, Biocenter of the University of Basel,...
View Full Profile >

Nicholas F. Tsinoremas, Ph.D.
Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Professor, Computer Science
Professor, Health Informatics
Biography: Dr. Tsinoremas is the Vice Provost for Research Computing and Data and Founding Director of the University of Miami Institute for Data Science and Computing which was established to catalyze data-intensive research in fields ranging from medicine to earth sciences, urban planning, digital humanities, and business...
View Full Profile >
Secondary Faculty

Julio C. Barredo, M.D.
Professor of Pediatrics, Medicine, and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Pediatric Hematology & Oncology
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Dr. Julio Barredo is a Professor of Pediatrics, Toppel Family Endowed Professor in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, and Director of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology and Children's Cancer Programs at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. With over 30 years of medical experience, Dr. Barredo has dedicated his efforts and expertise toward cancer care and...
View Full Profile >

Antonio Barrientos, Ph.D.
Professor of Neurology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Publications
View Full Profile >

Ernesto Bernal-Mizrachi, M.D.
Professor, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: His research over the last 15 years has focused on the regulation of pancreatic beta cell mass and function, with a particular interest in Akt and mTOR signaling pathways in beta cell proliferation. His laboratory has made major contributions to our understanding of signaling pathways that regulate beta cell expansion and survival. The long term goal of these signaling...
View Full Profile >

Sanjoy K. Bhattacharya, Ph.D.
Professor of Ophthalmology Bascom Palmer Eye Institute
Publications
Biography: Sanjoy Bhattacharya is a tenured Professor at University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA. Professor Bhattacharya completed master’s degrees, in Biotechnology, in Bioengineering from Banaras Hindu University, and a PhD degree in Bioengineering from Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi, India. He subsequently did fellowships in Pharmacology and Structural Biology at McGill University,...
View Full Profile >

Alessia Fornoni, M.D., Ph.D., FASN
Professor, Katz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Dr. Fornoni is a tenured Professor of Medicine and Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She serves as Director and Chair of the Peggy and Harold Katz Drug Discovery Center. She is also the Co-Director of the MSTP program and of the CTSI/KL2 program and Assistant Dean for Research Training and Development.

Through her...
View Full Profile >

Shuanglin Hao, Ph.D.
Professor of Anesthesiology
Publications
View Full Profile >

Joshua M. Hare, M.D., FACC, FAHA
Director, Donald Soffer Endowed Program in Regenerative Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Hare graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and has a medical degree from Johns Hopkins University. He did his residency at Hopkins and fellowships at Hopkins, Harvard University and The Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Dr. Hare was Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering and director of cardiac transplantation at Johns Hopkins, leading their...
View Full Profile >

Guy A. Howard, Ph.D.
Research Professor, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine

Biography: I was (until 2019) the Deputy Director, as well as the founding Associate Director for Research of the Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC) at the Miami VA Healthcare System; one of only 20 such centers in the US, now 25+ years in existence. As part of that position, I oversaw and actively facilitated VA-university research interactions on both the...
View Full Profile >

Jennifer J. Hu, Ph.D.
Professor, Epidemiology & Population Health Sciences
Publications
Biography: Jennifer Hu, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, with secondary appointments in the Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Human Genetics and Genomics. She serves as director of the epidemiology and population health sciences division.

Dr. Hu is a transdisciplinary cancer researcher...
View Full Profile >

Joaquin Jimenez, M.D.
Research Professor of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery

View Full Profile >

Norma Sue Kenyon, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Wallace H. Coulter Center for Translational Research, Cellular Transplantation
Publications
Biography: Norma Sue Kenyon, Ph.D. is The Martin Kleiman Professor of Surgery, Microbiology & Immunology, Biomedical Engineering and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at the Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami. Dr. Kenyon and her research team have focused on ways to transplant insulin producing cells, in both clinically relevant islet transplant models and in clinical...
View Full Profile >

Byron L. Lam, M.D.
Professor of Ophthalmology
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Byron L. Lam, M.D. is a clinician and a researcher with a focus in neuro-ophthalmology, hereditary retinal disease, and ophthalmic epidemiology. He is a professor of ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of the University of Miami Miller School in Medicine and is the holder of the Robert Z. & Nancy J. Greene Chair in Ophthalmology.

Dr. Lam is an active clinical...
View Full Profile >

Xue Zhong Liu, M.D., Ph.D., FACS
Leonard M. Miller Professor of Otolaryngology, Otology
Clinical Profile
Biography: Dr. Liu is a surgeon scientist in the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Miami, where he holds the Hotchkiss Chair in Otolaryngology and is Vice Chair for Research. Under the leadership of Dr. Liu, the Center for Hereditary Deafness (CDH), including research and clinical programs, is currently studying mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatments of deafness caused...
View Full Profile >

Zhao-Jun Liu, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Surgery, Vascular & Endovascular Surgery
Publications
Biography: Dr. Liu is Professor and Director of Vascular Research Laboratory at Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He is also the Associate Director of Vascular Biology Institute. He obtained his PhD. from Osaka University, Japan. His research interests span both vascular biology and cancer biology. His interest in the field of vascular biology...
View Full Profile >

David Benner Lombard, M.D., Ph.D.
Clinical Professor
Publications
Biography: Dr. Lombard received his MD from Harvard Medical School, and his PhD at MIT, where he studied Werner syndrome and related progerias. After Pathology residency at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Dr. Lombard pursued postdoctoral work in the area of sirtuin biology, supported by an NIA/NIH K08 award. Dr. Lombard was the first to describe a central role for the...
View Full Profile >

Stephen D. Nimer, M.D.
Professor, Hematology
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Stephen D. Nimer, M.D., is the director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is also the executive dean for research and a professor of medicine, biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Nimer's career spans more than 30 years in clinical care, research, administration...
View Full Profile >

Michael J. Paidas, M.D.
Professor and Chair, Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Clinical Profile | Publications
View Full Profile >

Nima Sharifi, M.D.
Professor and Scientific Director, Desai Sethi Urology Institute
Publications
Biography: I am a prostate cancer medical oncologist and physician-scientist and the overall focus of my laboratory is to identify how steroid metabolism governs prostate cancer resistance to hormonal therapies, including development of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Advanced prostate cancer responds initially to gonadal testosterone deprivation therapy but tumors eventually...
View Full Profile >

Sundaram Ramakrishnan, Ph.D.
Professor, Oncology Molecular Therapeutics (OMT)
Publications
Biography: Dr. Ramakrishnan (Ramki) received his Ph.D. from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. He received his post-doctoral training in Immunotoxins at the University of Kansas and subsequently moved to Cetus, a biotechnology company in the Bay area of California. He then joined the faculty of the Duke University Medical Center. After three years, moved...
View Full Profile >

Sabita Roy, Ph.D.
Professor of Surgery, Oncology Molecular Therapeutics (OMT)
Publications
Biography: Sabita Roy is a Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Surgery, at the University of Miami. She received her Ph.D. degree from the University of Kansas and pursued postdoctoral training in Pharmacology at the University of California, San Francisco. After completion of her post-doctoral training, she was recruited as an Assistant Professor and rose...
View Full Profile >

Kurt Schesser, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Publications
Biography: After obtaining my Ph.D. at Oregon State University, I completed my postdoctoral training in host-pathogen interactions under the mentorship of Prof. Hans Wolf-Watz at Ume? University, Sweden. I then held a junior faculty position in the Immunology Section at Lund University, Sweden in which I developed an independent research program. In 2001 I moved to the Department...
View Full Profile >

Omaida C. Velazquez, M.D., FACS
Professor of Clinical Surgery, Vascular & Endovascular Surgery
Clinical Profile
Biography: Omaida C. Velazquez, M.D., F.A.C.S., Professor of Surgery, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine; David Kimmelman Endowed Chair in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University of Miami
Dr. Omaida Velazquez is a nationally and internationally renowned surgeon-scientist, recognized within her field and the broader community of physician scientists, as...
View Full Profile >

Claes Wahlestedt, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Publications
Biography: Claes Wahlestedt is Leonard M. Miller Professor and Director of the Center for Therapeutic Innovation at the University of Miami where he also serves as Associate Dean for Therapeutic Innovation. A native of Sweden, Dr. Wahlestedt obtained his MD and PhD degrees from Lund University. Prior to joining the University of Miami, Dr. Wahlestedt was a founding Professor and...
View Full Profile >

Zhipeng Wang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Publications
View Full Profile >

Sakhrat Khizroev, Ph.D.
Professor, College of Engineering
View Full Profile >

Mark Yeager, Ph.D.
Professor
View Full Profile >
Voluntary & Affiliated
- Angelo Azzi
- Olaf Bodamer
- Paulo Coelho
- Pirouz Daftarian
- Nagesh Kolishetti
- Elliott Hahn
- Mazhar Majid
- Andrew Marshall
- John C. Reed
Emeritus Faculty

Murray Deutscher, Ph.D.

Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Miami Medical Council Representative
Primary Appointment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Email: mdeutsch@med.miami.edu
Gautier Building Room #110
Research Summary: Enzymology and Regulation of RNA Processing, Supramolecular Organization of the Protein-Synthesizing System
Publications: PubMed
Research Interests:
Ribonucleases and RNA metabolism
Organization of the protein-synthesizing machinery
Awards:
Editor
Fellow of the AAAS
Chairman
Chairman Gordon Research Conference
Editor in Chief
Education:
1966 PhD Albert Einstein College of Medicine
1962 B.S. City College of New york

Fazal Ahmad
Professor Emeritus of BMB
Telephone: (954) 990-8314
Email: fahmad@med.miami.edu

Keith Brew
Professor Emeritus of BMB
FAU Biomedical Sciences
Telephone: (561) 297-0407
Email: kbrew@fau.edu

Coralie Carraway
Professor Emeritus of BMB
Email: ccarrawa@med.miami.edu

Roger E. Fenna
Professor Emeritus of BMB
Email: Rfenna@aol.com
rfenna@miami.edu

Frans Huijing
Senior Professor Emeritus of BMB
Email: fhuijing@juno.com
fhuijing@miami.edu

A.T. Soldo
Professor Emeritus of BMB
Telephone: (386) 304-0374
Email: soldoa@bellsouth.net

Richard Voellmy
Professor Emeritus of BMB
Telephone: 021728 0320 (ph) or 0763353129 (mobile)
Email: rvoellmy@hsfpharma.com

Rudolf Werner
Professor Emeritus of BMB
Telephone: (305) 661-4308
Email: rwerner@med.miami.edu

Faculty

Primary Faculty

Secondary Faculty

Sakhrat Khizroev, Ph.D.

Mark Yeager, Ph.D.

Voluntary & Affiliated

Emeritus Faculty

Murray Deutscher, Ph.D.

Fazal Ahmad

Keith Brew

Coralie Carraway

Roger E. Fenna

Frans Huijing

A.T. Soldo

Richard Voellmy

Rudolf Werner