Faculty Profiles

Tasuku Akiyama, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery
Publications
Biography: Tasuku Akiyama, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He obtained his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Toyama University and pursued postdoctoral training in the Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior at UC Davis. Dr. Akiyama was a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow and the...
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Hassan A. Ali, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery and Medicine
Publications
Biography: Hassan is an Associate Professor (tenure-track) of Neurological Surgery and Medicine at the University of Miami (UM), and Director of High Content Screening Core for Phenotypic Drug Discovery. He is a member of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, the Katz Drug Discovery Center, and the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Hassan's primary research interest is understanding...
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Ayham Alkhachroum, M.D.

Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology, Neurocritical Care
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Dr. Ayham Alkhachroum is an assistant professor of Neurology at University of Miami. He received his medical degree from University of Aleppo school of medicine. After completing his training in Neurology and in Clinical Neurophysiology at Case Western Reserve University, Dr. Alkhachroum completed his training in Neurocritical Care at New York-Presbyterian hospitals of...
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Noam Alperin, Ph.D.

Professor of Radiology
Publications
Biography: Noam Alperin came to the University of Miami in May 2009 from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He obtained his Graduate Degree from the University of Chicago’s Medical Physics program. Dr. Alperin’s research focuses on blood and CSF flow dynamics using flow sensitive MRI techniques. A primary aim of the research is to provide noninvasively, important physiologic...
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Coleen M. Atkins, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery
Publications
Biography: Dr. Atkins is an Associate Professor at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Atkins is also a Research Health Scientist at the Bruce Carter Miami VA Healthcare System. Dr. Atkins received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Minnesota, her doctorate in...
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Ellen F. Barrett, Ph.D.

Professor of Physiology and Biophysics
Publications
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John N. Barrett, Ph.D.

Professor of Physiology and Biophysics
Publications
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Antonio Barrientos, Ph.D.

Professor of Neurology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Publications
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Rene Barro-Soria, Ph.D.

Professor of Medicine
Publications
Biography: Rene Barro-Soria received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Regensburg, Germany, where he worked on identifying the molecular entity of the Ca2+activated Cl channel in epithelia. Thereafter, he studied chemosensory transduction in taste buds and ion channel function in the retina and cerebellum. In 2011, he joined the lab of Dr. H. Peter Larsson to study conformational...
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Defne Bayik, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology
Publications
Biography: Dr. Defne Bayik is a cancer immunologist focused on uncovering host regulatory pathways as targets for brain tumor immunotherapy. She completed her undergraduate degree in the Bilkent University Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics and received her Ph.D. in 2016 through the National Institutes of Health-Bilkent University Graduate Partnership Program. Her dissertation...
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Michael Benatar, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor of Neurology and Public Health Sciences, Neuromuscular
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Dr. Michael Benatar, MD, PhD - is a Professor of Neurology and of Public Health Sciences, Chief of Neuromuscular Division, and Vice Chair for Clinical and Translational Research in the Department of Neurology. He is the Walter Bradley Chair in ALS Research and the Executive Director of the ALS Center at the University of Miami. He obtained his medical...
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Eleonore Beurel, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Publications
Biography: I earned my Ph.D. in 2005 from the University Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris, France, studying the role of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) in regulating apoptosis associated with the use of chemotherapy drugs in the treatment of liver cancer. I then joined the laboratory of Dr. Richard Jope, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham as a postdoctoral fellow. In Dr....
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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,...
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Laura Bianchi, Ph.D.

Professor of Physiology and Biophysics
Clinical Profile | Publications
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John L. Bixby, Ph.D.

Professor of Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology
Publications
Biography: Dr. John L. Bixby received his PhD from Caltech in 1980, and did postdoctoral work at the University of California, San Diego, and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He joined the faculty at UCSF in 1985 and moved to the University of Miami in 1988. He is Professor of Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology and Neurological Surgery at the Miller School of...
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Helen Bramlett, Ph.D.

Professor of Neurological Surgery
Publications
Biography: Dr. Helen Bramlett is a Professor of Neurological Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine as well as a Research Health Scientist at the Bruce W. Carter Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Dr. Bramlett received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, her MS in Psychology at the University of Louisiana at...
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Roberta Brambilla, Ph.D., M.S.

Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery
Publications
Biography: Roberta Brambilla is an Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery at the Miami Project To Cure Paralysis, a center of excellence in neuroscience research of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. After obtaining her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Milan, Italy, she moved to the University of Miami where she trained as a post-doctoral fellow before...
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Alejandro Caicedo-Vierkant, Ph.D.

Professor of Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Publications
Biography: During his training years in Germany and France Dr. Caicedo focused his research on the neuroanatomy of the auditory system at the brainstem level and inner ear. His main contribution to the field was to map the connections between the inferior colliculus and lower nuclei of the auditory brainstem using anterograde axonal tracing. During his postdoctoral training with...
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Nirupa Chaudhari, Ph.D.

Professor of Physiology and Biophysics
Publications
Biography: Nirupa Chaudhari, Ph.D., is a Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. For the last two decades, her research interests have spanned molecular and physiological aspects of sensory transduction and coding, cell-to-cell communication, cellular diversity and turnover in the peripheral taste system of mammals. Methods have...
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Kunjan R. Dave, Ph.D.

Research Professor
Publications
Biography: Dr. Dave received his PhD in Biochemistry in 2000 from the M. S. University of Baroda, India. During his PhD training he worked on several research projects including secondary complications of diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and drug toxicity among others. From 1999 to 2000 Dr. Dave served at the Zandu Pharmaceutical Works, Mumbai, India, as a Biochemist, where he participated...
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Juan Pablo de Rivero Vaccari, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery
Publications
Biography: Dr. de Rivero Vaccari is a Research Associate Professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery & The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, and a Distinguished Faculty Member of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and Aging at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He has studied the innate immune response for over 15 years and was the first to show the...
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W. Dalton Dietrich, Ph.D.

Scientific Director, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis
Publications
Biography: Dr. Dietrich’s laboratory is focused on clarifying the pathophysiology of brain and spinal cord injury with the goal of developing and translating new therapies to protect and enhance recovery.
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Gary J. Farkas, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Publications
Biography: Dr. Farkas received his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Chicago, a master’s degree in clinical and translational investigation from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and a doctor of philosophy in anatomy from the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine. He spent his final years training as a postdoctoral fellow...
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James Guest, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor of Neurological Surgery
Publications
Biography: Dr. Guest is a neurosurgeon scientist with a multi-disciplinary interest in spinal cord medicine, especially spinal cord injury and myelopathy. Recovery-targeted therapeutics have tested repair, neuroprotection, and neuromodulation. Programs have been translated from in vitro and preclinical studies through Phase 1-3. Dr. Guest has been developing clinical trials with...
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Abigail S. Hackam, Ph.D.

Professor of Ophthalmology
Publications
Biography: Abigail Hackam, Ph.D. is a Professor at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Director of Laboratory Research at Bascom Palmer, and Associate Director of the Master’s of Science in Vision Science and Investigative Ophthalmology at the University of Miami. Her PhD training was in Human Genetics at Johns Hopkins University, followed by post-doctoral positions in Medical Genetics...
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Shuanglin Hao, Ph.D.

Professor of Anesthesiology
Publications
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Michael E. Hoffer, M.D.

Professor of Otolaryngology, Neurological Surgery, Otology
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Dr. Michael Hoffer is a Professor of Otolaryngology and Neurological Surgery at the University of Miami. Dr. Hoffer assumed these roles after an over twenty year military career in which he studied mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) on active duty service members. Dr. Hoffer is a clinician-scientist who performs both basic and clinical research along with his Otology/Neurotology...
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Sari Izenwasser, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Publications
Biography: Sari Izenwasser, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She received her B.A. in Psychology in 1980 from Florida International University and M.A. and Ph.D. (1987) in Psychology from Boston University. Dr. Izenwasser did a postdoctoral fellowship at Louisiana State University Medical...
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Girardin Jean-Louis, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology
Publications
Biography: Girardin Jean-Louis, Ph.D. is Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology at the Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami. He is the Director of the Center on Translational Sleep and Circadian Sciences and the PRIDE Institute on Behavioral Medicine and Sleep Disorders Research. He has served on the NIH Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board, the Cancer, Heart, and Sleep...
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Robert W. Keane, Ph.D.

Professor of Physiology and Biophysics
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Dr. Keane is Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, Neurological Surgery and Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. Over the last 30 years his research has focused on understanding the innate immune response in the central nervous system. Dr. Keane discovered that inflammasomes are expressed in neurons and play a role in the...
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Jae K. Lee, Ph.D.

Professor of Neurological Surgery
Publications
Biography: I received my PhD in Neuroscience from Georgtown University where I studied plasticity of local reflexes after spinal cord injury. I went on to do my postdoctoral research at University of California San Diego where I investigated molecules that inhibit axon regeneration. I joined the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis as a faculty in 2011 where I continue my research in...
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Richard K. Lee, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Ophthalmology
Clinical Profile
Biography: Richard K. Lee, M.D., Ph.D., is an associate professor of ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and has secondary appointments in the departments of cell biology and anatomy, electrical and computer engineering, and the neuroscience graduate program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

Physician and clinician-scientist, Dr....
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Allan D. Levi, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor & Chairman of Neurological Surgery
Clinical Profile
Biography: My neurosurgical training spanned over a decade and included a residency, two fellowships and a Ph.D. in the neurosciences. I had the incredible fortune to have as mentors some of the giants in the field of spinal surgery including Dr. Volker Sonntag – Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix; Dr. Charles Tator – University of Toronto and Dr. Barth Green – University of...
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Karl L. Magleby, Ph.D.

Professor and Chair of Physiology and Biophysics
Publications
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Eric A. Mellon, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Dr. Mellon decided to become a doctor after watching the struggles of several family members with cancer and other serious medical illnesses. He approaches every patient with the promises he made to his sick parents: explain everything clearly to non-doctors, take as much time as needed to answer all questions, and treat patients as if they were family.

Shortly...
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Hideki Mochizuki, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery
Publications
Biography: Over the past 20 years, my research has significantly contributed to the advancement of our knowledge about the brain mechanism of itch: (1) Discovery of the top-down itch modulation system in the brain, (2) the identification of representative brain regions associated with itch, (3) the identification of itch specific brain region (i.e., the precuneus/posterior cingulate...
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Carlos T. Moraes, Ph.D.

Professor of Neurology, Neuromuscular
Publications
Biography: My independent group at the University of Miami was established in 1993 and one of its main focuses in the last decade has been the study of mitochondrial defects and neurodegenerative processes. We have used patients' cells and genetically modified mice to create models of mitochondrial disorders associated with defects in either nuclear or mitochondrial DNA. We are...
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Kenneth Muller, Ph.D.

Professor of Physiology and Biophysics
Publications
Biography: Dr. Muller graduated from the University of Chicago with an SB in Physics and from the Massachussetts Institute of Technology with a PhD in Biology/Physiology in 1971, where he was a National Science Foundation Fellow working with Joel E. Brown. He was a National Institutes of Health Fellow at Harvard Medical School in the Department of Neurobiology with John G. Nicholls,...
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Amanda Myers, Ph.D.

Professors of Cell Biology
Publications
Biography: Amanda J Myers, PhD is the Principle Investigator of the Laboratory of Functional Neurogenomics at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and performed work there mapping the connections of retina midget and bipolar cells as well as mapping dopaminergic pathways in the midbrains of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s...
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Brian Noga, Ph.D.

Professor of Neurological Surgery
Publications
Biography: Dr. Brian Noga obtained his Ph.D. in Neurophysiology in the laboratory of Dr. Larry Jordan, at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. His Ph.D. research focused on identifying and characterizing brainstem pathways involved in the initiation and control of locomotion. His postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Elzbieta Jankowska (University of Göteborg,...
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Damien D. Pearse, Ph.D.

Professor of Neurological Surgery
Publications
Biography: Dr. Pearse’s laboratory has been interested in the development and translation of autologous cell therapies for self-repair of the injured or diseased nervous system. Among these approaches, the use of Schwann cells has advanced from benchtop research to clinical trials for peripheral and central nervous system conditions, including spinal cord injury. Research work conducted...
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Miguel Perez-Pinzon, Ph.D.

Professor of Neurology
Publications
Biography: Dr. Perez-Pinzon’s research expertise is in the area of cerebral ischemia, which results from cardiac arrest or stroke. His research focuses on the areas of synaptic, cognitive, vascular, and mitochondrial dysfunction that ensue following cerebral ischemia.

Cognitive Impairment: A major area of research in my group is to define the pathological mechanisms...
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Vittorio Porciatti, D.Sc.

Vice Chair of Research
Publications
Biography: Dr. Porciatti is an internationally recognized scientist with over 190 peer-reviewed articles in the field of visual neuroscience. He started his career in Italy as a radiochemist in a nuclear research facility and later graduated in biological sciences at the University of Pisa, Italy. As voluntary assistant professor at the University of Pisa, he learned about electrophysiological...
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Ami P. Raval, Ph.D.

Professor of Neurology
Publications
Biography: Dr. Ami P. Raval serves as Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. She had previous training in the physiology of reproduction. She coupled her prior knowledge with laboratory research on the pathophysiology of stroke. Her research focuses on (1) understanding the effects of estrogen on neuronal...
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Stephen D. Roper, Ph.D.

Professor, Physiology & Biophysics
Publications
Biography: I study the molecular and cellular physiology of sensory organs. Specifically, my research focuses on signal transduction and signal processing in taste buds. I use functional imaging with voltage-, pH-, and ion-sensitive fluorescent dyes, confocal microscopy, and electrophysiology.Our laboratory studies sensory neurobiology, and specifically the transmission of orosensations...
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Richard L. Rotundo, Ph.D.

Professor of Cell Biology
Publications
Biography: Dr. Rotundo is a cell biologist whose research focuses on acetylcholinesterase (AChE), an important component of the neuromuscular junction and all cholinergic synapses in the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Our laboratory focuses on the regulation of neurotransmission via the enzyme, acetyl cholinesterase. We study: 1) The contributions of protein...
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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...
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Jacqueline Sagen, Ph.D.

Professor of Neurological Surgery
Publications
Biography: Dr. Jacqueline Sagen is a Professor of Neurological Surgery at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. She received a B.A. in Neuroscience from Northwestern University, Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Illinois College of Medicine and M.B.A. in Entrepreneurship from University of Illinois at Chicago. She joined the faculty at University of Illinois College of...
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Mario Saporta, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor of Clinical Neurology, Neuromuscular
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Clinical Neurologist and Neurophysiologist with special training and interest in neuromuscular conditions (particularly Inherited Peripheral Neuropathies). Senior Translational Scientist specialized in Cellular Reprogramming and Differentiation for disease modeling, with experience in both academic and biotechnology industry settings
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William K. Scott, Ph.D.

Professor of Human Genetics
Publications
Biography: William K. Scott, Ph.D. is Professor and Vice-Chair for Education & Training in the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, and Professor of Neurology and Public Health Sciences at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He is a core faculty member of the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics and Executive Director of the UM...
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Valery I. Shestopalov, Ph.D.

Professor of Ophthalmology
Publications
Biography: I graduated from Moscow State University in Russia and obtained a PhD degree in molecular genetics at the Vavilov Institute of General Genetics in Moscow. I also received postdoctoral training at the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. My background includes a broad knowledge of cell and molecular biology, cell-cell...
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Vladlen Z. Slepak, Ph.D.

Professor of Molecular & Cellular Pharmacology
Publications
Biography: Dr. Vladen ("Vlad") Slepak studied Biology at the Moscow State University, USSR and graduated with M.S. in 1983; he received his Ph.D. at the Shemyakin Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry in Moscow in 1988. In 1990, he joined the research group of Dr. Melvin Simon at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), USA as a postdoctoral fellow. In 1995, he established...
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Robert M. Starke, M.D.

Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Dr. Starke is a tenured member of the departments of Neurological Surgery, Neuroradiology, and Neuroscinces. He has a busy clinical practice performing more than 600 operations each year. He specializes in the treatment of cerebral vascular disease including aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations and fistulas, cavernous malformaitons, moyamoya disease, carotid and intracranial...
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Luis M. Tuesta, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Publications
Biography: By way of my training, my career started at the University of Miami Miller School of medicine (2006-2008) where I worked on leveraging the neuroregenerative properties of Schwann cells to achieve functional recovery following spinal cord injury. Then, at The Scripps Research Institute (2008-2013), I worked on mechanisms of addiction and pharmacology and identified the...
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Pantelis Tsoulfas, M.D.

Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery
Publications
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Jeffery M. Vance, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor of Human Genetics
Publications
Biography: Jeffery M. Vance, M.D., Ph.D. is a Professor in the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department Human Genetics (founding Chairman, 2008-2012) and a Professor of Neurology at the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. He is boarded by both the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the American College of Medical Genetics and is an elected member of the...
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Claude-Henry Volmar, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Publications
Biography: Claude-Henry Volmar is currently Director of Research Laboratory at the Center for Therapeutic Innovation and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He works in Neuroscience and Cancer Research therapeutic areas. Current research projects include epigenetic regulation of druggable targets...
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Regina Vontell, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Neurology
Publications
Biography: Dr. Vontell received her PhD in Neurobiology at the School of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering Research from King’s College London and Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom. She is Associate Director of the Brain Endowment Bank at the University of Miami.
Her primary research has focused on the inflammatory mediators in the brain and their...
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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...
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Gaofeng Wang, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Human Genetics
Publications
Biography: Gaofeng Wang, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor with tenure in the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, an Associate Professor (secondary appointment) at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, a primary member of the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, and a member of Cancer Epigenetics Research Program in the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer...
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Dionysios C. Watson, M.D., Ph.D.

Medical Oncology
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Dr. Dionysios Watson is a physician-scientist dedicated to elucidating and therapeutically targeting tumor microenvironment interactions in solid tumor malignancies. He leads the NIH-funded DiscoverTME research laboratory as part of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, and his clinical practice focuses on lung and head/neck cancers.

Dr. Watson conducted...
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Scott M. Welford, Ph.D.

Professor of Radiation Oncology
Publications
Biography: In 2021, I became a Professor of Radiation Oncology (with tenure) and Biology Division Chief at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (Miller School) Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center (Sylvester). As Division Chief, I oversee seven basic-science faculty and joint efforts to promote translational, multidisciplinary science. I am also the coordinator of radiobiology...
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Eva Widerstrom-Noga, D.D.S., Ph.D.

Professor of Neurological Surgery
Publications
Biography: Dr. Widerstrom-Noga, DDS, PhD, is a Professor of Neurological Surgery, Rehabilitation Medicine, and the principal investigator of the Clinical Pain Research Laboratory of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. Her work primarily concerns the extremely complex problem of persistent neuropathic pain after neurotrauma. Dr. Widerstrom-Noga’s educational background is in cross-disciplinary...
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Gil Yosipovitch, M.D.

Professor of Medical Dermatology
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Gil Yosipovitch, MD is a tenured Professor of Dermatology at the Miller School of Medicine at University of Miami, and Director of the Miami Itch Center. Prior to joining the faculty of University of Miami, Dr. Yosipovitch chaired the Department of Dermatology at Temple University and directed the first translational, clinical, and research center dedicated to the study...
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Juan I. Young, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Human Genetics
Publications
Biography: Young is a neurobiologist interested in identifying epigenetic signatures of human genetic diseases and in establishing animal models of neurological diseases. He has a longstanding interest in neurodevelopmental disorders in general and in understanding the pathogenesis of Rett Syndrome in particular. His work includes the identification of RNA-related functions of MeCP2,...
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Zane Zeier, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Publications
Biography: Dr. Zeier’s research efforts concern neurological diseases caused by repeat expansion mutations including Fragile X syndrome and C90rf72-related Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).Dr. Zeier’s cancer-related interests include both epigenetic mechanisms and therapeutic development.
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Stephan Züchner, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor of Human Genetics
Publications
Biography: Dr. Zuchner is a trained neurologist and molecular geneticist with research interests in identifying genetic variation associated with disease. His lab has identified several genes for Mendelian neurodegenerative disorders and also evaluated risk factors for complex genetic conditions, including Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. His...
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Kevin Collins, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Biology
Publications
Biography: My fundamental goal is to understand how neurons communicate in circuits to establish an appropriate level of activity that produces a robust, stable behavior. My approach is to analyze in detail a model neural circuit that controls egg-laying behavior in the nematode C. elegans. I am taking advantage of the optical clarity and powerful genetics in this experimental system to literally watch the activity of every cell in the circuit in behaving animals using fluorescent calcium reporters, and also to manipulate their activity using optogenetic tools. Using mutations and transgenes to discover and alter molecular signaling events between cells, I am determining how the complex pattern of activity in a circuit is generated and limited to create a coherent, regulated behavior. The neural circuit I study uses conserved, medically relevant neurotransmitters, including serotonin and acetylcholine, and I expect these studies will reveal general principles of neurotransmitter signaling and neural circuit function with applications to understanding the human nervous system and its dysfunction in disease.

Gerhard Dahl, M.D.

Professor of Physiology and Biophysics
Publications
Biography: Our lab concentrates on ways of intercellular communications through gap junctions and calcium waves. Research in my laboratory is geared towards two goals: 1) Identification of functional domains within the molecular subunits of gap junctions, the connexins. 2) Determination of the physiological function of specific gap junction proteins in tissues.

Julia Dallman, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Biology
Publications
Biography: Throughout her career, Dallman has used diverse animal models including sea squirt, fly, and zebrafish to understand neurodevelopmental processes. She received her undergraduate degree from Swarthmore College. She then did doctoral training in electrophysiology and developmental neuroscience with William Moody at the University of Washington and post-doctoral training in molecular and chromatin biology and genetics with Gail Mandel and Paul Brehm at Stony Brook University. Her research focuses on the genetic basis of swimming by studying zebrafish motility mutants that are useful models for human genetic diseases of nerve and muscle function. The mutant, shocked has a mutated glial glycine transporter; larvae fail to escape when touched when young, but recover a normal escape response as they mature. We hope to understand these mechanisms of glycine receptor down-regulation as they are relevant in people as well.

Courtney Dumont, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Publications
Biography: Biography: Courtney Dumont is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Dumont leads the Neural Stem and Tissue Engineered Microenvironments (NeuSTEM) group, working at the interface of neural, vascular, and immune engineering to overcome barriers that arise after injury to the nervous system. Dr. Dumont received her PhD in biomedical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2014, investigating the role of altered fluid mechanics on vascular cell regulation of the neural stem cell niche.

She completed her postdoctoral work at the University of Michigan, where she developed a modular biomaterial system for gene, drug, and stem cell delivery to promote repair after spinal cord injury. In 2020, Dumont was awarded the inaugural Junior Frost Fellow Award in chemistry for her targeted drug delivery strategies following nerve injury. Her lab continues to develop new biomaterial, stem cell, and drug delivery strategies that address intrinsic and extrinsic barriers to spinal cord repair and works closely with members of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis to continue to redefine our understanding of the pathophysiology after injury and identify new therapeutic targets.

Andrew Dykstra, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Publications
Biography: Biography: Dykstra’s research focuses on the neural basis of auditory perception and cognition and how such knowledge can be used to design better diagnostics and treatments for those with audiological and neurological disorders. He has extensive experience in electroencephalography (EEG), magneteoencephalography (MEG), intracranial EEG and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which are novel training avenues for students. His research uses multimodal neuroimaging and advanced analysis methods to examine the neurocognitive dynamics of audition – including which aspects of brain activity give rise to the conscious experience of sound – and how they’re affected by age, hearing loss or brain injury.

Dykstra received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Miami, a master’s degree in electrical engineering and doctoral degree in technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Dykstra also has postdoctoral experience in the Department of Neurology at Heidelberg University (Germany) and the Brain and Mind Institute at Western University (Canada). He is a member of the Acoustical Society of America, the Association for Research in Otolaryngology and the Society for Neuroscience, as well as a lifetime voting member of the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness.

Lynne Fieber, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Marine Biology
Publications
Biography: My laboratory is devoted to studies of comparative physiology of single cells from the nervous systems of fish and invertebrates. In particular, I study the role of ion channels on cell membranes in cellular communication. The molecules that compose these ion channels are remarkably similar in eukaryotes, but they are combined in different ways to accomplish their function within the design of each animal's nervous system. Marine animals historically have served as good models of mammalian physiology in this regard. Although their nervous systems are less complex than those of higher vertebrates, this relative simplicity becomes an advantage when the aim is to elucidate basic mechanisms of nervous system function. 

Patrick Ganzer, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Publications
Biography: Patrick D. Ganzer, Ph.D. is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Miami (jointly appointed at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and the Department of Biomedical Engineering). He received his undergraduate degree in 2008 from King’s College (Pennsylvania; Summa Cum Laude). In 2013, he received his Ph.D. from Drexel University, conducting biomedical engineering and neuroscience research in preclinical models of spinal cord injury (main mentor: Dr. Karen Moxon; co-mentor: Dr. Jed Shumsky). Dr. Ganzer then completed his postdoctoral fellowship in 2017 at the University of Texas at Dallas and the Texas Biomedical Device Center with Drs. Robert Rennaker and Michael Kilgard (research focused on enhancing neuroplasticity after sensorimotor injury using targeted vagus nerve stimulation).

Dr. Ganzer also has significant experience researching and developing neurotechnology in industry, working at Battelle Memorial Institute from 2017-2021 in the Medical Devices and Neuromodulation division. At Battelle (the world’s largest non-profit research organization), Dr. Ganzer & team won ‘Idea Of The Year’ in 2019 and ‘Publication Of The Year’ in 2020. Dr. Ganzer was also PI for both the Bioelectronic Medicine program funded internally at Battelle and the N^3 program funded by DARPA. He received the prestigious Kumar New Investigator Award from The North American Neuromodulation Society in 2022. Dr. Ganzer’s neurotechnology teams have translated their work to multiple clinical trials, published in several high impact journals (e.g., Cell, Nature Communications, Science Advances, Nature Human Behavior, and eLife), and have received multiple awards for their impact on the field of translational neurotechnology.

Aaron Heller, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychology
Publications
Biography: Dr. Heller is a clinical psychologist and affective neuroscientist. His work integrates neuroimaging, and real-time mobile health (mHealth) methods to track emotion and behavior in humans to better understand the bio-behavioral mechanisms that give rise to the development of depression and anxiety. His work uses computational and data-driven analytic approaches with big-data to identify when ‘state shifts’ occur. Using these methods, his work attempts to identify when state shifts occur in a person’s behavior (using mHealth data), or brain activity (using functional MRI), what are the circumstances that lead to the state shift, and how these state shifts impact well-being.

George Inana, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor of Ophthalmology
Publications
Biography: Our lab investigates the mechanisms of retinal diseases that lead to blindness through the identification of causative genes, construction and use of animal models to elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms by which specific gene mutations lead to retinal degeneration, and therapeutic manipulation of the animal models for the ultimate goal of developing effective therapies.

 

Richard Jope, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Publications
Biography: We study the neurochemical basis of behavior – especially how altered gene expression and neuronal plasticity affect mood and cognition. We focus on how the immune system interacts with the brain in depression, manic-depression (bipolar disorder), and neurodegenerative diseases (such as multiple sclerosis) to understand mechanisms that regulate signal transduction activity systems and how these are dysfunctional in psychiatric diseases.

Nadine A. Kerr, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery
Publications
Biography: Nadine A. Kerr, PhD is an Assistant Professor at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She received her B.A. degree at The George Washington University and PhD in Neuroscience in the Translational Track under the training of Drs. Robert W. Keane and W. Dalton Dietrich from the University of Miami.

As a PhD candidate she received a NIH F31 fellowship for her thesis work which examined the role of the innate immune response and cell death mechanisms in Traumatic Brain Injury induced pulmonary dysfunction. She completed her postdoctoral work with Dr. Helen Bramlett in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Miami, where she studied gut-brain axis dysfunction after stroke.

She started her faculty position at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in 2022, where she currently investigating mechanisms of systemic organ dysfunction after Central Nervous System injury.

Daniel Liebl, Ph.D.

Professor of Neurological Surgery
Publications
Biography: Dr. Daniel Liebl received his PhD from Kent State University in 1994 in Neuroscience in the laboratory of Dr. Peter Koo. He investigated the role of alpha-2-macroglobulin in neuronal growth and survival. In 1994, he joined the laboratory of Dr. Luis Parada and examined the role of neurotrophins and their receptors in developing peripheral and central nervous systems at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

During his post-doctoral training, Dr. Liebl became a member of the Christopher and Dana Reeves Paralysis Consortium and was promoted to a faculty instructor in 1997. This led to Dr. Liebl’s interest in CNS trauma, and he joined The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (UMMSM) in 2000 as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Liebl was promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure in 2007 and to a full Professor in 2012 at UMMSM. Dr. Liebl served as Director of the Neuroscience Program from 2008 to 2013 and Associate Director of the MD/PhD Medical Student Training Program (MSTP) in 2020. In 2022, he became the co-Director of the MSTP.

Zhongmin Lu, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Biology
Publications
Biography: I am interested in sensory neurobiology with the primary focus on the sense of hearing. My Previous work emphasized on central auditory processing, sound localization, and ultrasonic detection in fish. The current research of my lab is to use the zebrafish (Danio rerio) to model hearing disorders in humans. The zebrafish has become an increasingly important vertebrate model for biomedical research because it combines powerful genetics, excellent embryology, and exceptional in vivo visualization in one organism. In addition to hair cells in the inner ear, zebrafish have hair cells in lateral line neuromasts on the surface of the body, making them easily accessible for live imaging and experimental manipulation. Particularly, my lab is conducting experiments on zebrafish to understand biological mechanisms underlying human hearing loss and fetal alcohol syndrome using multiple approaches, including behavioral, developmental, confocal and electron microscopic, electrophysiological, morpholino gene knockdown, and molecular techniques.

Philip McCabe, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology
Publications
Biography: Philip McCabe, Ph.D., is a Professor and Chairman of the Psychology Department at the University of Miami (UM). Previously, he served as the Associate Chairman of the department and as the Director of the interdisciplinary Undergraduate Neuroscience Program at UM. Dr. McCabe received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research examines the neurobiology of emotional behavior, and the impact of social-emotional behavior on the development of cardio-metabolic disorders. This research has been funded for over 30 years by NIH and NSF grants. More specifically, this research program examines the influence of social environment and CNS mechanisms on the progression of cardio-metabolic disorders in animal models of dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease. As Chairman of the Psychology Department, Dr. McCabe also oversees the departmental Cognitive Neuroscience Program and its functional MRI facility. Dr. McCabe is a Fellow of the Academy of Behavioral Medicine, and was elected President of that organization in 2010. He is a member of the UM university-wide Neuroscience Ph.D. Program, and in 2001 he was one of the co-founders of the Undergraduate Neuroscience Program.

Michael Norenberg, M.D.

Professor of Pathology
Publications
Biography: Dr. Michael D. Norenberg is a pathologist in Miami, Florida and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Miami Veterans Affairs Healthcare System and Jackson Health System-Miami. He received his medical degree from University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and has been in practice for more than 20 years. Dr. Norenberg's research has transformed standard therapy for hyponatremia and made central pontine myelinosis (CPM) a rare condition. His studies have shown that hepatic encephalopathy is caused by astrocyte dysfunction and that CPM is caused by a rapid correction of hyponatremia.

Ozcan Ozdamar, Ph.D.

Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Publications
Biography: Dr. Ozcan Ozdamar, graduated with high honors in Electrical Engineering from the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey in 1971 and received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois in 1973 and 1976, respectively. After six years of serving as faculty and researcher in Ankara and Chicago, he joined the College of Engineering at the University of Miami in Biomedical Engineering. He is currently Chairman and Professor of Biomedical Engineering with secondary appointments in Otolaryngology, Pediatrics and Neuroscience (graduate program). He regularly serves as a consultant to medical device industry and is the Director of Neurosensory Engineering Laboratory at the College of Engineering. His research interests include biomedical signal processing of brain waves and evoked potentials, neural networks, automated neuromonitoring and electrophysiological hearing and vision testing.

Abhishek Prasad, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Publications
Biography: Abhishek Prasad is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Miami. He received his M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and University of Medicine and Dentistry in NJ. The goal of his Neural Interfaces Lab is to develop brain and spinal cord machine interfaces to restore communication and control in paralyzed individuals. The lab also seek to understand and mitigate various material and biological failure mechanisms in neural implants.

Suhrud Rajguru, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Publications
Biography: Suhrud Rajguru, Ph.D., is a Professor at the University of Miami, Research Health Scientist at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and founder and Chief Scientific Officer of RestorEar Devices, LLC. The NeuroTherapeutics group led by Dr. Rajguru carries out research with translational focus on characterization, diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss and balance dysfunction. He has fostered close interdisciplinary collaborations with community partners (firefighters, patients), neurotologists, audiologists, engineers, and scientists, carrying our preclinical and clinical studies focused on noise and blast-induced hearing and balance loss, cochlear implantation, vestibular disorders, therapeutic hypothermia and neuroprotection. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, is named inventor on issued patents and is an entrepreneur-scientist intent on delivering medical devices and therapeutics grounded in research to benefit human health. This research is supported by the National Institutes of Health, Small Business grants from NIDCD, the U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, UM U-LINK, and industry partners. He is actively engaged in the education and mentoring of trainees across multiple disciplines.

Sandra Rieger, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Biology
Publications
Biography: We are particularly interested in the role of Anterior Gradient Protein in this process, which has been shown to function in a nerve-dependent manner during newt limb regeneration. We are currently exploring the role of one family member of the Anterior Gradient Protein family in this process. (1) Dr. Rieger is interested in developing therapies for paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (PIPN). She has identified MMP-13 as a target of paclitaxel in the epidermis that when inhibited alleviates neuropathy/ neurotoxicity. Her lab is currently studying the mechanisms by which paclitaxel activates MMP-13, and they are determining how MMP-13 induces axon degeneration. Dr. Rieger would like to develop MMP-13 inhibitors into clinical applications for the prevention of neuropathy or the treatment of chemotherapy patients with already existing neuropathy. MMP-13 inhibition also shows efficacy in diabetic neuropathy in zebrafish and mice. She, therefore, envisions additional research on the mechanisms leading to MMP-13 -dependent diabetic neuropathy and to develop treatments for this condition. (2) Dr. Rieger is working on Anterior Gradient Protein 2, a proto-oncogene that plays a role as an antimicrobial factor in the intestine. Dr. Rieger’s team have found a similar function during mouse digit tip regeneration. One goal is to determine whether parallel functions of Agr2 also promote cancer formation.

Michael Schmale, Ph.D.

Professor of Marine Biology
Publications
Biography: Michael Schmale is a Professor of Marine Biology and Ecology and Director of The National Aplysia Resource. Dr. Schmale’s research interests are in the development and study of marine animal models of disease processes, with an emphasis on cancer and viral diseases.

Delia Shelton, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Biology
Publications
Biography: I graduated from Southwestern University with a BS in Animal Behavior and Spanish. After spending a year abroad conducting research at Universidad Nacional in Costa Rica and University of Ghana, I received a teaching certificate from Prairie View A&M University. I then taught science at an inner-city high school in the 7th largest school district in the United States. In 2016, I completed a dual PhD in Psychological and Brain Sciences and Evolution Ecology and Behavior. I was awarded 7 fellowships including a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and a United Negro College Fund•Merck Fellowship, and have published 22 scholarly works. I completed a NSF Postdoctoral fellowship studying the social lives of zebrafish by splitting time between the labs of Drs. Jens Krause (Leibniz Institute), Dennis Higgs (University of Windsor), and Robyn Tanguay (Oregon State University). I am a member of the Animal Behavior Society Diversity Committee and former coordinator of their Charles H. Turner program. I completed an NIH National Institutes Environmental Health and Safety (NIEHS) K99/R00 postdoctoral fellowship at Oregon State University studying how cadmium leads to behavioral disorders. I am now an assistant professor at the University of Miami studying how contaminants affect human and environmental health. In 2020, I was elected to a three year term as a Member-At-Large of the Animal Behavior Society. My research passion lies in using basic research to translate science into practical solutions while cultivating a diverse talent pool. In accordance with these goals, my research balances basic science, translational research, and industry needs while involving people from marginalized groups. My research program focuses on understanding how environmental features impact multi-level organizations (e.g., individuals, groups, populations) to protect ecosystems and human health. We employ animal behavior, field studies, social network analyses, calcium imaging, and next generation sequencing in zebrafish to identify novel mechanisms and predict consequences of environmental change. These approaches allow us to understand the impact of environmental change at the cellular, organ (eyes, brain), individual, group, and population scale. Currently, my lab has three active lines of research: 1) tightly integrated lab and field studies to understand the development and evolution of social behavior, 2) identifying the mechanisms that lead environmental contaminants (metals, cadmium, lead, PFAS, microplastics) to induce behavioral disorders, and 3) developing commercializable tools to enhance finfish aquaculture.

Sheyum Syed, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Physics
Publications
Biography: My research area is biological physics with the aim of understanding complex behavior as it arises in the natural world. The complex behaviors we are interested in include locomotion, sleep, feeding, and collective phenomena that may arise from interaction among multiple individuals. We focus on the model organism Drosophila melanogaster to understand these behaviors and take advantage of its built-in timekeeper, the circadian clock, as a starting point in tracing the molecular and neuronal pathways that generate complexity in this ‘simple’ animal. The laboratory utilizes time-lapse fluorescence imaging to detect molecular kinetics in individual fruitfly cells and combines infra-red and video tracking technologies to capture dynamics of behaving flies.

Arlener D. Turner, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Publications
Biography: I am a dedicated and innovative Research Neuropsychologist and Sleep Scientist with over a decade of experience in neuropsychological research. For more than five years, I have explored the relationship between sleep disturbances and Alzheimer’s disease in older minoritized populations. My mission is to enhance our understanding of how sleep and circadian disruptions affect cognitive health and to translate this knowledge into effective interventions and policies for diverse and underserved communities.

I possess exceptional lecturing skills and expertise in neuropsychology, psychoneuroimmunology, and sleep science, with a unique biobehavioral research perspective cultivated over 14 years of experience. I have a strong track record of engaging and guiding students and mentees and a passion for nurturing academic growth, supported by 10 years of postsecondary education and mentorship experience. Additionally, I excel in teaching, curriculum management, and performance management.

As an expert in developing neuropsychological assessments and providing research consultation, I have worked with colleagues to create and advise on neuropsychological batteries and tests tailored for their specific research purposes. I am skilled in research design, implementation, analysis, and dissemination, and have published and presented numerous research findings in peer-reviewed journals and at scientific conferences.

My strong communication skills have made me a sought-after speaker, and I am committed to community-centered dissemination of research on sleep, cognition, aging, and Alzheimer’s disease. My outreach has engaged audiences through dozens of invited lectures and community presentations.

R. Grace Zhai, Ph.D.

Professor of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology
Publications
Biography: Dr. Zhai’s research is focused on understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms of neural degeneration and protection in the context of both common and rare neurological disorders. Her group uses a ‘Drosophila - mammalian two-model system,' to identify genetic components in Drosophila and characterize the cellular mechanisms in mammalian cells. Her group discovered and characterized one of the most robust neuroprotective factors that have broad therapeutic potential against several neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease. At the same time, her group has established numerous genetic models for rare diseases and carried out mechanistic analyses of neurological phenotypes that have led to successful therapies in human patients.