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
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

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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.

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John N. Barrett, Ph.D.

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Antonio Barrientos, Ph.D.

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

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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
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
Clinical Profile
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John L. Bixby, Ph.D.

Professor

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
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
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 , Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

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, Physiology & Biophysics (Primary Appointment)
Publications
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Juan Pablo de Rivero Vaccari, Ph.D.

Research Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery and The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis
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
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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
Clinical Profile
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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
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, Departments of Physiology & Biophysics and Neurological Surgery
Clinical Profile | Publications
Biography: Brief Biosketch: 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...
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Jae K. Lee, Ph.D.

Professor
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.

Research Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery

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.

Lichtenstein Professor of Neurology, Neuromuscular
Publications
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Kenneth Muller, Ph.D.

Professor
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.

PI Laboratory Functional Neurogenomics
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.

Research Professor
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.

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Miguel Perez-Pinzon, Ph.D.

Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience Program

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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, Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, Department of Neurology, and Department of Public Health Sciences

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Valery I. Shestopalov, Ph.D.

Professor of Ophthalmology

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
Clinical Profile
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Robert M. Starke, M.D.

Associate Professor of Clinical Neurosurgery, Neuroradiology and Neurosciences
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.

Research Assistant Professor
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, Department of Neurological Surgery and Cell Biology & Anatomy

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Jeffery M. Vance, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor and Founding Chair (2008-2013), Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department 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.

Director, Research Laboratory | Center for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI)
Publications
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Regina Vontell, Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor
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, Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics and Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute
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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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.

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Gil Yosipovitch, M.D.

Stiefel Chair in Medical Dermatology
Clinical Profile
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Juan I. Young, Ph.D.

Research Associate Professor, Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics
Publications
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Zane Zeier, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

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Stephan Züchner, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor for Human Genetics and Neurology
Publications
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Kevin Collins, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biology

Email: kmc117@miami.edu

Research focus: My research is exploring modulation of neural circuits and animal behavior

Keywords: Serotonin, calcium, synapse, GPCR, neuron, muscle, neuroendocrine, neurotransmitter

Gerhard Dahl, M.D.

Professor, Physiology and Biophysics

Email: gdahl@med.miami.edu

Our lab concentrates on intercellular communications through gap junctions and calcium waves. Research is geared toward two goals: identifying functional domains within the molecular subunits of gap junctions (connexins) and determining the physiological function of specific gap junction proteins in tissues.

Julia Dallman, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biology

Email: j.dallman@miami.edu

Research focus: My lab generates zebrafish models of inherited human neurological disorders to understand how mutations impact neural circuit development and behavior. By comparing multiple forms of a single disorder, we elucidate shared mechanisms by which different mutations affect behavior. Our long-term goal is to leverage these models to inform treatment strategies for individuals with inherited disorders of the nervous system.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing, gastrointestinal distress, brainstem, enteroendocrine cells, microbiome, innate immunity

Courtney Dumont, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Email: cdumont@miami.edu

The Neural Stem & Tissue Engineered Microenvironments (NeuSTEM) lab investigates extrinsic barriers to nerve regeneration, such as inflammation and hypoxia, that synergize with intrinsic barriers to prevent repair. This work informs the development of therapeutic interventions (stem cells, biomaterials, drug delivery) to create a more conducive microenvironment that supports repair mechanisms.

Andrew Dykstra, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Email: adykstra@miami.edu

My research focuses on the neural basis of auditory perception and cognition.

Keywords: Aging, audition, computational cognitive neuroscience, perception, scene analysis

Lynne Fieber, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Marine Biology

Email: l.fieber@miami.edu

Research focus: My research is exploring the neurophysiology of aging.

Keywords: Marine animal model, glutamatergic signaling, Alzheimer’s disease

Patrick Ganzer, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Email: Pxg487@miami.edu

Research focus: Our laboratory is focused on creating neurotechnology that can eventually help individuals with disease and dysfunction. Techniques used: 1) advanced machine learning, 2) neural interfacing (e.g., for neural stimulation or electrophysiology), 3) preclinical animal behavior, and 4) human subjects testing.

Aaron Heller, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Psychology

Email: aheller@miami.edu

Using brain imaging (e.g., fMRI) and real-world cell phone-based experience sampling methods, I study the neural dynamics of emotion in depressed and healthy individuals.

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

Professor, Ophthalmology

Email: ginana@med.miami.edu

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, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

Email: rjope@med.miami.edu

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.

Research Assistant Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery

Graduate Program Affiliations- Neuroscience

Keywords: Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, Multiorgan dysfunction, inflammation, extracellular vesicles

Research Focus: My research focuses on the pathomechanisms of the systemic inflammatory responses and multiorgan dysfunction after traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, and Alzheimer's Disease. Currently, I am investing the role of Extracellular Vesicle-mediated cell death in systemic organ dysfunction after TBI and stroke in Alzheimer's Disease. In particular, my interest lies in examining dysfunction of the brain-lung axis and the gut-brain axis.

Daniel Liebl, Ph.D.

Professor, Neurological Surgery

Email: dliebl@med.miami.edu

We're interested in protecting and regenerating the CNS after traumatic injury. We examine novel mechanisms of cell death, adult neurogenesis, angiogenesis, and synaptogenesis using cellular and molecular strategies; cutting-edge imaging techniques; electrophysiological, anatomical, and behavioral methodologies; and transgenic mouse models.

Zhongmin Lu, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Biology

Email: zlu@miami.edu

My lab studies sensory neurobiology with a primary focus on comparative studies of the auditory systems of vertebrates. We study the fish auditory system from the ear to the CNS at cellular, systems, and organismal levels using anatomical, neurophysiological, and behavioral approaches. Our directions include: peripheral mechanisms of directional hearing in fish, neural mechanisms of sound localization by fish, Florida red tides and hearing, and the roles of fish otolithic organs in hearing.

Philip McCabe, Ph.D.

Professor, Psychology

Email: pmccabe@miami.edu

Our research focuses on neural mechanisms underlying emotional behavior and the role of social/emotional behavior in the progression of cardiovascular disease.

Michael Norenberg, M.D.

Professor, Pathology

Email: mnorenbe@med.miami.edu

We study the normal function and properties of glia, neurotransmitter transport in glia, the role of glia and steroids in neuroprotection, mechanisms and significance of reactive gliosis, the role of glia in various neurological conditions (trauma, aging/Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, brain edema, liver failure), and the role of oxidative stress and the mitochondrial permeability transition in CNS trauma and liver failure.

Ozcan Ozdamar, Ph.D.

Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Email: oozdamar@miami.edu

My research explores the auditory and visual neural processes using physiological tools.

Abhishek Prasad, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Email: a.prasad@miami.edu

My research interests include neural electrodes, neuroprosthetics, motor neurophysiology, and brain-machine interfaces.

Suhrud Rajguru, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Email: s.rajguru@med.miami.edu

My research focuses on Neuroprosthetics, Neural Engineering, Neurophysiology.

Sandra Rieger, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Biology

Email: srieger@miami.edu

In the Rieger laboratory, we dedicate our research to understanding two distinct yet impactful forms of peripheral nerve damage: chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), a common side effect of chemotherapy treatment, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), a frequent complication in diabetes. We focus particularly on the role of skin cell damage in both CIPN and DPN. Our groundbreaking research has revealed a key mechanism behind skin damage and axon degeneration: the formation of reactive oxygen species, triggered by the toxicity of chemotherapy agents and elevated glucose levels. Damaged skin cells upregulate matrix-metalloproteinase enzymes, which catalyze the breakdown of extracellular matrix, leading to the subsequent degeneration of associated cutaneous sensory nerve endings. Our mission encompasses two primary objectives: firstly, to unravel the complex molecular mechanisms underlying these neuropathies, thereby deepening our understanding of their etiology and identifying new targets for therapeutic interventions. Secondly, we are committed to leveraging this knowledge to pioneer novel drug therapies. These treatments are aimed at effectively addressing and managing nerve damage associated with both CIPN and DPN, offering renewed hope and improved quality of life for patients affected by these conditions.

Michael Schmale, Ph.D.

Professor, Marine Biology

Email: m.schmale@miami.edu

My research interests are in marine animal models of disease processes, with an emphasis on cancer. Ongoing research includes a unique, virus-like agent that causes peripheral nervous systems and pigment cell tumors in bicolor damselfish on Florida reefs; vector design and optimization of transgenesis in zebrafish; the effect of toxins from algal blooms using zebrafish; and health and husbandry of California sea hares (Aplysia californica) used in neurobiological research.

Delia Shelton, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Biology

Lab | Publications | Email
Office Location: Cox Science Building, Room 13
Lab Location: Rosenstiel Medical Science Building #2069
Phone: 305-284-2494

Graduate Programs: Neuroscience

Keywords: My research is centered on understanding 1) neural and genetic mechanisms that underlie contaminant-induced behavioral disorders, 2) transgenerational effects of contaminant toxicity, 3) effects of structural racism on human and environmental health, and 4) developing commercializable tools to translate our research for practical applications. 

Sheyum Syed, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Physics

Arlener D. Turner, Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

E-mail: arlener.turner@miami.edu
Phone: 305-355-9061

Research Focus: Dr. Turner’s overall research objective is to achieve health equity in modifiable risk factors for cognitive dysfunction, cognitive decline & neurodegenerative disorders. To this end, her work is centered on investigating how health can impact cognition, and how this relationship intersects with race/ethnicity via conditions that disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minorities. Currently Dr. Turner is studying the multifaceted ways in which disturbed sleep can increase risk for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease, including but not limited to, health disparities, other modifiable risk factors, biomarkers, and genetic polymorphisms.

R. Grace Zhai, Ph.D.

Professor of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology
Director, DREAM Scholarship Program

Publications | Email
Phone: 305-243-6316
Location: RMSB 6069

Graduate Programs: Human Genetics and Genomics, Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Neuroscience

Research Summary: 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.