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Research Faculty Mentors

This is the list of ‘Available Research Faculty’ at Emory University and the Atlanta University Center (AUC) complex of schools. Fellows are encouraged to contact potential research mentors listed on their own. Only those faculty on the list or those approved in writing by a member of the FIRST Executive Committee as well as the proposed mentor’s Chairman should be contacted by FIRST fellows. 

The Atlanta University Center Consortium schools include: Clark Atlanta University,  Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Spelman College.

A - E

  • Francisco Alvarez, PhD - Professor, Department of Physiology, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interests: Development and plasticity of synaptic circuits in functional networks disease.
  • Jessica Alvarez, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Medicine (Endocrinology), Emory School of Medicine.  Research Interest: Role of nutrition and body composition on metabolism in chronic diseases, including cystic fibrosis and cystic fibrosis-related diabetes, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease.
  • David Archer, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics (Hematology/Oncology), Emory School of Medicine.  Research Interests: Stem cell therapy for the treatment of inherited and acquired diseases.
  • Gary Bassell, PhD - Professor and Chair, Department of Cell Biology, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interest: Neuronal mechanisms of mRNA transport, local protein synthesis; dysfunction in disease.
  • Guy Benian, MD - Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory School of Medicine.  Research Interest: Myofibril assembly and maintenance in the model genetic system, Caenorhabditis elegans; focus on the functions and structures of giant multi-domain proteins, and the mechanism by which myofibrils are attached to the muscle cell membrane and transmit force.
  • Marcela Benítez, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Emory College of Arts and Sciences.  Research Interest: The evolution of primate social cognition, the mechanisms that influence social choices, and the context in which these decisions are adaptive.
  • Emily Burchfield, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory College of Arts and Sciences.  Research Interest:  Geospatial data science, human-environment interactions, agricultural sustainability.
  • Sarah Blake, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, Emory School of Public Health. Research Interest: Health policy, sexual and reproductive health, family planning policy, evaluation, implementation science, cancer prevention and control.
  • Lawrence Boise, PhD - Professor, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory School of Medicine.  Research Interests: The basis mechanisms of apoptosis and translation to better define the mechanism(s) of action of therapeutic agents in multiple myeloma.
  • Jeremy Boss, PhD - Professor and Chair, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory School of Medicine.  Research Interest: Global and specific mechanisms involved in lymphocyte differentiation and gene expression.
  • Lou Ann Brown, PhD - Professor, Department of Pediatrics (Neonatology), Emory School of Medicine. Research Interests: Impact of chronic oxidative stress (adult and fetal) on pulmonary cellular phenotype and function.
  • Bethany Caruso, PhD - Assistant Professor, Global Health, Emory University School of Public Health. Research Interest:Health outcomes in environments with constrained access to water, sanitation, and hygiene resources.
  • Tamara Caspary, PhD - Professor, Department of Human Genetics, Emory School of Medicine.  Research Interests: Mammalian neural development, cilia-dependent signaling.
  • Luisa Cervantes, PhD - Assistant Professor, Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine. Research Interest: Function of commensal populations in the intestine and novel microbiota-IEL interactions.
  • Ann Chahroudi, MD, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics (Infectious Disease), Emory School of Medicine. Research Interests: Cure HIV using nonhuman primate models to investigate HIV/SIV reservoirs.
  • David Civitello, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Emory College of Arts and Science. Research Interest: Ecological and environmental drivers of parasite transmission in animal populations
  • Thomas Clasen, PhD - Professor, Department of Environmental Health, Emory School of Public Health. Research Interests: Health impact evaluations of water, sanitation and household air pollution interventions in low-income countries
  • Gari Clifford, DPhil - Professor, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Emory University School of Medicine; Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology.  Research Interest: Global Health, Biomedical Device Design, AI, Ethics.
  • Graeme Conn, PhD - Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interest: Bacterial antibiotic-resistance through ribosomal RNA modification.
  • Karen Conneely, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Human Genetics, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interests: Biomarkers and genetic variants predisposing to disease; DNA methylation as a mediator between environment and phenotype.
  • Anita Corbett, PhD - Professor, Department of Biology, Senior Associate Dean of Research, Emory College of Arts and Sciences. Research Interest: RNA binding proteins and tissue-specific disease such as intellectual disability and muscular dystrophy. 
  • Victor Corces, PhD - Professor, Department of Human Genetics, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interests: Role of chromatin structure and nuclear organization in epigenetic phenomena; mechanisms of transcriptional control in Drosophila.
  • Huw Davies, PhD - Asa Griggs Candler Professor, Department of Chemistry, Emory College of Arts and Science. Research Interest: New synthetic methods in organic synthesis as enabling technologies for drug development.
  • Paul Dawson, PhD - Professor, Department of Pediatrics (Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition), Emory School of Medicine. Research Interests: Physiologic and molecular mechanisms controlling bile acid signaling in the gut-liver axis
  • Roger Deal, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Emory College of Arts and Sciences. Research Interests: Chromatin-based regulation of gene expression during cell differentiation.
  • Jaap de Roode, PhD - Professor, Department of Biology, Emory College of Arts and Sciences.  Research Interest: Parasite virulence evolution, animal self-medication and evolution of drug resistance.
  • Christine Dunham, PhD - Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Emory College of Arts and Sciences. Research Interest: Regulation of protein synthesis; ribosome structure & function; and quality control mechanisms.
  • Arthur English, PhD - Professor, Department of Cell Biology, Emory School of Medicine.  Research Interests: Regulation of protein synthesis; ribosome structure & function; regulation by toxins, antibiotics, frameshifting elements, and quality control mechanisms.
  • Andrew Escayg, PhD - Professor, Department of Human Genetics, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interest: Genetic basis and mechanisms of epilepsy and related neuropsychiatric co-morbidities.

F - J

  • Victor Faundez, MD, PhD - Professor, Department of Cell Biology, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interests: Understanding the molecular genetic basis and mechanisms of epilepsy and related neuropsychiatric co-morbidities.
  • Yue Feng, MD, PhD - Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interest: Posttranscriptional regulation in normal brain function, development and brain diseases.
  • Laura Finzi, PhD - Professor, Department of Physics, Emory College of Arts and Sciences. Research Interests: molecular mechanisms of transcriptional regulation using single-molecule techniques, such as the tethered particle motion technique, magnetic tweezers and atomic force microscopy.
  • Matthew Freeman, PhD - Professor, Environmental Health, Epidemiology, Global Health, Emory School of Public Health. Research Interest: Assessing the role of the lived environmental on health of marginalized populations in low-income settings.
  • Nicole Marie Gerardo, PhD - Professor, Department of Biology, Emory College of Arts and Sciences. Research Interests: How hosts and beneficial microbes establish and maintain relationships and how they collaborate to defend against pathogens and parasites.
  • Homa Ghalei, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interest: How small noncoding RNAs (snoRNAs) regulate gene expression at the translational level. 
  • Thomas Gillespie, PhD - Professor, Environmental Sciences and Environmental Health, Emory College of Arts and Sciences. Research Interest: How and why anthropogenic changes to tropical forests place people and wildlife living in such ecosystems at increased risk of pathogen exchange
  • Melissa Gilbert-Ross, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interests: Mechanism of tumor progression and metastasis.
  • Joanna Goldberg, PhD - Professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics (Pulmonology, Allergy/Immunology, Cystic Fibrosis and Sleep/Apnea). Research Interests: Strategies used by bacteria to cause diseases in humans, in particular respiratory infections in individuals with the genetic disease cystic fibrosis.
  • Shannon Gourley, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Marcus Autism Center, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interest: Animal models to understand why adolescence is a vulnerable period for depression and addiction.
  • Marcin Grabowicz, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interests: Gram-negative bacteria assembly of outer membrane, an essential organelle that blocks antibiotic entry.
  • Adam Gracz, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Digestive Diseases, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interests: Stem cell biology; genetics; genomics; chromatin; intestinal epithelium; biliary epithelium.
  • Arash Grakoui, PhD - Professor, Department of Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interest: T and B cell responses during chronic infection and immunotherapy to prevent virally induced hepatic consequences.
  • David Guidot, MD - Professor, Department of Medicine (Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine), Emory School of Medicine. Research Interests: How chronic alcohol abuse and/or chronic HIV infection render individuals susceptible to pneumonia and acute lung injury.
  • Randy Hall, PhD - Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interest: Mechanisms of signal transduction by neurotransmitter and hormone receptors.
  • Robert Hampton, PhD - Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory College of Arts and Sciences.  Research Interest: Neurobehavioral studies of primate and avian cognition.
  • Karmella Haynes, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory School of Medicine/GA Tech. Research Interests: Mechanisms of signal transduction by neurotransmitter and hormone receptors.
  • Jen Heemstra, PhD - Professor, Department of Chemistry, Emory College of Arts and Sciences.  Research Interest: Nucleic acids are for molecular recognition and self-assembly; science education and resilience.  
  • Curtis Henry, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Hematology/Oncology, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interests: How chronic inflammation impacts immunity, leukemogenesis, and therapeutic efficacy.
  • Ellen Hess, PhD - Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interest: Abnormal dopamine signaling in dystonia and Parkinson's disease.
  • Shawn Hochman, PhD - Professor, Department of Physiology, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interests: Neuromodulation and plasticity of spinal cord functional systems involved in the control of sensory, motor and autonomic pathways.
  • Andrew Hong, MD - Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interests: Using functional genomics (RNAi, CRISPR-Cas9, ORFs, small molecules) to identify therapeutic targets in childhood cancers.

K - L

  • Sumin Kang, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interest: Protein kinase and metabolic signaling in tumorigenesis and tumor metastasis using translational and preclinical studies.
  • David John Katz, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Cell Biology, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interest: Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in C. elegans and the role of epigenetics in Alzheimer’s disease.
  • Aubrey Kelly, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Emory College of Arts and Sciences. Research Interests: Behavioral neuroscience research using non-traditional rodents to examine the neural mechanisms of social behavior.
  • Melissa Lambeth Kemp, PhD - Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory School of Medicine/GA Tech School of Engineering). Research Interest: Develops computational systems biology models to investigate properties of cancer metabolism, redox signaling, and the role of oxidative stress in patient-specific responses to chemotherapeutics.
  • Uriel Dan Kitron, PhD, MPH - Professor and Chair, Department of Environmental Sciences, Emory College of Arts and Sciences. Research Interests: Eco-epidemiology of infectious diseases, with an emphasis on tropical and emerging diseases and environmental risk factors
  • Michael Koval, PhD - Professor, Department of Medicine (Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine), Emory School of Medicine. Research Interest:  Molecular basis for intercellular communication and barrier function in lung health and disease.
  • Philip Kragel, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Emory College of Arts and Sciences.  Researh Interest: Computational and Cognitive Neuroscience, Affective Science.
  • Dorothy Lerit, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Cell Biology, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interest: Understanding how centrosome activity is regulated in space and time, how individual centrosomes are differentially regulated within single cells, and how centrosome regulation contributes to cell and animal viability.
  • Elizabeth Leslie, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Human Genetics, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interest: Genetic causes and risk factors for craniofacial birth defects, such as orofacial clefts.
  • Tene Lewis, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Emory School of Public Health. Research Interest: Race, psychosocial factors and CVD in African American women.
  • Lian Li, PhD - Vice Chair and Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interests: how vesicular trafficking and cell signaling are regulated under physiological conditions and how these processes become dysregulated in human disease, such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorder.
  • Renhao Li, PhD - Professor, Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine. Research Interest: Elucidation of molecular mechanisms of blood diseases and the development of novel therapeutics to treat them.
  • Bo Liang, PhD  - Assocaite Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interests: Study large assemblies, including ribonucleoprotein complexes and membrane proteins,
  • John Lindo, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Emory College of Arts and Sciences. Research Interest: Molecular and computational aspects of Ancient DNA research in humans and other animals.
  • Melvin Livingston, PhD - Associate Professor, Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Emory School of Public Health. Research Interest: The application of quasi-experimental design and econometric methods to the evaluation of the health effects of state and federal policy.
  • Robert Liu, PhD - Professor, Department of Biology, Emory College of Arts and Sciences. Research Interests: How behaviorally-relevant sensory signals are encoded by cortical neurons, and what factors (e.g. experience, hormones) might lead to plastic changes in that code.
  • Elizabeth Lonsdorf, PhD - Acting Associate Professor, Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Anthropology.  Research Interests: To understand the interplay of development and health in non-human primate behavior as a model for the evolution of human childhood.  
  • David G. Lynn, PhD - Professor, Department of Chemistry, Emory College of Arts and Sciences. Research Interest: Host/parasite and symbiotic interactions, intelligent materials, origins of complex molecular functions.

M - P

  • Donna Maney, PhD - Professor, Department of Psychology, Emory College of Arts and Sciences.  Research Interests: Hormonal and genetic influences on social behavior.
  • Shonna McBride, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interest: Molecular mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis; Bacterial defense against antimicrobial peptides.
  • Lauren McCullough, MSPH, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Emory School of Public Health. Research Interests: Molecular mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis; Bacterial defense against antimicrobial peptides; Gastrointestinal pathogenesis.
  • Andrew H. Miller, MD - Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine.  Research Interest: Cytokines as mediators of neuropsychiatric disorders including depression.
  • Kenneth Moberg, PhD - Professor, Department of Cell Biology, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interests: Cytokines as mediators of neuropsychiatric disorders including depression
  • Levi Morran, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Emory College of Arts and Sciences. Research Interests: Genetics, Cell, and Developmental Biology Population Biology, Evolution, and Ecology.
  • Jennifer Mulle, MHS, PhD - Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Human Genetics, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interests: Experimental evolution, mating system evolution, coevolutionary dynamics of antagonistic and mutualistic interactions.
  • Andrew Neish, MD - Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interest: Molecular events in prokaryotic-eukaryotic interactions.
  • Ilya Nemenman, PhD - Professor, Department of Physics, Emory College of Arts and Sciences. Research Interests: Molecular events in prokaryotic-eukaryotic interactions.
  • Eric Ortlund, PhD - Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Emory School of Medicine.  Research Interest: Structural biology and molecular evolution of receptors, transporters and other drug targets.
  • Rohan Palmer, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Emory College of Arts and Sciences. Research Interests: Understanding the persistent and transient problems leading to alcohol and other substance use disorders (SUDs).
  • Jeanie Park, MS, MD- Associate Professor, Department of Nephrology, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interest: Role of autonomic imbalance and sympathetic overactivity in the increased cardiovascular disease risk that characterizes chronic kidney disease.
  • Jay Patel, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopaedics, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interests: Multi-scale repair and regeneration of musculoskeletal tissues, focusing on microenvironmental cues that drive tissue homeostasis and regeneration.
  • Marie-Claude Perreault, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Cell Biology, Emory School of Medicine. Research Interests: Brainstem-Spinal Cord Connections in Motor and Autonomic Functions in the Normal CNS and after Injury or Neurodevelopmental Disorders such as Autism.
  • Manu Platt, PhD - Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory School of Medicine/GA Tech. Research Interests: How cells use proteases to remodel their environment and predict disease severity.

Q - U

  • Cassandra Quave, PhD - Associate Professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology.  Research Interest: Natural products drug discovery for novel inhibitors of bacterial pathogenesis and virulence pathways.
  • Renee Read, PhD - Associate Professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology. Research Interests: Natural products drug discovery for novel inhibitors of bacterial pathogenesis and virulence pathways.
  • Matthew Reyna, PhD - Assistant Professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Informatics, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology. Research Interest: Artificial intelligence and machine learning in health and healthcare, including computational cancer genomics, critical care, and other areas.
  • Leila Rieder, PhD - Assistant Professor, Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology. Research Interest: Nuclear domain formation and function in gene regulation and development.
  • Winfield Sale, PhD - Professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Cell Biology. Research Interests: Role of microtubules in cell motility; regulation of dynein ATPase.
  • Jessica Sales, PhD, MA - Associate Professor, Emory School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education. Research Interest: Development and evaluation of programs that optimize sexual health for women.
  • Ignacio Sanz, MD - Professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Medicine(Rheumatology). Research Interests: Development and evaluation of programs that optimize sexual health for women
  • Lindsey Seldin, PhD - Assistant Professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Cell Biology, Department of Dermatology, Winship Cancer Institute.  Research Interests: Investigating mechanisms of stem cell regulation in epithelial development and disease.
  • Vivien Sheehan, MD - Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine, . Research Interests: Developing new therapies for individuals living with sickle cell disease, and improving the use of existing or emerging therapies.
  • Stephanie Sherman, PhD - Professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Human Genetics. Research Interest: Epidemiology of complex human disorders; chromosome nondisjunction, Down syndrome, Fragile X.
  • Alicia K. Smith, PhD  - Professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics—Research Interests: Epidemiology of complex human disorders including chromosome nondisjunction, Down syndrome, reproductive health and fragile X-associated disorders.
  • Yoland Smith, PhD - Professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Neurology. Research Interest: Synaptic plasticity, pathophysiology and therapeutics of Parkinson's disease and related.
  • Samuel Sober, PhD  - Assistant Professor, Emory College, Department of Biology. Research Interests: Synaptic plasticity, pathophysiology and therapeutics of Parkinson's disease and related movement disorders.
  • Jennifer Spangle, PhD - Assistant Professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Radiation Oncology. Research Interest: Oncohistones in breast cancer pathogenesis.
  • Jitendra Thakur, PhD - Assistant Professor, Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology. Research Interest: Genetics and epigenetics of rapidly evolving mammalian centromeres. 

V - Z

  • Viola Vaccarino, MD, PhD - Professor, Emory School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology. Research Interests:  Cardiovascular epidemiology and prevention, in particular the study of social and behavioral determinants of cardiovascular disease and women's health. 
  • Gonzalo Vazquez-Prokopec, PhD - Associate Professor, Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Environmental Sciences.  Research Interest: Major determinants in the occurrence, transmission and local propagation of major vector-borne and parasitic diseases.
  • Nicole Marie Vega, PhD - Assistant Professor, Emory College of Arts of Sciences, Department of Biology. Research Interests: To understand the major determinants in the occurrence, transmission and local propagation of major vector-borne and parasitic diseases.
  • Elaine F. Walker, PhD - Professor, Emory College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Psychology. Research Interest: Neurodevelopmental aspects of psychopathology; role of neuroendocrinology in mental disorders.
  • David Weinshenker, PhD - Professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Human Genetics. Research Interests: Neurodevelopmental aspects of psychopathology; role of neuroendocrinology in mental disorders.
  • Marlene Wolfe, PhD - Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Health, Emory Rollins School of Public Health. Research Interests: Issues of water, sanitation, and hygiene and infectious disease in low and middle income countries and emergencies and outbreaks.
  • Briana Woods-Jaeger, PhD - Associate Professor, Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Emory School of Public Health.  Research Interest: Mental health; health disparities; violence prevention; maternal and child health.
  • Samantha Yeligar, MS, PhD - Associate Professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Medicine (Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine). Research Interests: Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic interventions to mitigate lung immune dysfunction.
  • Bing Yao, PhD - Assistant Professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Human Genetics.  Research Interest: Covalent DNA modifications, in mammalian neurodevelopment and neuronal function.
  • Samantha Yeligar, PhD - Associate Professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of 
    Medicine. Research Interest: Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic interventions to mitigate lung immune dysfunction.
  • Kathryn Yount, PhD - Professor, Emory School of Public Health, Department of Global Health. Research Interest: Adversity (violence), women's and children's health, empowerment prevention interventions in underserved populations.
  • David Yu, MD, PhD - Associate Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, Emory School of Medicine.  Research Interests: DNA damage response, cancer, radiation oncology.
  • Chris Yun, PhD - Professor, Emory School of Medicine, Department of Medicine (Digestive Diseases). Research Interests: Adversity (violence), women's and children's health, empowerment prevention interventions in LMICs and underserved populations.