Research Areas

Biology Faculty Research Labs

Hosting graduate and undergraduate research opportunities.

Dayna Averitt, PhD

Research focus areas: neuroscience; pain mechanisms; non-opioid analgesia; sex differences; dental science; endocrinology.

Michael Bergel, PhD

Research focus areas: cancer; chromatin remodeling; anti-cancer therapeutic development; cellular stress; molecular and cellular biology.

Christopher Brower, PhD

Research focus areas: protein quality control systems; ribosome biogenesis; liquid-liquid phase separation; cellular stress; biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology; neurodegeneration.

Heather Conrad-Webb, PhD

Research focus areas: regulation of rRNA synthesis; yeast genetics; pol II; cellular stress; molecular and cellular biology.

Tina Gumienny, PhD

Research focus areas: intercellular communication; C. elegans model system; TGF beta superfamily; developmental; molecular and cellular biology.

Laura Hanson, PhD

Research focus areas: virology; bacteriology; virus-host interaction; gene transcription; cytomegalovirus.

DiAnna Hynds, PhD

Research focus areas: axon growth and guidance; neuroregeneration; traumatic nervous system injury; neurodegeneration; small GTPases; cellular signaling; cytoskeleton; nanomaterial drug delivery systems; lipid post-translational modifications.

Zane Lybrand, PhD

Research focus areas: traumatic brain injury; stem cells; epilepsy; regenerative medicine; electrophysiology.

Camelia Maier, PhD

Research focus areas: plant secondary metabolites; plant biochemistry; phytoestrogens; phytomedicine; cancer; plant reproductive ecology; plant-pollinator interactions; plant tissue culture.

Nathanial Mills, PhD

Research focus areas: endocrinology; hormone regulation; male reproductive biology; biotechnology; gene expression.

Catalina Pislariu, PhD

Research focus areas:  plant-microbe interactions; symbiotic nitrogen fixation; plant cell and molecular biology; functional genomics; gene regulatory networks; biotechnology.

Sushmita Sinha, PhD

Research focus areas: autoimmunity; T cell regulation; multiple sclerosis; therapeutic targets; immune dysregulation.

Juliet Spencer, PhD

Research focus areas: virology; viral immune modulation; immune evasion; Herpesviruses; virus-host interactions.