Faculty Research Members
The Johnson Cancer Research Center’s multidisciplinary approach to cancer research makes the most of the knowledge and talents of numerous excellent scientists at K-State. Below is a list of our faculty research members and their areas of study.
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ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY |
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Dr. Matt Basel |
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| Develops better cancer models for translational research and using targeted nanotechnology and hyperthermia in cancer therapy. more details |
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Dr. Frank Blecha |
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| Retired Professor of Kansas State University |
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Dr. Jeff Comer |
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| Uses computers to study new materials (nanotechnology) for targeted delivery of cancer drugs to cancer cells. more details |
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Dr. Peying Fong |
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| Studies regulation, structure and function of ion channels and transporters in macromolecular complexes. more details |
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Dr. Meena Kumari |
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| Studies the addition of sugars to proteins and the significance of increases in this process in some gastrointestinal cancers. more details |
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Dr. David Poole |
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| SStudies oxygen transport with respect to vascular and microcirculatory control and the matching of oxygen delivery to the energetic requirements of tissues in health and disease. more details |
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Dr. Bruce Schultz |
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| Studies hormone-induced changes in epithelial function. more details |
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Dr. Mark Weiss |
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| Studies the potential use of stem cells for gene delivery vehicles, especially to brain tumors. more details |
ART |
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Dr. Shreepad Joglekar |
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| Exploring natural, constructed, and intellectual spaces have been a dominant theme in his work. more details |
BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOPHYSICS |
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Dr. Timothy Durrett |
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| Studies how different enzymes recognize the specific compounds that they modify. more details |
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Dr. Brandon Garcia |
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| Studies the structure and function of innate immune proteins involved in human diseases including cancer. more details |
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Dr. Brian Geisbrecht |
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| Studies structural approaches to understanding macromolecular function in normal, pathogenic and cancerous states. more details |
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Dr. Erika Geisbrecht |
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| Studies signal transduction pathways essential to normal embryonic development. more details |
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Dr. Maureen Gorman |
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Research Associate: Studies iron homeostasis, an important factor in tumor initiation and tumor growth. more details |
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Dr. Shijiao Huang |
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| Studies the mechanisms of aging and to develops clinically relevant drugs to delay aging and and prevent age-related diseases including cancer. more details |
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Dr. Michael Kanost |
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| Studies immunological mechanisms relevant to human cancers. more details |
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Dr. Phillip E. Klebba |
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| Studies iron deprivation as a means of retarding cancer cell growth and as a therapy to block microbial infections in cancer patients. more details |
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Dr. Om Prakash |
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| Studies anticancer agents using multidimensional Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy and computer aided molecular modeling. more details |
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Dr. John Tomich |
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Retired Professor |
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Dr. Anna Zolkiewska |
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| Studies cell-cell interactions and communications in cancer. more details |
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Dr. Michal Zolkiewski |
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Studies the stress-response and protein quality-control pathways. more details |
BIOLOGY |
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Dr. Katsura Asano |
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| Studies the control of protein synthesis and the alterations in gene expression that can lead to cancer. more details |
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Dr. Susan Brown |
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| Studies genes important to normal development and cancer. more details |
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Dr. Keith Chapes |
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Former Interim Director Johnson Cancer Research Center Retired Professor |
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Dr. Walter Dodds |
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| Studies nitrate and drinking water quality. more details |
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Dr. Sherry Fleming |
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| Studies complement cascade and immune cells in cancer and other diseases. more details |
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Dr. Revathi Govind |
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| Studies pathogenic mechanisms of anaerobic bacterial pathogen Clostridium difficile. more details |
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Dr. Loretta Johnson |
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| Studies genes involved in protecting against heavy metal poisoning and associated cancers. more details |
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Dr. Sonny Lee |
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| Studies the influence of microbiome to cancer development and therapeutics. more details |
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Dr. Jocelyn McDonald |
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| Studies how cells move and invade tissues in cancer. more details |
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Dr. Kristin Michel |
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| Studies serpin function in mosquito-transmitted malaria, and potential relationship to human cancer. more details |
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Dr. Beth Montelone |
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Senior Associate V.P. for Research Studies genes involved in DNA repair in yeast whose counterparts help prevent cancer in humans. more details |
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Dr. Brad Olson |
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| The evolution of multicellular eukaryotes—clues for detection and future cures. more details |
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Dr. Kathrin Schrick |
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| Studies interactions of lipids/sterols and regulatory proteins that are key to cell division and development. more details |
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Dr. Michael Veeman |
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| Studies the cellular mechanisms of embryonic morphogenesis in simple chordates. more details |
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Dr. Ruth Welti |
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| Studies the roles of lipid signaling and lipid metabolism in cancer. more details |
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Dr. Anna Zinovyeva |
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| Studies how genes are regulated and how the changes in gene regulation that lead to cancer can occur. more details |
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING |
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Dr. Placidus Amama |
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| Studies nanocarbon-based platforms for cancer therapeutics. more details |
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Dr. Won Min Park |
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| Studies protein self-assembly for the design of nanomaterials for cancer detection and therapy. more details |
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Dr. Davood Pourkargar |
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| Uses computer-based modeling to improve predictions of the progression pattern of cancer in the humans. more details |
CHEMISTRY |
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Dr. Christer Aakeröy |
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| Studies chemical approaches to maximize the effectiveness of anti-cancer drugs. more details |
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Dr. Patricia Calvo |
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| Studies the use of polymers for drug delivery and internal radiation therapy. more details |
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Dr. Christopher Culbertson |
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| Studies signals within cells to understand how misregulation of the signals leads to cancers. Is also developing a "lab-on-a-chip" cancer early-detection test. more details |
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Dr. Tendai Gadzikwa |
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| Studies the use of the scaffold of crystalline, multifunctional, nanoporous framework materials to construct multi-tasking drug delivery systems that target cancer cells. more details |
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Dr. Daniel Higgins |
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| Studies the use of multiphoton methods to trigger anticancer drugs. more details |
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Dr. Takashi Ito |
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| Studies new techniques for sampling biomarkers for cancer diagnosis. more details |
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Dr. Jun Li |
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| Studies nanotechnology for early cancer diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring. more details |
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Dr. Ping Li |
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| Conducts mechanistic studies of cancerous proteins, and synthesis of their inhibitors. more details |
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Dr. Socrates Munoz |
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| Development of new synthetic routes for the preparation of organofluorine and sulfur-containing compounds for therapeutic applications including cancer therapy. more details |
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Dr. Ryan J. Rafferty |
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| Studies blood-brain barrier penetration for treatment of brain cancers and works to develop new cancer drug delivery methods. more details |
CLINICAL SCIENCES |
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Dr. Chieko Azuma |
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| Studies the biological effects of therapeutic radiation, tumor biology and targeted radiotherapy. more details |
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Dr. Mary Lynn Higginbotham |
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| Studies the diagnosis and treatment of feline lymphoma as well as clinical trials involving treatment of cancer in animals. more details |
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Dr. Kimberly Reeds |
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| Studies the impacts of nutrition and targeted therapies on veterinary oncology patients as well as clinical trials involving treatment of cancer in animals. more details |
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Dr. Thomas Schermerhorn |
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| Studies cellular secretion and protein movement in normal and cancer cells. more details |
COMPUTER SCIENCE |
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Dr. Hande McGinty |
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| Studies research focuses on agriculutre, food and bio-ontologies and the applications for machine learning and artificial itelligence. more details |
DANCE |
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Dr. Kate Dibgy |
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| Certified instructor of Moving for Life Dance Exercise for Recovery classes designed to support cancer patients, survivors and their families. more details |
DIAGNOSTIC MEDICINE PATHOBIOLOGY |
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Dr. Pankaj Baral |
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| Studies the role of lung-innervating neurons in lung adenocarcinoma development. more details |
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Dr. Jamie Henningson |
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| Studies the pathogenesis of tumors and cancer cells. more details |
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Dr. Laura Miller |
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| Combines advanced techniques to map how genes and immune cells interact within diseased tissues, paving the way for better understanding and treatment of cancer. more details |
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Dr. Waithaka Mwangi |
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| Development of new strategies for safely using novel cow antibodies to fight cancer in humans. The lab will develop special cow antibodies that target molecules involved in cancer. more details |
ELECTRICAL & COMPUTER ENGINEERING |
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Dr. Ninghao "Eric" Zhu |
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| Studies gene expression during collective cancer invasion with live cell RNA biosensor and tissue-engineered tumor microenvironment on a chip. more details |
ENGINEERING EXTENSION |
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ENTOMOLOGY |
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Dr. Kristopher Silver |
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| Studies the mechanisms of RNA interference and how they can be applied to cancer treatment. more details |
FOOD, NUTRITION, DIETETICS & HEALTH |
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Dr. Mark Haub |
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| Studies effects of protein, grain-based foods, and supplements on colon cancer and whole-body health outcomes using clinical trials with human subjects. more details |
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Dr. Brian Lindshield |
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| Studies the potential of foods and/or dietary supplements to decrease cancer incidence and progression. more details |
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Dr. Valentina Trinetta |
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| Studies foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial resistance on gut microbiome and implication for anticancer drug resistance. more details |
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Dr. Weiqun (George) Wang |
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| Studies cancer prevention by dietary calorie restriction, exercise and plant chemicals. more details |
GEOGRAPHY |
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Dr. Max Lu |
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| Studies geographic differentials in cancer incidence and mortality rates using spatial statistics and geographic information systems (GIS) technology. more details |
GEOLOGY |
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Dr. Karin Goldberg |
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| Studies natural uranium contamiation of groundwater, which are potential causes of cancer. more details |
HORTICULTURE |
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Dr. Sunghun Park |
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| Studies metabolic engineering of flavonoids to prevent cancer. more details |
KINESIOLOGY |
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Dr. Carl Ade |
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| Studies mechanistic underpinnings and clinical features of cardiovascular damage resulting from anti-cancer treatments. more details |
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Dr. Brad Behnke |
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| Studies manipulation of tumor microenvironments to enhance conventional cancer therapy outcomes. more details |
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Dr. Gina Besenyi |
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| Studies the impact of outdoor, nature-based physical activity on physical and mental health and the prevention and treatment of chronic disease. more details |
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Dr. Joshua Carr |
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Studies neuromuscular adaptations to muscle weakness, atrophy, and chemotherapy-induced neuropathies, focusing on individualized exercise interventions to restore function and address cancer-related muscle wasting and rehabilitation...more details |
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Dr. David Poole |
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| Studies oxygen transport with respect to vascular and microcirculatory control and the matching of oxygen delivery to the energetic requirements of tissues in health and disease. more details |
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Dr. Nicholas Wallace |
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| Studies HPV biology to improve treatment options for the cancers caused by these viruses. more details |
KINESIOLOGY PHYSICIAN ASSIST. PROGRAM |
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Dr. Carl Ade |
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| Studies mechanistic underpinnings and clinical features of cardiovascular damage resulting from anti-cancer treatments. more details |
MECHANICAL & NUCLEAR ENGINEERING |
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Dr. Amir Bahadori |
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| Studies ways to evaluate and reduce cancer risk from radiation exposure. more details |
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Dr. Shih-Kang (Scott) Fan |
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| Liquid biopsy and 3D bioprinting to study cancer with electrically-driven droplets (picoliter-microliter) on an electromicrofluidics platform. more details |
PHILOSOPHY |
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Dr. Shay Logan |
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| Studies ethical and decision-theoretic questions about cancer treatment regimens. more details |
PLANT PATHOLOGY |
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Dr. Richard Todd |
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| Studies how transcription factors—regulators of cell growth involved in many cancers—are themselves regulated. more details |
PHYSICS |
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Dr. Bret Flanders |
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| Studies the use of nanoscale fiber scalpels to sample tumors and cancer cells. more details |
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Dr. Jeremy Schmit |
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| Studies formulation strategies for protein-based drugs. more details |
PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES |
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Dr. Heather Bailey |
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| Studies cognitive and neurophysiological changes associated with aging and various pathologies, including cancer and chemotherapy. more details |
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Dr. Charles Pickens |
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| Studies thalamocortical circuits, and examine models of several different disorders. more details |
SOCIOLOGY, ANTROPOLOGY & SOCIAL WORK |
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Dr. Jung Sim Jun |
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| Studies cancer health disparities among ethnic/racial minority groups and culturally appropriate and technology-supported health education and intervention strategies. more details |
STATISTICS |
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Dr. Cen Wu |
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| Studies the integration of multiple types of cancer genomic data to better elucidate cancer etiology and prognosis. more details |