Department of Cell and Molecular Biology

John A. Burns School of Medicine
BSB 222
651 Ilalo Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
Tel: (808) 692-1514
Web: cmb.jabsom.hawaii.edu

Faculty

*O. LeSaux, PhD (Chair)—genetic disorders; dystrophic calcification
*F. P. Bellinger, PhD—trace elements in brain function
*M. Gerschenson, PhD—mitochondrial medicine
*D. S. Haymer, PhD—DNA analysis in human forensics and molecular genetic variations in populations
*P. Hoffmann, PhD—selenoproteins in inflammation, immunity and cancer
*N. G. James, PhD—neurodegeneration, protein interactions, fluorescence microscopy
*D. M. Jameson, PhD—fluorescence spectroscopy; biomolecular dynamics and interactions; ribosomal proteins
*R. A. Nichols, PhD—neuropharmacology, neuroscience and physiology
M.A. Ortega, PhD—renal development and disease
*J. B. Owens, PhD—genome editing
*J. Panee, PhD—biomedical research ethics in health consequences of marijuana use
*M. W. Pitts, PhD—selenoproteins in metabolism and neurodevelopment
*A. Stokes, PhD—physiology and function of ion channel proteins in cardiometabolic diseases
*C. Todorovic, PhD—neurobiology of learning and memory, neuropharmacology

Cooperative Graduate Faculty

*R. Allsopp, PhD—cell biology
*M. J. Berry, PhD—selenoprotein synthesis
*W. Boisvert, PhD—immunologic and inflammatory aspects of cardiovascular medicine
*B. Bowen, PhD— evolutionary genetics
* X. Chen, PhD—molecular genetics and signaling pathways during liver cancer growth to develop new therapies
*Y. Deng, PhD—bioinformatics, biomedical informatics, computational biology, cancer
*C. Farrar, PhD—light microscopy and flow cytometry in cancer and cell biology
*P. Fei, PhD—tumor suppressors function and cancer susceptibility syndromes
*A. Fleig, PhD—electrophysiology (patch-clamp); calcium signaling in muscle cells; regulation of calcium signaling; cellular neuroimmunology
*A. Fleig, PhD—excitation-contraction coupling in muscle
*B. Fogelgren, PhD—renal physiology, development and disease
*B. Hernandez, PhD—the role of infectious agents and the host microbiome in the development and progression of cancer
*L. Le Marchand, MD, PhD—cancer epidemiology, breast cancer risk
*J. Lee, PhD—translational cancer research, drug resistance, tumor microenvironment, targeted therapy
*A. Lehrer, PhD—filoviruses, vaccine development
*L. Loo, PhD—cancer epidemiology, racial/ethnic disparities in cancer risk and mortality
*S. Lozanoff, PhD—developmental biology and craniofacial development
*Y. Marikawa, PhD—molecular control of the body plan of vertebrate embryos
*T. Matsui, PhD—cell signaling in cardiomyocyte cell survival
*A. Maunakea, PhD—epigenetics in diseases, autism and cardiometabolic disorders
*S. Moisyadi, PhD—mammalian transgenesis and gene therapy
*V. R. Nerukar, PhD—viral pathogens, marine virology, molecular epidemiology
*J. Park, PhD—cancer biology, neutrophil function
* N. Polgar, PhD—exocyst activity on Glut4 trafficking in metabolic tissues
*G. Presting, PhD—bioinformatics
*K. Schunke, PhD—epigenetics of hypoxia, sleep apnea, diabetic autonomic dysfunction
*A. Seale—comparative endocrinology, neurobiology
*L. Seale, PhD—comparative endocrinology, metabolic syndrome, obesity
*R. Shohet, MD—cardiovascular research, hypoxia and gene therapy
*M. Tallquist, PhD—heart and lung development and disease, fibrosis
*N. Ueno, PhD—innovative therapy development for aggressive breast cancer, cancer tumor microenvironment
*J. Urschitz, PhD—fetal growth disturbances, prenatal biology, in-vivo gene modulation
*S. Verma, PhD—inflammatory pathways contributing to the neuropathogenesis related to flaviviruses
*M. Wang, PhD—translational breast cancer research, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy
*M. Ward, PhD—spermatogenesis, sex chromosomes, male infertility
*W. S. Ward, PhD—tertiary structure of DNA, nuclear structure, and genetic instability
*Y. Yamazaki, PhD—sex differentiation of fetal cells, IVF, ICSI
*A. Yanagihara, PhD—biochemistry of neuroactive compounds in cnadarians
*H. Yang, MD, PhD—mesothelioma detection, prevention, therapy
*J. Yew—neurobiology of chemical communications/pheromones
*Y. Zhang, PhD—heart development, growth, diseases, stem cells, regeneration, functional multiomics, electrophysiology

Adjunct Faculty

R. Penner, PhD—electrophysiology (patch-clamp); intra- and intercellular signal transduction; regulation of calcium signaling; cellular neuroimmunology
*H. Turner, PhD—immunogenetics, cannabinoid receptors, cell signaling
M. Tuthill, PhD—use of recombinant technologies in the production of monoclonal antibodies and gene expression profiles of bacterial and human platforms
*A. Yanagihara, PhD—biochemistry of neurotoxins, neuroactive compounds in cnidarians

* Graduate Faculty

The Academic Program

Faculty in the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology have ongoing research programs in areas such as genetics, cell biology, biochemistry, and neurophysiology. The department also provides instruction in the basic principles and concepts of genetics, biochemistry, and molecular biology to medical students, graduate students from various disciplines, and undergraduates.

The department hosts the Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB) graduate program. This program brings together faculty with expertise in biochemistry, cell biology, cell signaling, developmental biology, genetics, immunology retrovirology, neurobiology, and reproduction function for collaborative teaching and research activities. Information on the Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB) Graduate Program can be found in the “Interdisciplinary Programs ” section of this Catalog, on the CMB graduate program website, or interested applicants can contact:

Michelle Tallquist
John A. Burns School of Medicine
Chair, Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Program
651 Ilalo Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
Tel: (808) 692-1579
Email: michelle.tallquist@hawaii.edu
Website: cmb.jabsom.hawaii.edu