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Affiliated Faculty

This list of affiliated investigators can help you identify potential research mentors at the University of Pittsburgh. PSTP students can, and do, work with mentors not on this list, but the investigators featured below have expressed interest in hosting PSTP students in their laboratories.

Bakkenist
Christopher Bakkenist, PhD
Research Areas: Cancer, Pharmacology
Research Summary:

Identify phosphorylations, dephosphorylations and acetylations that regulate ATM activity in vivo

Burns
Timothy Burns, MD, PhD
Research Areas: Cancer, Pharmacology
Research Summary:

Development of targeted therapies for KRAS mutant NSCLC; Reactivation of OIS and apoptosis; Mechanisms of acquired resistance to targeted agents

Callaway
Clifton Callaway, MD, PhD
Research Areas: Pharmacology
Research Summary:

Improving recovery from brain injury after cardiac arrest

Chen
Yuanyuan Chen, PhD
Research Areas: Ophthalmology, Pharmacology
Research Summary:

The Chen lab is interested in the pharmacological studies of visual disorders caused by protein misfolding. The lab's current three projects include pharmacological studies of rhodopsin metabolism, roles of purine metabolites in photoreceptor degeneration, and drug discovery of myocilin-associated glaucoma.

DeFranco
Donald DeFranco, PhD
Research Areas: Neuroscience, Pharmacology
Research Summary:

Steroid hormone action in neural stem cells and cancer

Freeman
Bruce Freeman, PhD
Research Areas: Pharmacology
Research Summary:

The production and signal transduction properties of oxidizing and free radical mediators in metabolic, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases

Jackson
Edwin K. Jackson, PhD
Research Areas: Pharmacology
Research Summary:

The biochemistry, molecular/cell biology, and physiology/pharmacology of adenosine

Kane
Lawrence Kane, PhD
Research Summary:

Signal Transduction; The role of the Akt kinase in NF-kB and T cell activation; Role of TIM proteins in T cell activation

Kleyman
Thomas Kleyman, MD
Research Areas: Pharmacology
Research Summary:

Cellular, structural and molecular studies of epithelial ion channels

Lee
Adrian Lee, PhD
Research Areas: Cancer, Pharmacology
Research Summary:

Molecular profiling (genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic) of women’s cancers, mouse modeling, and predictive biomarkers for targeted therapy

Oesterreich
Steffi Oesterreich, PhD
Research Summary:

Hormone response and treatment resistance in breast and ovarian cancer, including the analysis of aberrant genetic and epigenetic changes

Opresko
Patricia Opresko, PhD
Research Areas: Cancer, Pharmacology
Research Summary:

Mechanisms for preserving telomeres in healthy cells to delay aging-related diseases including cancer, or that conversely deplete telomeres in cancer cells to stop their proliferation

Pagano
Patrick Pagano, PhD
Research Areas: Pharmacology
Research Summary:

NADPH oxidase (Nox) & reactive oxygen species in signaling, vascular dysfunction and cardiopulmonary disease; Nox drug therapy development

Schopfer
Francisco Schopfer, PhD
Research Areas: Pharmacology
Research Summary:

Lipid signaling mediators associated with inflammation

Shiva
Sruti Shiva, PhD
Research Areas: Pharmacology
Research Summary:

Understanding the mechanisms by which mitochondrial function is regulated, particularly by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and the contribution of these mechanisms to cardiovascular health and disease pathogenesis

Steinman
Richard Steinman, MD, PhD
Research Areas: Cancer, Pharmacology
Research Summary:

Mechanisms of white blood cell differentiation & its inhibition in leukemias; Mechanisms of stem cell differentiation & growth control

Straub
Adam Straub, PhD
Research Areas: Pharmacology
Research Summary:

The Straub laboratory investigates redox cell signaling mechanisms that control endothelial and smooth muscle biology in the microcirculation.

Tai
Changfeng Tai, PhD
Research Areas: Pharmacology
Research Summary:

Neural control of low urinary tract and neuromodulation of bladder dysfunction

Van Houten
Ben Van Houten, PHD
Research Summary:

Repair of DNA damage in nuclear and mitochondrial genomes; Structure and function of nucleotide excision repair proteins

Wendell
Stacy Wendell, PhD
Research Areas: Pharmacology
Research Summary:

Investigates the signaling of electrophilic fatty acids in transformed stable cell lines while collaborating with clinicians to study the formation and signaling of electrophilic fatty acids in healthy controls, mild to moderate, and severe asthmatic subjects

Peter Wipf
Peter Wipf, PhD
Research Areas: Chemistry, Pharmacology
Research Summary:

Drug discovery and drug development, employing organic synthesis, medicinal chemistry and molecular modeling to develop new therapeutic agents for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases in a highly collaborative environment

Yan Xu
Yan Xu, PhD
Research Areas: Neuroscience, Pharmacology
Research Summary:

Designed receptors as therapeutic targets for pain; Mechanisms of low-affinity drug action; Mapping of unconscious brain; Stem cell therapy for stroke