Chemistry

List of Regular and Adjunct Faculty

List of Regular and Adjunct Faculty 
Name Descriptors Research Interests
Mahesheema Ali Ph.D. Metro Health CWRU

Clinical chemistry, toxicology, POCT, rapid response labs

Ashok Agarwal, Ph.D.
 
CCF Biological markers of oxidative stress; proteomic and bioinformatics in DNA damage, apoptosis, and preserving fertility in patients with cancer; laboratory and clinical studies assessing the efficacy of certain antioxidants in improving male fertility

David Anderson, Ph.D.,DABCC

CSU Novel HPLC-MS techniques to measure biological compounds in diagnosis/treatment and in understanding disease - include proteins, peptides, gangliosides, and drugs. Developed gradient chromatofocusing technique in the separation of proteins by pH gradients on ion-exchange columns. Research in chromatographic theory involving fundamental parameters of mobile phase and compounds chromatographed predicting separation.  
Romani Andrea M.D., Ph.D.
 
CWRU Regulation of magnesium homeostasis and transport in mammalian cells
Suneel Apte, M.B.B.S, Ph.D. CCF Extracellular matrix and matrix-degrading proteases in osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis, heart disease, aortic aneurysms; genetic disorders affecting heart, eyes, and limbs; biochemistry, cell biology, genetic and proteomic technologies.
Mark Aronica, M.D. CCF

Components of the extracellular matrix in development and pathogenesis of asthma

Mekki Bayachou, Ph.D. CSU Functional biomaterials; antithrombotic surfaces; electron-transfer; nitric oxide synthases; metalloproteins; metalloenzymes; cyt P450s; bio-electrochemistry; DNA-sensors; DNA-protein interaction; small molecule metabolite sensors; nanotechnology
Anthony Berdis, Ph.D. CSU The Berdis lab is developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic agents against several types of cancers including glioblastoma multiforme, breast, pancreatic, and various leukemias.  His research involves developing artificial nucleosides that increase the efficacy of existing anti-cancer agents with the goal of effectively kill cancer cells while leaving normal cells unaffected. 
Kathleen Berkner, Ph.D. CCF

gamma-glutamyl carboxylation of vitamin K-dependent proteins in hemostasis, calcification, apoptosis, signal transduction and growth control; mouse models; proteomics; mutagenesis; cellular systems; biochemical studies.

Warren Boyd, Ph.D. CSU Coordination chemistry of azodioxides, transition metal-catalyzed organic reactions, and metal-based anticancer agents.
Mark Brown, Ph.D. CCF Diet-microbe-host interactions in obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer; diet and gene interactions non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alcohol-associated liver disease; nutrition and obesity mechanisms in gastrointestinal cancers.
Tatiana Byzova, Ph.D. CCF Neoangiogenesis; angiogenesis in wounds, cancer, ischemia; vascular dysfunction in aging and neurodegenerative diseases; cancer and inflammation-associated vascular pathologies and thrombosis; ex vivo and in vitro cell and molecular biology; advanced imaging; analysis of model and clinical samples

Jan Claesen, PhD

CCF Defining signaling systems used as intra-and inter-bacterial communication in the gut and skin, and understanding the interactions between dietary components and the microbiota in the context of disease prevention. Identifying therapeutic targets that modulate the microbe–microbe and microbe–host cell interactions; microbiology; bacterial genetics; synthetic biology; small molecule biosynthesis; biochemistry.
Jessica Colon-Franco, Ph.D., DABCC CCF Endocrinology; special chemistry; leadership
Serpil Erzurum, M.D. CCF Mechanisms of lung inflammation and remodeling that lead to lung disease; mechanisms of abnormalities in redox balance, signal transduction, accelerate arginine metabolism and impact nitric oxide (NO) production.

Paul Fox, PhD

CCF IFN-gamma signaling; mechanisms of blood vessel formation; ferroxidases in iron metabolism in inflammatory diseases and chronic renal failure
Valentin Gogonea, Ph.D. CSU Computational chemistry; enzyme reactivity; nitric oxide synthase; hydrogenase; cholesterol transport; deuterium exchange; quantum mechanical molecular mechanics; molecular dynamics; protein folding

Zihua Gong, MD, PhD

CCF Genomic instability caused by impaired DNA damage response and/or DNA repair is a triple-edged sword. On one hand, it is a driving force for tumorigenesis. On the other hand, defective DNA damage repair renders tumor cells more sensitive to DNA damaging agents, and thus allows for the use of radiation and many chemotherapeutic agents that induce DNA damage in clinic for cancer treatment. We are working on better understand the underlying mechanism on regulation of DNA repair pathway choice and resistance to PARP inhibition in BRCA1 mutant cancers, which are critical to develop new therapeutic strategies for cancer patients.
Junior Gonzales, Ph.D. CSU Developing quantitative tools to sense/measure (via the use of re-engineered bio-tropical peptides) neuropathies, cancer, and tropical infectious diseases. We endure our research by targeting sodium-channels that are expressed and/or involved in the formation of these unmet medical dysfunctions. 
https://www.gonzalesarevalo-lab.com/about
Baochuan Guo, Ph.D. CSU Focus on the development of mass spectrometric-based technologies for qualitative and quantitative analysis of various biomolecules ranging from small drug molecules to large proteins as well as application of the technologies developed for medical use.
Stanley Hazen, M.D., Ph.D. CCF Inflammation in cardiovascular diseases; myeloperoxidase in oxidant stress and cardiovascular diseases; HDL structure and function; intestinal microbiota in cardiometabolic disease; bench-to-bedside; basic/genetic, cellular, animal model, and human clinical investigations; variety of analytical methods including mass spectrometry
Christopher Hine, Ph.D. CCF Hormonal and nutritional regulation of endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) production and metabolism; H2S effects in biological pathways; regulation and function of H2S generating enzymes; diet, exercise, and pharmaceuticals harnessing endogenous H2S production for increased stress resistance, metabolic fitness, and lifespan.
Ge Jin, Ph.D. Metro Health  CWRU Mechanism of cancer cell-derived cytokines and/or metabolites; immune response and role of HIV-infection in development/progression of non-AIDS-defining cancers
Kamran Kadkhoda, Ph.D., DABMLI CCF Immunopathology; serology; allergy; cellular immunology
Michael Kalafatis, Ph.D. CSU

Blood Coagulation and Thrombosis. Thrombosis is the primary cause of death worldwide and one of two major focuses of my research. My laboratory has a great deal of expertise in the biochemistry of coagulation
Cancer and Apoptosis. Cancer is the second cause of death worldwide. The traditional way to treat cancer today is “cut, poison, and burn” which correlates to surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation respectively with the known devastating side effects. My laboratory is striving to establish a treatment for cancer that uses natural non-toxic substances.

Sadashiva Karnik, Ph.D. CCF Angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) structure, function, physiology, genetics and signaling; hypertension; cardiac hypertrophy; heart failure (HF); Approaches include transgenesis, molecular pharmacology, ligand design, membrane protein biochemistry, protein-protein interaction, signal transduction, gene regulation, micoRNA regulation, proteomics and post-translational modifications.
Grace Kroner, Ph.D.,DABCC CCF Special chemistry; diabetes testing; laboratory test utilization; data analytics
Xiaoxia Li, Ph.D. CCF Signal transduction in innate and adaptive immunity
Daniel Lindner, M.D., Ph.D. CCF Mechanisms of acquired drug resistance in renal cancer, development of more effective drugs to treat myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myelogenous leukemia
Thomas McIntyre, Ph.D. CCF Lipid mediators, in the innate immune or inflammatory system; phospholipid PAF activation of inflammatory cells in cardiovascular and renal systems; oxidized phospholipids in apoptosis, affecting platelets in thrombosis and vascular disease; acute kidney disease.
Adam McShane, Ph.D., DABCC CCF Automated chemistry; cardiovascular disease; blood gases
Marvin Natowicz, M.D., Ph.D. CCF Biochemical genetics; metabolic diseases
Ina Nemet, PhD CCF Gut microbial metabolism and relationship between microbial metabolites and disease risks; conventionally raised and/or germ free host colonized with genetically engineered human commensals to demonstrate direct effects of particular enzyme/metabolite on the host; metabolomics (mass spectrometry) and clinical studies in tandem with mechanistic studies
Eugene Podrez, M.D., Ph.D. CCF Inflammation and oxidative stress in atherosclerosis and thrombosis via lipid peroxidation and formation of bioactive lipids; induced platelet hyper-reactivity associated with dyslipoproteinemia; platelet scavenger receptors type B targeted for new therapies; mechanisms of lipid oxidation products impairing cholesterol efflux inducing intracellular cholesterol accumulation.
Jun Qin, Ph.D. CCF Protein-protein interactions in heart failure, diabetes, and cancer; integrins in cell adhesion, morphology, and motility; mechanisms of integrin-mediated protein interaction in signaling; structural biology techniques of NMR and crystallography.
Sujata Rao, Ph.D. CCF Circadian regulation of neuronal and vascular development in the eye; circadian regulation of endocrine function; role of circadian clock in inflammation in retina
Edmund Z. Reineks, M.D., Ph.D., DABCC CCF Point of care testing; quality; lab directorship; special topics
Yana Sandlers, Ph.D., DABCC CSU Clinical chemistry; mass spectrometry; inborn errors of metabolism; metabolomics; induced stem cells derived cardiomyocytes (iPSCM); Barth syndrome; cardiomyopathy
Jeffrey Schelling, M.D. Metro Health CWRU Mechanisms of chronic kidney disease progression; in vitro molecular and cellular methods, animal models, and human studies investigating glomerular and tubulointerstitial pathophysiology
James L. Smialek Ph.D. NASA High-temperature oxidation; coatings
Jonathan Smith, Ph.D. CCF Genes altering atherosclerosis susceptibility in a mouse model; HDL metabolism, reverse cholesterol transport;  genetics and functional genomics of atrial fibrillation; cell/molecular biology; biochemistry; genetics/genomics.
George Stark, Ph.D. CCF Cell signaling mechanisms underlying innate immunity and cancer; insertional mutagenesis; responses to interferon; interferon synthesis in cancer; PD-L1 modulation of cellular response to IFN-1; novel therapies.
Dennis Stuehr, Ph.D. CCF Regulation of nitric oxide (NO) biosynthesis, impact of NO synthesis on cells and tissues; NO synthase chemistry, structure-function relationship, interaction with cellular proteins controlling activity; NO regulation of heme insertion into cellular proteins; protein nitration; protein nitration, its regulation, and its control of protein function.
Bin Su, Ph.D. CSU Drug development, Cancer pharmacology, Endocrinology, African trypanosomiasis, Synthetic medicinal chemistry, Pharmacokinetic study
Xue-Long Sun, Ph.D. CSU

 * Glycan-based antiviral and anti-inflammation drug development, immunomodulation, targeted drug delivery, nanomaterial, and biosensor applications.
  * Biomimetic synthesis of native anticoagulant biomolecules for compensation of their loss in the pathological site as an on-demand therapeutic strategy.
  * Profiling and modulating cell surface glycosylation pattern and cell function.

Wai Hong Wilson Tang, M.D. CCF Mechanistic determinants of inflammation and cellular processes in heart failure and cardiomyopathy; genetic, proteomic, and metabolomic links to pathogenic pathways in human heart diseases and heart failure; metabolites and proteins measured by mass spectroscopy techniques or immunoassays; enzyme expression in explanted human hearts.
Bruce Trapp, Ph.D. CCF Cellular/molecular biology of myelination; pathogenesis of neurological disability in multiple sclerosis
John F Turner, Ph.D. CSU Raman spectroscopy; fluorescence; infrared; IR; near infrared; NIR; visible; chemical imaging; multivariate analysis; chemometrics; mineral; biomineral; bone; teeth; biomaterials; implant materials; bioanalysis; spectral imaging; hyperspectral imaging; multispectral imaging; liquid crystal tunable filter; LCTF; acousto-optic tunable filter; AOTF; CCD; charge coupled device, spectroscopy; gemology; gemstone; miner- alogy; geology; Raman database; poly-llactide
Bing-Cheng Wang, Ph.D. Metro Health CWRU Roles of Eph receptor tyrosine kinases in invasive growth and distal metastasis of cancer cells

Oliver Wessely, PhD

CCF Kidney development and kidney diseases; molecular mechanisms governing the formation and maintenance of a functional kidney and pathophysiology in diseases; polycystic kidney disease; focal segmental glomerulosclerosis; renal cell carcinoma
Yan Xu, Ph.D. CSU Clinical and preclinical pharmacokinetics; analytical method development for drugs and metabolites; lipidomic profiling and quantitation of biomarkers of human diseases; metabolic flux analysis of biochemical pathways; metabolomics of multicomponent formulations; mass spectrometry; liquid and gas chromatography; enzyme immunoassay; capillary electrophoresis; electroanalytical techniques
Bin Zhang, Ph.D. CCF Protein secretion dysregulation in disease development, cargo receptors impact on bleeding disorders; vesicle formation, COPII, and human disease; engineering gene therapies
Aimin Zhou, Ph.D. CSU Investigating the role of RNase L, a key enzyme in interferon action against viral infection and cell proliferation, in immune cell functions and the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, non-alcohol fatty liver disease, and acute kidney injury by using cell and animal models. 
Wen-Quan Zou, M.D., Ph.D. CWRU Protein aggregation in the conformational diseases; pathologic prion proteins (PrPC and PrPSc) in prion diseases (PrD); neurotoxic amyloid β (Aβ) in Alzheimer disease (AD); Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD