Cell Biology, Immunology & Cancer Biology Concentration
Welcome to the Concentration in Cell Biology, Immunology & Cancer Biology at SIU School of Medicine. Our faculty, graduate students and medical students conduct innovative research in the areas of cancer biology; therapeutic targeting; tumor immunology; stem cell biology and lineage differentiation; as well as tumor vascular and lymphatic biology. The Simmons Cancer Institute is a focal point for scientists in this concentration, fostering translation of research discoveries from the laboratory to clinic. Students in this concentration will be involved in discovery-based, forward-thinking medical research on the Springfield campus that provides a foundation in the molecular and cellular underpinnings of health and disease.
Contact:
Andrew Wilber, PhD
Department of Cell Biology, Immunology and Cancer Biology
Springfield, IL
| Research mentors | Research area |
|---|---|
| Aida Adlimoghaddam, PhD | Mitochondrial function, brain metabolic activity, inflammation, and cognitive changes in normal aging, Alzheimer's disease, and related diseases; pharmaceutical and dietary interventions, repurposing of FDA-approved drugs; early diagnosis and treatment in Alzheimer's disease. |
| Andrzej Bartke, PhD | Genetic and hormonal control of aging in mammals. |
| Andrea Braundmeier-Fleming, PhD | Immune cell function and influence of the microbiome on the pathophysiology of reproductive disorders. |
| Weijia Cai, PhD | Explore the mechanisms that tumor cells suppress or avert immunogenic cell death (ICD) and discover novel targets to enhance the efficacy of current cancer therapies. |
| Shailendra Gautam, PhD | Understanding and targeting tumor microenvironment factors to alleviate immunosuppression and metastasis in pancreatic and upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. A major focus of the lab is to optimize immune-modulatory approaches using cutting-edge technologies and animal models to improve the efficacy of targeted therapies and immunotherapy. |
| Kevin Hascup, PhD | Metabolic and glutamatergic dysregulation during Alzheimer's disease progression and successful aging; identification of disease-modifying life-style factors and biomarker-targeted therapeutics. |
| Sathyan Kizhakke Mattada, PhD | Investigates chromosomal organization, chromosomal segregation, epigenetics, and transcription in the context of normal tissue homeostasis, cancer, and autism spectrum disorders. |
| Susan Olivo-Marston, PhD | Cancer Epidemiology and Health Disparities along with Lifestyle Exposures, in particular Diet & Obesity and Cancer Risk |
| Daotai Nie, PhD | Molecular and cellular biology of cancer, tumor metastasis, development of tumor therapeutics. |
| Sophia Ran, PhD | Tumor physiology, angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, breast cancer metastasis. |
| Krishna Rao, PhD | Role of Rab25 as a tumor suppressor, treatment of head and neck cancer. |
| Shelly A Tischkau, PhD | Neuroendocrinology, environmental toxicology, regulation of molecular circadian rhythms in health and disease states, including cancer and diabetes. |
| Gabriel J. Tobón, PhD | Study of B lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of Autoimmune Diseases (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Sjogren’s syndrome). |
| Donald S. Torry, PhD | Human reproductive biology, cellular biology of angiogenic growth factors and immune cytokines during pregnancy, molecular biology of placental gene expression, function of immune Natural Killer cells in pregnancy. |
| Andrew Wilber, PhD | Gene therapy for hemoglobin disorders beta-thalassemia and sickle cell anemia, gene expression regulation, stable gene delivery using non-viral and viral integrating vector systems and cancer immunotherapy. |
| Rong Yuan, PhD | Molecular Biology of aging and longevity. |