Research Interests: We study the role of RNA-binding proteins in neurodegeneration. Our chief interest is on TDP-43, a protein that controls a range of RNA-mediated processes. To characterize the connection between TDP-43 function and disease, we employ patient, cell based, biochemical and structural analyses studying gene expression, protein aggregation, and nuclear organization.

Research Interests: My lab is interested in the regulation of sterol and triglyceride metabolism by microRNAs (miRNAs) in both hepatocytes and macrophages, and its relationship to the development of atherosclerosis and liver disease.

Research Interests: Dr. Bello Kottenstette’s research is focused on identifying and addressing the unique reproductive health needs of women and men with substance use disorders. She uses qualitative methods to explore understudied concepts related to preconception health behavior change in criminal justice-involved populations and analysis of large datasets to study relationships between SUD diagnoses and preconception services.

Research Interests: My primary area of research is on metabolic effects of testosterone in men. This includes the relation of testosterone with obesity, insulin resistance, fatty liver and type 2 diabetes in men

Research Interests: We study function and regulation of proteins involved in blood coagulation, the molecular mechanism of zymogen activation and auto-activation, and the rational engineering of protease specificity for therapeutic and biotechnological purposes. Also of interest is ligand binding theory and kinetics. Our approach utilizes rapid kinetics, thermodynamics, spectroscopy and x-ray crystallography.

Research Interests: I’m interested in the psychosocial processes that surround weight loss and maintenance within patients and family members with particular interest in romantic relationships and the bariatric surgery population, and in the development of family-based interventions to bolster patients’ long-term health behavior change, weight loss, and romantic relationships quality.

Research Interests: clinical reviews, book chapters, abstracts and posters on geriatrics and longterm care topics.

Research Interests: I study social determinants of health for LGBTQ youth and adults, addressing sexuality and gender in medical and mental health practice, and family therapy approaches to mental health with LGBTQ youth.

Research Interests: Biochemical and structural studies of two systems: 1) recombination mediator proteins involved in DNA repair and replication, and 2) phospholipases involved in inflammatory and calcium signaling pathways. Using X-ray crystallography and variety of biochemical approaches we study basic mechanisms of protein activities involved in cancer, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and other diseases.

Research Interests: Our lab studies how mitochondrial and lipid metabolic pathways are dysregulated in cardiometabolic diseases and how these pathways can be targeted nutritionally or therapeutically.

Research Interests: We evaluate differnt biomarkers in JIA/SLE and immune complexes in these diseases.

Research Interests: Our lab studies progranulin – a protein linked to frontotemporal dementia (FTD) – and how its deficiency causes neurodegeneration. We are currently testing strategies (including antisense oligonucleotides) for increasing progranulin levels as potential therapies for progranulin-deficient FTD. We are also investigating progranulin’s structure and function using a variety of molecular and cellular approaches.

Research Interests: My work is focused on determining the health consequences of common psychiatric disorders. Separately I am investigating the mental health outcomes among persons taking long-term prescription opioids. Last, I have some experience in novel factors associated with dementia.

Research Interests: I am interested in the mechanisms by which the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) controls cellular functions in health and disease, as part of protein quality control (abnormal protein clearance, proteostasis, proteotoxicity) or signaling (cell growth & division, differentiation & life span progression, transcriptional regulation, generation of immunogenic peptides for MHC-I molecules). My independent research has initially focused on SCF, the founding member of Cullin-based E3 ubiquitin ligases. The subsequent clinically related interests focus on the roles of UPS in type 1 diabetes onset, pediatric alpha1 liver disease, and FSHD muscular dystrophy. Each of these projects, while developed relatively recently, benefits from my long-term experience with analysis of: 1) protein ubiquitination, E3 ubiquitin ligases, and proteasome function and regulation; 2) molecular chaperones, protein folding and aggregation; and 3) diverse research models, from biochemical in vitro systems to organisms such as yeast, animals/mouse, and human cells.

Research Interests: My lab is focused on drug discovery in human genetic diseases. We perform target identification and validation, drug screening, and preclinical evaluation of drug candidates. Our current project targets facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), one of the most common forms of muscular dystrophy for which there is no treatment. Our goals are to identify druggable pathways (e.g. p38) that modulate expression of the toxic DUX4 gene that is responsible for FSHD and translate those findings into potential therapies.

Research Interests: My lab studies HBV replication with an emphasis on viral reverse transcription. Most work is being done on the viral ribonuclease H activity of the reverse transcriptase protein. Basic enzymology, cell biology, and anti-HBV drug discovery are major foci of the lab.

Research Interests: Carissa van den Berk Clark, PhD, LMSW, is a social worker and an Assistant Professor of Family and Community Medicine at St. Louis University. She is an emerging scholar in the area of social service and healthcare coordination and interagency networks. She also studies the relationship between trauma and substance use disorders. She received her Ph.D. in Social Welfare Policy from the Luskin School of Public Affairs at University of California, Los Angeles in 2012 where she also completed a pre-doctoral training at the West Los Angeles Veterans Administration. From 2012 to 2015, she was a NIH postdoctoral fellow at the