Faculty Research Contacts

Colin Combs, Ph.D.: Neuroimmune interactions during aging and neurodegenerative diseases.

David Bradley, Ph.D.: Natural and inducible immune responses to viruses and bacteria and to cancers.

Catherine Brissette, Ph.D.: Bacterial pathogenesis, host-pathogen interactions, Lyme disease, relapsing fever, spirochetes. Visit lab page.

Holly Brown-Borg, Ph.D.: Contributions of the endocrine system and metabolism to mechanisms of biological aging, and age-related diseases. Visit lab page.

Tim Casselli, Ph.D.: Host-pathogen interactions during Lyme borreliosis; Neuroborreliosis; Meningeal immunity.

Xuesong Chen, Ph.D.: Endolysosome dysfunction contributions to neurological disorders including HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders, Alzheimer’s diseases, and COVID19-associated neurological problems. Visit lab page.

Archana Dhasarathy, Ph.D.: Chromatin, Epigenetics, Molecular biology, Breast cancer, Genomics. Visit lab page.

Susan Eliazer, Ph.D.: Skeletal muscle stem cells, Tissue regeneration, Aging, Cytoskeleton, Chromatin and epigenetics.

James Foster, Ph.D.: Regulation of the dopamine transporter via the post translational modifications, palmitoylation and phosphorylation and their role in health and disease.

Jonathan Geiger, Ph.D.: Neuroscience, Neuropharmacology, Neurochemistry, Neurodegenerative diseases, Purines.

Mikhail Golovko, Ph.D.: Stroke research, Brain ischemia, Hypoxia, Angiogenesis, Neurochemistry, Lipid and purine metabolism, Mass spectrometry.

Bryon Grove, Ph.D.: Vascular biology, Angiogenesis, Cellular signaling, A-kinase anchoring proteins, Microscopic imaging.

Amanda Haage, Ph.D.: A&P Coordinator, Diversity & equity in STEM, Cell migration & adhesion, Cancer metastasis.

Peter Halcrow, Ph.D.: Neurochemistry, Neuroscience, Neuropharmacology, and Neurodegenerative diseases.

L. Keith Henry, Ph.D.: Molecular, pharmacological, epigenetic, and computational analysis of the serotonin and dopamine transporters and their role in human disease.

Junguk Hur, Ph.D.: Bioinformatics, Systems pharmacology, Epigenomics, Diabetic peripheral neuropathy, literature mining.

Saobo Lei, Ph.D.: Neurotransmitters, Neuropeptides, Synaptic transmission and plasticity, Ion channels, Learning and memory, Epilepsy, Anxiety, Schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease, Autism, Hippocampus, Entorhinal Cortex, Interneuron, Patch-clamp, Electrophysiology.

Masfique Mehedi, Ph.D.: Respiratory syncytial virus, Ebola virus, host-pathogen interactions, Cytoskeletal dynamics, Virus cell-to-cell spread, Ebola virus RNA editing, Antiviral therapeutics. Visit lab page.

Barry Milavetz, Ph.D.: Epigenetic regulation during viral infections. Visit lab page.

Santhosh Mukundan, Ph.D.: Bacterial pathogenesis.

Eric Murphy, Ph.D.: Lipids biochemistry, Fatty acid binding proteins, N-3 fatty acids, Brain lipid metabolism, Higher education, Faculty governance.

Kumi Nagamoto-Combs, Ph.D.: Effect of peripheral inflammation on brain function and behavior, Neuroinflammation via gut-immune-brain communications, Allergy and behavioral disorders. Visit lab page.

Sergei Nechaev, Ph.D.: Gene regulation, Epigenetics, Transcription, Genomics.

Matthew Nilles, Ph.D.: Microbiology, Bacterial pathogenesis, Roles of type Ill secretion systems in pathogenesis.

Suba Nookala, Ph.D.: HLA-Class II mediated immune responses to infections.

James Porter, Ph.D.: Pharmacology, Sympathetic nervous system, Innate immunity, G-protein coupled, Peptide and toll-like receptors, Receptor cross-talk, signal transduction, Molecular mechanisms of pharmacological action, Arrestins, G-protein coupled receptor kinases, Gq-G11 GTP-binding proteins, MAP kinase signaling.

Benjamin Roche, Ph.D.: Cellular quiescence, dormancy, G0 and non-dividing states; Epigenetics, Genomics, Epitranscriptomics; Fission yeast biology, yeast and fungal genetics. Visit lab page.

Thad Rosenberger, Ph.D.: Alzheimers disease, Multiple sclerosis, Spinal cord injury, Neurodegeneration, Neuroinflammation, Lipid metabolism, Brain energy metabolism, Lipid-mediated signal transduction, Acyl-CoA, Arachidonic acid, Eicosanoids, Ether phospholipid,Plasmalogen, Phospholipases, Analytical lipid techniques.

John Shabb, Ph.D.: Proteomics, Bio-markers, Discipline-based education research.

Shahram Solaymani-Mohammadi, Ph.D.: Immunology, Mucosal immunology, Gut immunology, Mucosal inflammation microbiome, Infectious diseases, Parasitology host-pathogen interaction, Vaccine development.

Motoki Takaku, Ph.D.: Epigenetics and chromatin regulation in cancer, Breast cancer reprogramming, Biochemistry, Cell biology, Genomics, Genome editing, cell free DNA. Visit lab page.

Chernet Tessema, M.D., Ph.D.: Human anatomical variation: a cadaver dissection-based study of human structure.

Alexei Tulin, Ph.D.: Epigenetics in normal development and pathogenesis, Chromatin regulation, Role of poly (ADP-ribose) metabolism in transcription regulation and oncogenesis, PARP-1 inhibitors in oncology, Drosophila and mammalian model organisms. Visit lab page.

Roxanne Vaughan, Ph.D.: Dopamine transporter structure and function, Molecular mechanisms of cocaine and amphetamine, Protein post-translational modifications, Dopaminergic disorders. Visit lab page.

John Watt, Ph.D.: Neural regeneration, Neuron-glia interactions, Neuroinflammation, CNS response to injury. Visit lab page.

Melanie Nadeau, M.P.H. Ph.D.: Working with her tribe to develop and administer a community informed survey that will assess youth protective factors and risk factors that lead to cancer over the lifespan.

Shwanda Schroeder, Ph.D. M.A.: Promotion of health equity in North Dakota, and the United States, including the application of mixed methods, qualitative methods, and evaluative thinking to better understand or address health equity with specific focus centered around oral health and behavioral health.

Brynn Luger, Ph.D., M.A., L.P.C.C., N.C.C.: Substance abuse, use of opioids and methamphetamine for American Indian (AI) individuals and communities, particularly in the Great Plains.

Julie Smith-Yliniemi, Ph.D., L.P.C.C., N.C.C.: Lived experiences of professionals who engage in culture immersion opportunities within Indigenous communities.

Kalisi Uluave: Understanding Tobacco use as it pertains to commercial and Ceremonial Tobacco uses in Indian Country.

Grace Karikari, Ph.D., M.P.H, CHES: Medical and nursing students' beliefs and geriatric-focused educational preparation, structural and environmental determinants of health and wellness and resilience.

Dubert Guerrero, M.D.: Infectious disease. 

Peter C Kurniali, M.D.: Hematology and Medical Oncology.

Tze Shien Lo, M.D.: Infectious disease. 

Matthew Tinguely, M.D.: Hematology and Oncology.

Anu Gaba, M.D.: Hematology and Medical oncology.

Laura Nichols, M.D.: Internal medicine.

Bhargav Mistry, M.D.: Chronic kidney disease, surgical wounds (healing, infection), surgical conditions like herniae, pancreatic disorders.

Michael Bouton, M.D.: Breast surgery.

Robert Sticca, M.D.: Surgical oncology. 

Timothy Pansegrau, M.D.: Cardiothoracic and Vascular surgery.

Carrie Brower-Breitwieser, Ph.D.: Pediatric psychology. 

Corey Smith, Ph.D.: Informatics strategies that lead to increased public health capacity to address disparities in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and recovery from the mental disorders in rural, underserved populations. 

Sandeep Singhal: Application of AI in multi-omics research for advancing our understanding of complex biological systems, discovering disease mechanisms, and developing personalized therapeutic interventions.

Seema Somji, Ph.D.: Role of heavy metals such as cadmium and arsenic in the development of cancers particularly bladder cancer.

Aaron Mehus, Ph.D.: Molecular biology combined with omics to better understand the mechanism regulating squamous differentiation and chemoresistance in muscle invasive bladder cancer while also exploring potential therapeutic interventions.

Emilie DeKrey: Crosstalk of immune cells and intestinal epithelial cells during wound healing, working with a developmental drug that activates focal adhesion kinase which increases immune cell chemotaxis and intestinal epithelial sheet migration, therefore leading to an increase in ulcer wound healing.  

Van Doze, Ph.D.: Role of the noradrenergic system in regulating neural function and neurogenesis with the intent to modulate this system to promote regeneration and neuroprotection, and adrenergic based therapeutic strategy used to effectively counteract the decline in cognitive function and mood associated with aging and many other neurodegenerative disorders such Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy.

Chris Jurgens: Neural circuits and degenerative diseases, with a focus on understanding how neuromodulation by norepinephrine impacts conditions such as epilepsy, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and Alzheimer's disease.

Sarmad Al-Marsoummi: Broad spectrum of critical topics within clinical and translational sciences, including the implications of environmental factors such as arsenic and cadmium on human diseases, specifically in the development of urothelial bladder and kidney cancers.

Scott Garrett, Ph.D.: Renal toxicology, nephron regeneration post injury, renal progenitor cells, proximal tubule functioning, heavy metal toxicology, environmental contamination, and environmental health.

Don Sens, Ph.D.: Environmental factors of human disease.

Cindy Flom-Meland, P.T., M.P.T., Ph.D.: Neuro-rehabilitation, clinical education, and professional behavior.

Mohamed Elhamadany, P,T., Ph.D., M.S., D.P.T.: Variations in movement system development, with the goal of better understanding how environmental and demographic factors contribute to children’s motor development and how this affects rehabilitation, and competency-based education.  

Richard Morgan, P.T., D.P.T.: Exploring interrater reliability between raters, palm cooling, intracellular and extracellular water changes, throwing velocity, blood flow restriction.

David Relling, P.T., Ph.D.: Biomechanics of movement and physical therapy workforce.

Gary Schindler, P.T., D.P.T., Ph.D., O.C.S., S.C.S., A.T.C.: BFR and cross sectional area of the infraspinatus muscle, investigating how cooling our palms may improve endurance, peak quad force, and power via a vertical jump test, principle component analysis using the Vicon motion software during overhead throwing.

Jeanie McHugo, Ph.D. PA-C: Impact of self-selected activity choice on physician assistant student pathophysiology course performance, PA student stress.

Julie Solberg, MSPAS, PA-C: PA student stress.

Michelle Murphy, Ph.D.: Impact of self-selected activity choice on physician assistant student pathophysiology course performance, PA student stree.

Mark Williamson: Statistical support, radon, diseases with poorly known etiology, and the effects of microbiome composition/genomics on human health. 

Cristina Oancea: Determinants of depressive vulnerability within cohorts of adult cancer survivors and the broader adult demographic, with a particular focus on delineating the interplay of familial dynamics, community structures, and cultural.

Marilyn Klug: Research methodologist, data miner, and biostatistician. Pediatrics, radon, geriatrics, blood pressure variability, and occupational therapy. 

Richard Van Eck, M.A., Ph.D.: Evidence-based teaching, innovative teaching methods, games and learning, artificial intelligence, and telehealth.

Andrew Williams: Pregnancies study, investigating associations between Adverse Childhood Experiences, historic trauma, stress, and infant growth among American Indian women in North Dakota.

Mentor Ahmeti, M.D.: Surgical critical care.