Faculty

List MCB faculty alphabetically by last name
List MCB faculty by departmental/campus affiliation


Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, UMass Amherst

Maura C. Cannon
Plant Development, Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Inclusion-Bodies, Gas Vesicles

Daniel L. Chase
Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Neurotransmitter Signaling

Alice Y. Cheung
Molecular and Biochemical Studies on Sexual Plant Reproduction

Peter Chien
Regulated Protein Degradation in Bacterial Cell-Cycle Progression

Anne Gershenson
Protein Folding and Function, Single Molecule Fluorescence Microscopy

Scott C. Garman
Structural Biology of Glycoproteins in Human Disease 

Lila M. Gierasch
Biophysical Approaches to Protein Folding and Localization

David J. Gross
Cell Surface Receptor Signaling

Daniel N. Hebert
Protein Folding, Quality Control and Degradation of Membrane Glycoproteins

Alejandro P. Heuck
Bacterial Pathogenesis.

Li-Jun Ma
Comparative Fungal Genomics

Jennifer Normanly
Auxin Biosynthesis and Signal Transduction in Arabidopsis thaliana

Danny J. Schnell
Mechanisms of Protein Import into the Plant Chloroplast, Protein Targeting, Organelle Biogenesis

Elizabeth Vierling
Structure and Function of Molecular Chaperones and the Mechanism of Plant Response to Environmental Stress

Dong Wang
Mechanisms of Intracellular Symbiosis between Eukaryotic Legume Hosts and Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria

Hen-Ming Wu
Molecular Biology of Plant Development

Robert A. Zimmermann
Structure and Function of Ribosomes in Protein Synthesis


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Biology Department, UMass Amherst

R. Craig Albertson
Evolutionary Developmental Biology

Tobias I. Baskin
Regulation of Plant Morphogenesis during Growth and Development

Magdalena Bezanilla
Tip Growth, Actin Cytoskeleton and Plant Cell Biology

Eric L. Bittman
Circadian Rhythms, Reproduction, and Seasonal Changes in Brain Function

Jeffrey L. Blanchard
Microbial Cellular and Community Networks, Systems Biology, Bioinformatics

Ana L. Caicedo
Plant Molecular Evolution and Evolutionary Genomics

Elizabeth A. Connor
Developmental Neurobiology: Synapse Development and Regeneration

Gerald B. Downes
Development and Function of Spinal Cord Networks

Samuel P. Hazen
Regulatory networks and natural variation in plant cell wall biosynthesi

Abbie M. Jensen
Molecular Mechanisms of Vertebrate Retinal Development and Retinal Disease

Rolf O. Karlstrom
Developmental Neurobiology: Axon Guidance, Forebrain Patterning, and Pituitary Development

Wei-Lih Lee
Microtubule Dynamics, Mechanisms of Dynein-Mediated Nuclear Migration and Spindle Positioning

Geng-Lin Li
Synaptic Transmission in Sensory Systems

Thomas J. Maresca
Ensuring Genomic Integrity through Cell Division

Randall W. Phillis
Molecular Genetics of Neural Development in Drosophila

Margaret A. Riley
Microbial Molecular Evolution and Ecology

Alan L. Schneyer
Regulation of Glucose Homeostasis and Insulin Sensitivity

Lawrence M. Schwartz
Molecular Mechanisms Controlling Programmed Cell Death

Patricia Wadsworth
Cytoskeletal Dynamics in Living Cells

Elsbeth L. Walker
Plant Genetics and Epigenetics

Christopher L.F. Woodcock
Structure-Function Relationships in the Nucleus

R. Thomas Zoeller
Neuroendocrine Regulation of Thyroid: Mechanisms of Thyroid Hormone Action on Brain Development

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Chemical Engineering Department, UMass Amherst

Neil S. Forbes
Engineering Tumor-Targeted Therapies

Shelly Peyton
Biomaterial Platforms to Investigate and Apply Fundamental Principles of Cell Migration

Susan C. Roberts
Cellular and Metabolic Engineering

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Chemistry Department, UMass Amherst

James J. Chambers
Native Proteins Using Covalent Tagging, Observation, and Perturbation

Min Chen
Application of Proteins in Biotechnology; Functional Mechanism of Membrane Protein Pores, Channels and Transporters

Jeanne A. Hardy
Design of Allosteric Pathways in Caspases and Phosphatases

Matthew A. Holden
Membrane Transport, Membrane Networks

Igor A. Kaltashov
Architecture and Dynamics of Transport Proteins

Michael J. Maroney
Metallobiochemistry

Craig T. Martin
Transcription, Protein-DNA Interactions

Vincent M. Rotello
Synthetic Models of Biomolecular Activity

Nate Schnarr
Polyketide Synthase Engingeering

Sankaran "Thai" Thayumanavan
Biomimetic Organic Molecules and Polymers

Lynmarie K. Thompson
Structure and Mechanism of Membrane Proteins

Richard Vachet
Bioanalytical Chemistry

Robert M. Weis
Transmembrane Signaling, Physical Chemistry of Cell Membranes and Protein-Protein Interactions


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Food Science Department, UMass Amherst

Hang Xiao
Identification of Potential Cancer Preventive Dietary Components

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Kinesiology, UMass Amherst

Edward P. Debold
Muscle Myosin in Cardiovascular Disease and Muscular Fatigue

Sarah Witkowski
Molecular Mechanisms Contributing to Deleterious changes in Myocardial and Vascular Tissue

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Microbiology Department, UMass Amherst

John P. Burand
Molecular Biology of Insect Viruses, Insect Pathology

Kristen DeAngelis
Molecular Microbial Ecology

Kevin L. Griffith
Regulation of Biological Networks by Cell-Cell Signaling

Michele M. Klingbeil
Parasitology, Replication and Repair of Mitochondrial DNA

John M. Lopes
Regulation of Gene Expression in Yeast

Yasu S. Morita
Cell Wall Biogenesis in Mycobacteria

Steven J. Sandler
Molecular Mechanisms of DNA Replication and Homologous Recombination


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Nutrition Department, UMass Amherst

Young-Cheul Kim
Impact of Nutrients and Dietary Bioactive Components on Chronic Diseases

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Physics Department, UMass Amherst

V. Adrian Parsegian
Biological Physics

Jennifer L. Ross
Biological Physics of Microtubules

Maria Kilfoil
Cell Mechanics and Cell Biophysics

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Polymer Science and Engineering Department, UMass Amherst

Murugappan Muthukumar
Statistical Mechanics of Polymers

Maria M. Santore
Interfacial Polymer Physics, Dynamics and Colloidal Phenomena

Gregory N. Tew
Supramolecular Polymer Science

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Psychology Department, UMass Amherst

Luke Remage-Healey
Forebrain Circuit Physiology and Neuroendocrinology

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Stockbridge School of Agriculture, UMass Amherst

Om Parkash
Plant Molecular Genetics

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Veterinary and Animal Sciences Department, UMass Amherst

Dominique R. Alfandari
Adam Metalloprotease Function during Embryonic Development

Juan Anguita
Proinflammatory Signals in Response to Infection

Kathleen F. Arcaro
Environmental Toxicology

Cynthia L. Baldwin
Cellular Immunity: Intracellular Microbes and Gamma Delta T Cells

Samuel J. Black
Molecular Basis of Innate Immunity against Parasitic Protozoa

John M. Clark
Molecular Action of Pesticides and Cellular Basis for Resistance

Helene Cousin
Cranial Neural Crest Migration during Embryonic Development

Rafael A. Fissore
Ca²⁺ Release Mechanisms in Mammalian Oocytes during Maturation and Fertilization

D. Joseph Jerry
Tumor Suppressor Genes and the Cellular Basis for Susceptibility to Breast Cancer

Susan B. Leschine
Anaerobic Decomposition of Insoluble Natural Polymers, Fuels From Biomass

Jesse Mager
Developmental Biology: Cell-Cell Signaling

Lisa M. Minter
Notch signaling in autoimmune diseases

Barbara A. Osborne
Immunoglobulin Gene Diversification: Induction of Apoptosis in Lymphocytes

Sandra L. Petersen
Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Underlying the Neural Control of Ovulation

Janice C. Telfer
Role of Runx Family Transcription Factors in Immune System Development

Kimberly D. Tremblay
Stem Cells and Developmental Biology

Pablo E. Visconti
Signal Transduction Pathways during Sperm Capacitation


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Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute, Springfield, MA

Richard B. Arenas
Breast, Melanoma, and Gastrointestinal Cancer

Sabyasachi Sen
Stem Cell Growth and Development; Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes

Rong Shao
Molecular Mechanisms in Breast Cancer Development

J. Enrique Silva
Thyroid Hormone Physiology, Thermogenesis, Temperature Homeostasis

Sallie Smith Schneider
Signaling during Mammary Gland Development and Carcinogenesis

Nagendra Yadava
Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Dysfunction; Cell Death

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Amherst College, Amherst, MA

Dominic L. Poccia
Activation of Sperm Nuclei at Fertilization

Smith College, Northampton, MA

Michael J. Barresi
How Glial Cells Help Wire the Nervous System

Stylianos P. Scordilis
Biochemistry and Cell Biology of Contractile Proteins

Steven A. Williams
Molecular Biology of Human Parasitic Diseases/Genome Projects

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Associate or Emeritus Faculty

Sarah J. Bacon
Human Reproductive Physiology

David Bickar
Systems for Electron Transport and Oxygen Utilization

Anthony C. Bishop
Bioorganic Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Frank C. Cannon
Genetic Regulators of Virulence Factors in Burkholderia cepacia

Rachel D. Fink
Cell Rearrangements during Early Embryogenesis

Molly Fitzgerald-Hayes
Chromosome Segregation and Centromere Function; Cell Cycle Control and Checkpoint Signaling

Maurille J. Fournier (Emeritus)
Molecular Biology of Small Nucleolar RNAs

Richard A. Goldsby (Emeritus)
Somatic Hypermutation of Immunoglobulin Genes

Adam C. Hall
Anesthetic Action in the Mammalian Nervous System

Peter K. Hepler
Role of Calcium and the Cytoskeleton in Cell Division and Development

James Holden
Physiology and ecology of hyperthermophilic archaea; Geomicrobiology of geothermal environments

Joseph G. Kunkel (Emeritus)
Pattern Formation and Development

Lynne McLandsborough
Involvement of Bacterial Surface Molecules in Attachment to Food and Food Processing Surfaces

Jerrold Meyer (Emeritus)
Neurotransmitter Development and its Modulation by Psychoactive Drugs

Randall W. Phillis
Molecular Genetics of Neural Development in Drosophila

Omar A. Quintero
Actin-Based Motors and Cytoskeleton

David I. Ratner
Regulation of Gene Expression in Dictyostelium

Nate Schnarr
Polyketide Synthase Engingeering

Dennis G. Searcy
Cellular Evolution and Physiology

J. Enrique Silva
Thyroid Hormone Physiology, Thermogenesis, Temperature Homeostasis

Elizabeth S. Stuart (Emeritus)
Anti-Idiotypic Stimulation of Protective Immunity at Mucosal Surfaces

Christine A. White-Ziegler
Environmental Regulation of Gene Expression in Escherichia coli

Patrick L. Williamson
Lipid Asymmetry in the Plasma Membrane

Craig T. Woodard
Steroid Hormonal Regulation of Development in Drosophila

Christopher L.F. Woodcock (Emeritus)
Structure-Function Relationships in the Nucleus

Nagendra Yadava
Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Dysfunction; Cell Death