The Saint Louis University Institute for Translational Neuroscience brings together researchers and clinicians throughout SLU who share a common interest in the neurosciences.
Members
Syed Omar Ahmad
Occupational Therapy
Doisy College of Health Sciences
syed.ahmad@health.slu.edu
Syed Omar Ahmad, Ph.D., is a currently practicing and licensed occupational therapist and neuroscientist (Bachelor of Science in OT, Washington University 1995, License #2016005750 Missouri; Doctor of Occupational Therapy Creighton 2000; Ph.D. Neuroanatomy with an emphasis on neuropharmacology, Warnborough 2002). He is a tenured full professor in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at Saint Louis University that has worked on pharmacotherapeutic and physiological interventions, and evaluates their effectiveness based upon neurophysiological brain changes a stereologer that has been practicing in the field of morphometry since 1998. He currently researches models linked to oxidative stress, such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, cerebrovascular accident, developmental disabilities, alcoholism, and psychological stress. He has authored and co-authored more than 80 peer reviewed scientific papers and abstracts and has received numerous private and federal grants. He has been employed in academia as an associate professor, associate dean for research and graduate studies, and is the principle investigator in the Virginia Gore Neuro-Occupation Laboratory, LLC.
Michael Ariel
Pharmacology and Physiology
School of Medicine
michael.ariel@health.slu.edu
Michael Ariel, Ph.D., investigates how the brain normally processes sensory inputs. A microelectrode tip is positioned within an animal’s brain stem that is maintained in vitro while still connected to the eyes and temporal bones. The neuronal activity amplified at that tip is recorded in response to either visual stimulation of the eye, vibration of the ear drum or rotation of the head. One goal of this research is to understand how these sensory inputs control eye movements that lead to the perception of a stable visual world as we move our head or body through our environment. The experiments are performed on neural tissues from pond turtles because of the unique ability of those isolated brain tissues to remain responsive to natural sensory stimuli while lacking blood flow to provide oxygen. Another goal of Ariel’s research is to determine if these sensory signals can activate the brain stem even during a total lack of oxygen (anoxia). In the normal environment of these turtles in North America, they remain submerged each winter under the frozen surface of freshwater ponds. Ariel’s experiments hope to reveal which of the sensory systems still function during these winter months in the icy winter waters. Understanding the mechanism of brain survival during anoxia may be important for the treatment of stroke in which oxygenated blood flow is blocked in the human brain.
Chris Arnatt
Chemistry
Secondary Appointment - Pharmacology and Physiology
chris.arnatt@slu.edu
Chris Arnatt, Ph.D. has an interest in research that revolves around using organic chemistry to decipher cellular processes and disease states. He has illustrated that by using bioorganic techniques, modern synthetic organic chemistry can be applied to make small molecules that are targeted toward any specific process or protein, which can significantly impact their study. Specifically, he is developing novel small molecule chemical probes and fluorescent probes to help study biological systems. His research for the next five years will focus on nuclear proteins and DNA modifications as they pertain to cancer and stem cell biology.
Yuna Ayala
Biochemistry
School of Medicine
yuna.ayala@health.slu.edu
Yuna Ayala, Ph.D. is Associate Professor and Vice Chair of the Edward Doisy Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The Ayala group seeks to understand how defects in RNA binding proteins and RNA processing lead to human disease. In particular, we aim to characterize the role of RNA-associated proteins in neurodegeneration by focusing on TDP-43. The dysfunction and aggregation of this RNA binding protein characterizes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). TDP-43 pathology is also present in >50% of Alzheimer’s disease cases and in other neurodegenerative disorders. The methods we use to investigate TDP-43 function and aggregation include cellular models, structural and biochemical characterization of the recombinant protein, analysis of patient samples and animal models of TDP-43 proteinopathies.
Alaina Baker-Nigh
Biology, Program in Neuroscience
College of Arts and Science
alaina.bakernigh@slu.edu
Alaina Baker-Nigh is a neuroscientist with a research background in neurodegenerative disease, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Her work in the area has included quantitation of Apolipoprotein E isoforms in human subjects by Mass Spectrometry (in the context of AD and normal aging), exploring the role of calbindin and calcium buffering in the selective vulnerability of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons in AD, and studies of amyloid isoform production using a chicken embryo model. Dr. Baker-Nigh is a teaching faculty member in the Biology Department and undergraduate Program in Neuroscience. She does not maintain a laboratory research program at this time, but is available to advise students on how to find a lab to work in.
Marla Berg-Weger
Professor Emeritus of Social Work; Social Work
College for Public Health and Social Justice
marla.bergweger@slu.edu
Research Interests: non-pharmacologic interventions for older adults, particularly
those with cognitive impairment; loneliness and social isolation among older adults;
family caregiving; geriatric workforce. Berg-Weger is co-project director of the Geriatric
Workforce Enhancement Program with John Morley of Saint Louis University's School
of Medicine Geriatrics Division. It is a three-year project to provide geriatric education
to students and community practitioners.
Jeffrey Bishop
Center for Health Care Ethics
jeffrey.bishop@slu.edu
Bioethics, philosophy of medicine; history of philosophy; medicine and spirituality.
Bryanna Bruger, M.S., Psy.D.
Instructor of Neurology – Saint Louis University
Clinical Neuropsychologist – Department of Neurology, Division of Neuropsychology
SLUCare Physician Group
bryanna.bruger@slucare.ssmhealth.com
Dr. Bruger’s clinical and research interests include neurodegenerative diseases, traumatic brain injuries, and neuropsychological assessment and clinical management of patients with other neurologic disorders (e.g., epilepsy), functional disorders (e.g., non-epileptic seizures) and other psychiatric manifestations (e.g., trauma).
Tony Buchanan
Psychology
College of Arts and Sciences
tony.buchanan@slu.edu
Dr. Tony W. Buchanan investigates how psychological stress affects memory, language, and decision making. His team uses neuroendocrine (cortisol) and autonomic nervous system (heart rate variability, skin conductance) methodology to examine how stress affects cognition.
Andrew Butler
Pharmacology and Physiology
School of Medicine
andrew.butler@health.slu.edu
Research Interests: My research interests are in the general area of the integrative physiology of obesity and diabetes. I have published original research articles on the role of melanocortin receptors expressed in the nervous system. The "central nervous melanocortin system" is the canonical neural circuit that integrates signals of energy balance secreted from adipose tissues, the GI tract and pancreas to govern appetite and metabolism. My research has contributed to our knowledge of two melanocortin receptors expressed in the nervous system, one of which (MC4R) is a target for developing drugs against obesity., My current research focuses on a novel "micropeptide" involved in the control of liver metabolism and healthy aging of the nervous system. Proteogenomics has identified over a thousand small open reading frames (sORF) encoding proteins less than 100 amino acids in size. We identified a micropeptide named adropin. Our research focuses on the role of the micropeptide in regulating glucose and fatty acid metabolism in the liver and skeletal muscle. We are also investigating whether this micropeptide is a potential lead for developing treatments for cognitive impairment associated with aging and metabolic disease.
Anutosh Chakraborty
Pharmacology and Physiology
School of Medicine
anutosh.chakraborty@health.slu.edu
Research Interests: The prevalence of obesity has increased globally and in the US. Obesity and type-2 diabetes also greatly increase the risk of various other diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/steatohepatitis (NAFLD/NASH), osteoporosis, atherosclerosis, neurodegeneration, and cancer. Pathways that reduce body fat and insulin resistance are being targeted to treat these diseases. The long-term goal of my lab is to define the mechanisms of these processes for rational drug development. A related goal is to identify and validate novel targets in these diseases. We discovered the inositol pyrophosphate biosynthetic enzyme IP6K1 as a novel target in obesity and type-2 diabetes. Thus, pharmacologic inhibition of IP6K1 should improve human health by boosting metabolism. The ongoing research is to determine cell- and tissue-specific mechanisms by which IP6K1 causes metabolic diseases and to develop IP6K1 inhibitors to treat these diseases. Moreover, we identified several other novel proteins that regulate obesity and insulin resistance, which are currently being characterized in detail.
Liz Chiarello
Sociology and Anthropology
liz.chiarello@slu.edu
Chiarello's research examines stability and change in professional fields by bridging rarely integrated subfields—sociological theories of organizations and medicine and socio-legal theories of criminality and frontline work. Primarily using qualitative, ethnographic methods, she concentrates on pharmacy, a highly understudied profession caught in the crossfires of contemporary political conflict. She focuses on two particularly controversial types of drugs: emergency contraceptive pills and narcotics. Though these drugs serve very different physical functions, they are subject to overlapping social contexts and similar mechanisms of resistance by political groups.
Yi-Fang Chiu
Communication Science and Disorders
yifang.chiu@health.slu.edu
Dr. Yi-Fang Chiu’s background is in speech-language pathology and specializes in motor speech disorders, speech science, and neuroscience. Her research focuses on speech impairments due to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease and seeks to identify early decline in speech production to advocate timely intervention and prolong verbal communication abilities in individuals with neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Chiu's lab uses acoustic methods and auditory perceptual procedures to assess speech deficits and investigate factors that enhance successful communication.
Patrick Corrigan
Physical Therapy and Athletic Training
patrick.corrigan@health.slu.edu
Dr. Corrigan is a licensed physical therapist with Ph.D. and postdoctoral training in clinical biomechanics. His research program aims to improve outcomes for individuals with orthopedic injuries by: 1) developing novel treatment strategies and 2) identifying biomechanical, structural, and neurophysiological mechanisms that explain pain and other outcomes. To answer research questions, Dr. Corrigan’s research team uses principles and technologies from various fields, including physical therapy, biomechanics, orthopedics, radiology, neuroscience, and epidemiology. Dr Corrigan’s current projects are focused on understanding the progression from unilateral to bilateral disease in persons with knee osteoarthritis. Although early in his career, Dr. Corrigan has secured funding from NIH as well as several foundations, published numerous manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, and presented at his work at national and international conferences.
Gucan "Gabriel" Dai
Assistant Professor
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
gucan.dai@health.slu.edu
Dr. Dai’s research interests include ion channels, neuronal and cardiac excitability, as well as lipid signaling. The Dai lab uses cutting-edge fluorescence techniques, including fluorescence lifetime imaging and FRET, combined with patch-clamp electrophysiology to understand cellular and structural mechanisms underlying major diseases like epilepsy, neuropathic pain, and irregular heartbeat.
Daniel Daly
Center for Anatomical Science and Education
School of Medicine
daniel.daly@health.slu.edu
Ian de Vera
Pharmacology and Physiology
School of Medicine
ian.devera@health.slu.edu
Research Interests: Our lab focuses on drug discovery targeting orphan nuclear receptors. Using a combination of high-throughput biophysical screening, LC-MS, NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography, our goal is to find new drugs for various pathological conditions, such as cancer and neurological disorders. Our lab specializes in a diverse arsenal of biophysical techniques to determine the affinity, thermodynamics and kinetics of nuclear receptor-ligand interactions, which will guide the design of drug analogues. These techniques include multidimensional protein NMR, isothermal titration calorimetry, surface plasmon resonance, time-resolved FRET, fluorescence polarization, differential scanning fluorimetry and cell-based techniques. Using a metabolomics approach, we identify possible endogenous ligands that bind orphan nuclear receptors, and subsequently map their binding site and characterize the dynamics of the interaction using structural elucidation techniques, such as X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy. We also perform in silico molecular docking of ligand libraries to determine which drug-like molecular scaffolds fit into the pocket, which could corroborate the positive hits identified in the high-throughput biophysical screening.
Timothy Doyle
Pharmacology and Physiology
School of Medicine
timothy.doyle@health.slu.edu Research Interests: We study the pathophysiological and signaling mechanisms (e.g.
glutamatergic signaling, neuroinflammation and nitro-oxidative stress) common to the
development of cognitive impairment, chronic pain of various etiologies and opioid-induced
tolerance and hyperalgesia (OIH) to identify and develop potential novel therapeutic
targets for the treatment of these largely unmet medical needs. We use a number of
molecular, biochemical, proteomic and cellular methods to identify transcriptional
and signaling changes within peripheral and central nervous tissues and cell culture
models.
Terrance Egan
Emeritus Professor
Pharmacology and Physiology
School of Medicine
terrance.egan@health.slu.edu
Research Interests: We study the physiology and pharmacology of primary human microglia
and macrophages maintained in culture and tissue slices. We are particularly interested
in the ability of purines to initiate and/or modulate the innate immune response in
these cells with particular emphasis on the role of ATP and P2X7 receptor ion channels.
We use a range of techniques including voltage-clamp electrophysiology (to study transmembrane
currents), patch-clamp photometry (to quantify changes in intracellular calcium),
immunocytochemistry, and methods of molecular biology.
Susan Farr
Internal Medicine - Geriatrics
Secondary Appointment - Pharmacology and Physiology
School of Medicine
susan.farr@health.slu.edu
Dr. Susan Farr has a Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience. Her laboratory studies age-related dementia with a heavy focus on Alzheimer’s disease and risk factors for Alzheimer’s such as traumatic brain injury and diabetes. The lab's work includes testing novel compounds developed to alter biochemical changes in the brain pathways involved in learning and memory that change with aging and disease such as beta amyloid, tau, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. The lab also tests the effects of novel treatments on learning and memory followed by examination of biochemical and genetic alterations.
Liberty Francois-Moutal
Pharmacology and Physiology
School of Medicine
liberty.francoismoutal@health.slu.edu
Research Interests: Characterizing and targeting protein/protein and protein/RNA interactions relevant to synaptic RNA transport.
Yan Gai
Biomedical Engineering
yan.gai@slu.edu
Gai and her neuroengineering lab have been dedicated to the cutting-edge technology of improving life quality of paralyzed or hearing-impaired patients. Her recent projects include brain-controlled wheelchairs, next-generation smart hearing aids, and infrared cochlear implants.
Koyal Garg
Biomedical Engineering
Associate Professor
Secondary Appointment - Pharmacology and Physiology
koyal.garg@slu.edu
Lab Website
Research Interests: Our primary objective is to develop innovative strategies for the regeneration and rehabilitation of functional muscle tissue in cases of traumatic injuries, with a specific focus on volumetric muscle loss. To achieve this goal, we are pursuing a regenerative approach that involves the use of multifunctional biomaterials that enhance muscle regeneration and function. These biomaterials are composed of chemically cross-linked extracellular matrix proteins and are processed in various forms such as biosponges, hydrogels, micro-particles or nano-particles, depending on the specific application. These biomaterials not only provide mechanical support but also deliver growth factors, pharmaceuticals, stem cells and exosomes to targeted areas, suppress immune responses and act as a substrate for host cell infiltration and proliferation. Furthermore, we are exploring rehabilitative strategies, including neuromuscular electrical stimulation, to improve muscle mass and strength. Ongoing studies are exploring the combined application of regenerative and rehabilitative strategies to maximize their effectiveness.
Sean Goretzke
Neurology
sean.goretzke@health.slu.edu
Dr. Sean Goretzke treats pediatric patients for neurological conditions, specializing in cerebral palsy and concussions. He provides both inpatient and outpatient neurology care. He is interested in research that investigates concussion. Dr. Goretzke is an assistant professor of Child Neurology in the Department of Neurology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. He is a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society.
George Grossberg
Psychiatry
School of Medicine
george.Grossberg@health.slu.edu
George T. Grossberg is the Samuel W. Fordyce Professor and Director of Geriatric Psychiatry at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. He completed his medical degree at the St. Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri. His postdoctoral training included an internship at St. John's Mercy Medical Center and a residency in the St. Louis University Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Grossberg and his work have been featured in numerous national publications, including People magazine, Good Housekeeping, USA Today and the New York Times. He has appeared on talk radio and many television programs including 48 Hours, CNN, Lifetime. A Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. Dr. Grossberg holds membership in several professional societies. Additionally, he started the first geriatric psychiatry program in Missouri, as well as the first Alzheimer’s Disease Community Brain Bank. He is a former president of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry and Past President of the International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA). He has been a leader in developing mental health programs and in treatment and research in geriatrics. Among his many awards, Dr. Grossberg received the Missouri Adult Day Care Association Outstanding Physician Award for supporting programs that allow seniors to live independently or at home with their families and the Fleishman-Hilliard Award for career contributions to geriatrics. He appears regularly on listings of top doctors, including America’s Top Psychiatrists (2008–2019), America’s Top Doctors (2006–2019), Expertscape World Expert in Cholinesterase Inhibitors. (2019) Marquis Who’s Who in the World, Best Doctors in America, and Best Doctors in St. Louis since their inception. Dr. Grossberg has edited or written 15 books and published over 500+ articles, chapters, and abstracts in the peer-reviewed literature. In 2007 he published The Essential Herb-Drug-Vitamin Interaction Guide: The Safe Way to Use Medications and Supplements Together and in 2017, Psychiatric Consultation In Long-Term Care. Other recent texts include: New Horizons in Geriatric Medicine and Delirium-An International Textbook. He currently serves as medical editor of CNS Senior Care and Section Editor for Geriatric Psychiatry for Current Geriatric Reports and Current Psychiatry. He is on the editorial boards of Demencia Hoy, International Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s and the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. He is a consultant in the development of protocols for central nervous system disorders in older patients, and is involved in a variety of basic as well as clinical research projects in the area of dementing disorders, with a focus on behavioral disturbances in Alzheimer’s Disease.
Daniel Hawiger
Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
School of Medicine
daniel.hawiger@health.slu.edu
Dr. Hawiger's Faculty Profile
Research Interests: Conventional dendritic cells (cDC) have crucial roles in priming effector T cells but cDC also have critical tolerogenic functions in the peripheral immune system, extending the maintenance of immune homeostasis and blocking autoimmune responses. However, broad tolerogenic functions of cDC including induction of peripheral regulatory T cells (pTreg cells) could hamper protective immune responses against some pathogens and tumors, whereas an inadvertent activation of autoregressive T cells in the presence of pro-inflammatory stimuli could lead to autoimmunity. Therefore, the maintenance of immune homeostasis by cDC requires specific mechanisms that actively adjust T cell functions to promote tolerance while preserving an overall high plasticity of the immune responses. To clarify the mechanisms by which cDC govern the outcomes of immune activation in the context of autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and other immune responses, studies in my laboratory are focused on the roles of specialized subsets of cDC and their specific functions in tolerance and immunity as well as the relevant molecular mechanisms induced by such cDC in T cells. Our work has elucidated the functions of specific immunomodulatory pathways, cell signaling regulators and transcription factors that establish specific outcomes of the interactions between T cells and cDC.
Jafar Kafaie
Neurology
jafar.kafaie@health.slu.edu
Dr. Kafaie is an associate professor in the Department of Neurology. He treats patients with neuromuscular diseases, including motor neuron disease, muscle diseases, neuromuscular junction disorders, and different forms of peripheral neuropathies. He has appointments with both SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital and SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children Hospital and takes care of patients both in pediatric and adult clinics. He does electrodiagnostic tests (nerve conduction study and electromyography) on both sites. He is the director of HNF- Designated CMT Center of Excellence in Saint Louis University. He is side director for multiple clinical trials including a large international study on CMT1A. Dr. Kafaie is also director of the adult neurology residency program and is extensively involved in the teaching of residents. Dr. Kafaie was born and raised in Tabriz, Iran. He attended Tehran Medical University and obtained his Ph.D. in molecular biology from McGill University before doing his residency, followed by a fellowship in neuromuscular medicine at Washington University in Saint Louis, MO. His main research interests are neuromuscular junction disorders (Myasthenia Gravis), motor neuron disease, and neuropathies, including painful neuropathies.
Brenda Kirchhoff
Psychology
College of Arts and Sciences
brenda.kirchhoff@health.slu.edu
Kirchhoff’s research interests include memory formation, self-initiated learning strategies, the effects of aging on cognition and the brain, the effects of Type 1 diabetes on cognition and the brain, cognitive rehabilitation, and the application of cognitive neuroscience research to education. These research areas are investigated using structural and functional neuroimaging techniques, neuropsychological tests, and cognitive assessments developed from cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience research.
Mark Knuepfer
Pharmacology and PhysiologySchool of Medicine
mark.knuepfer@health.slu.edu
Research Interests: Autonomic neuroscience, cardiovascular regulation, renal denervation as a treatment for hypertension, stress responsiveness, responses to psychostimulants, sensory neuroscience, pain modulation.
Sergey Korolev
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
School of Medicine
sergrey.korolev@health.slu.edu
Our lab studies the mechanism of protein function at the atomic resolution level utilizing X-ray crystallography and biochemical approaches. The main focus is recombination mediator proteins (RMPs), which are essential for genome stability and DNA repair in all organisms.
Jason Longhurst
Physical Therapy and Athletic Training
Doisy College of Health Sciences
jason.longhurst@health.slu.edu
Dr. Longhurst is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training at Saint Louis University. He received his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Brigham Young University. He continued his education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he obtained his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and subsequently a Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Health Sciences with a rehabilitation science emphasis. He is a board-certified clinical specialist in neurologic physical therapy from the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. Dr. Longhurst practiced clinically for 8 years as an outpatient neurologic physical therapist, during which time he developed a clinical rehabilitation research program in neurodegenerative disease. Dr. Longhurst’s research interests include the integration of motor and cognitive control in neurodegenerative disease. He is particularly interested in cognitive and motor changes related to early Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. He is currently conducting research integrating complex motor and cognitive control to identify early markers of Parkinson’s disease, develop secondary preventive (neuro-adaptive) strategies, and explore novel interventions to improved lived experience of those with neurodegenerative disease. Dr. Longhurst’s work has been published in high-ranking journals in the fields of clinical neurology, neuroscience, and rehabilitation, and he regularly presents his work at both national and international conferences.
Katherine Luking
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychology
Katherine.luking@health.slu.edu
https://sites.google.com/view/lukinglab/home
Dr. Katherine Luking’s work focuses on understanding relationships between neurodevelopment
and the emergence of psychopathology in middle childhood and early adolescence. Using
a variety of methods (EEG, fMRI, behavior, hormones) she asks how core affective and
cognitive processes, including emotion reactivity/regulation, response to social feedback,
and reward processing, change in early puberty and mechanistically contribute to the
emergence of depression and borderline personality disorder.
Heather Macarthur
Pharmacology and PhysiologySchool of Medicine
heather.macarthur@health.slu.edu
Research Interests: Vascular control and dysfunction in hypertension and other disease states. Role of oxidative stress in disease states. Neurodegeneration. Teaching Interests: Autonomic physiology and pharmacology, vascular physiology and pharmacology, neurotransmission, neurodegeneration, neuropharmacology, general principles of physiology and pharmacology.
Ted Malmstrom
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience
Secondary Appointment – Internal Medicine
theodore.malmstrom@health.slu.edu
Theodore Malmstrom, PhD is a professor of psychiatry and director of student research for student affairs at the School of Medicine. Dr. Malmstrom’s research focuses on geriatric syndromes, including sarcopenia, frailty, falls, and cognitive dysfunction. His recent research has focused on the development and validation of screening measures for use in clinical care settings for older adults
John Martin
Surgery
Center for Anatomical Science and Education
School of Medicine
john.martin@health.slu.edu
John Martin is a professor and director of the Center for Anatomical Science and Education (CASE), Department of Surgery at SLU School of Medicine. He received a M.S. in Anatomy and Ph.D. in Anatomy from the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at SLU in 1996 and 2001, respectively. He has been a full time faculty member at SLU School of Medicine since 2001. In addition to teaching in the anatomical sciences, primarily in neuroscience and embryology courses, he has mentored many graduate students, covering a wide arrange of research topics including anatomical studies of the reptilian oculomotor and vestibular systems, development of orofacial clefts in mice, and anatomic and genetic analysis of various congenital anomalies in human cadavers. As the director of CASE, he also oversees the anatomy graduate program, the University gift body donation program, the operations of the surgical skills lab Practical Anatomy and Surgical Education (PASE) and the financial operations of SLU School of Medicine Continuing Medical Education (CME) office. He has received awards for his teaching efforts and serves on numerous university committees. He is a member of the American Association of Anatomists, the American Association of Clinical Anatomists and Association of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Neurobiology Chairpersons and is an executive member of the Missouri State Anatomical Board and Saint Louis Anatomical Board.
Yuri Martins
Anesthesiology
yuri.chavesmartins@health.slu.edu
Dr. Yuri Martins has an interest in outcomes research in acute perioperative pain
and chronic pain. He started his career by studying innate immunity in murine models
of cerebral malaria but transitioned to study pain after his anesthesiology residency
and pain fellowship. The goal of his research is to discover new treatments and procedures
to better treat pain. More specifically, He wants to improve acute and chronic pain
experience and outcomes for patients by supporting comprehensive multimodal and opioid-sparing
approaches.
Philippe Mercier
Neurosurgery
Surgery
philippe.mercier@health.slu.edu
Dr. Philippe Mercier is currently the interim director of the Division of Neurosurgery at Saint Louis University and a practicing neurosurgeon. He completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Toronto followed by a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology at the University of Saskatchewan with a thesis entitled “Regulation of Heat Shock Transcription Factor 1.” Following that, he completed M.D. at the University of Saskatchewan. In 2014, he completed his residency in neurosurgery at the University of Calgary achieving Board Certification with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. It was then he moved to the United States completing a one-year fellowship in pediatric neurosurgery with an emphasis on pediatric tumors and epilepsy at the University of Tennessee associated with St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. His interests include pediatric and adult brain tumor biology and the brain’s immune response to tumors of the brain.
Erick Messias
Samuel W. Fordyce Professor & Chair
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience
Secondary Appointment - Pharmacology and Physiology
erick.messias@health.slu.edu
Erick Messias was born and raised in Brazil, where he completed medical school and practiced family medicine in rural areas before moving to Baltimore for residency training. He then completed a psychiatry residency at the University of Maryland, in 2001, and preventive medicine training at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in 2003. While at Hopkins he also received a master’s in public health and a Ph.D. in Psychiatric Epidemiology. Since graduation he has held academic positions at his alma mater in Brazil, and later in Georgia and Arkansas where he was medical director of the Walker Family Clinic and responsible for the House Staff Mental Health Service at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock. Dr. Messias served as VP and Medical Director for Beacon Health Options, overseeing the mental health care received by Arkansas Medicaid recipients. Dr. Messias has over 50 publications in scientific journals, has published several book chapters, and edited a volume on schizophrenia for psychiatrists and a textbook on Positive Psychiatry, Psychology and Psychotherapy, he’s the recipient of many research and teaching awards. Dr. Messias also served as the Associate Dean for Faculty Affair for the UAMS College of Medicine and Program Director for the Baptist-UAMS psychiatry residency program, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Dr. Messias is currently the Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.
Aubin Moutal
Pharmacology and Physiology
School of Medicine
aubin.moutal@health.slu.edu
Research Interests: My lab focuses on studying rare autoimmune clinical conditions to discover novel proteins involved in the transition to chronic pain. To achieve this goal we use a variety of in vitro and in vivo approaches from biochemistry and CRISPR to electrophysiology and pain behavior. My goal is to better understand the synaptic dysregulations underlying the increased spinal neurotransmission in chronic pain conditions.
Razi Muzaffar
Radiology
razi.muzaffar@health.slu.edu
Dr. Razi Muzaffar specializes in nuclear medicine, a branch of medical imaging that uses small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose or treat diseases. His areas of clinical interest include nuclear cardiology, radionuclide therapy, and PET/CT imaging. He is interested in research into the various radionuclides and imaging techniques for PET/CT, as well as therapy. Dr. Muzaffar is an associate professor in the Department of Radiology, Division of Nuclear Medicine, at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. He serves as a councilor for the Missouri Valley chapter of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.
Henry Nasrallah
Professor Emeritus, Saint Louis University
Vice Chair for Faculty Development and Mentorship
Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology and Neuroscience
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
henry.nasrallah@uc.edu
Dr. Henry Nasrallah is a widely recognized neuropsychiatrist, educator and researcher. Following his psychiatric residency at the University of Rochester, and neuroscience fellowship at the NIH, he served for 12 years as chair of psychiatry at The Ohio State University and six years at Saint Louis University, as well as associate dean at the University of Cincinnati for four years. He is currently vice chair for faculty development and mentorship, professor of psychiatry, neurology and neuroscience, medical director of the neuropsychiatry program and director of the schizophrenia program in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Dr. Nasrallah’s research focuses on the neurobiology and psychopharmacology of schizophrenia and psychotic mood disorders. He has published 425 scientific articles, 550 abstracts, 150 editorials, and 12 books. He is editor-in-chief of three journals (Schizophrenia Research, Current Psychiatry, and Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatry) and is the co-founder of the Schizophrenia International Research Society (SIRS). He is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and served as president of the Ohio Psychiatric Physicians Foundation, president of the American Academy of Clinical Psychiatrists, president of the Missouri Psychiatric Association and the executive vice president and scientific director of the CURESZ Foundation.. He has twice received the NAMI Exemplary Psychiatrist Award and was chosen as the U.S.A. Teacher of the Year by the Psychiatric Times. He has received the Golden Apple Teaching Award at four different universities. He has received over 95 research grants and is listed annually in the book “Best Doctors in America.”
Juliana Navia Pelaez
Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmacology and Physiology
juliana.navia@health.slu.edu
https://www.navialab.info/
Navia Lab's research seeks to understand how lipid metabolism affects pain states and chronic pain susceptibility. The lab investigates immuno-metabolic changes and transcriptional regulation underlying chronic pain development. We explore neuro-immune interactions, cellular reprogramming, and metabolic mechanisms across various cell types involved in nociceptive pathways in different animal models of chronic pain. The lab aims to uncover new mechanisms, pathways, and potential therapeutic targets for safe chronic pain treatments.
Andy Nguyen
Internal Medicine - Geriatrics
Secondary Appointment - Pharmacology and Physiology
School of Medicine
andy.d.nguyen@health.slu.edu
Nguyen's lab studies progranulin – a protein linked to frontotemporal dementia (FTD) – and how its deficiency causes neurodegeneration. It is currently testing strategies (including antisense oligonucleotides) for increasing progranulin levels as potential therapies for progranulin-deficient FTD. It is also investigating progranulin’s structure and function using a variety of molecular and cellular approaches.
Judith Ogilvie
Biology
College of Arts and Sciences
judith.ogilvie@slu.edu
The Ogilvie lab takes a multidisciplinary approach to better understand the structure, development and degeneration of the vertebrate retina. Current research is focused in two major areas: primate retinal circuitry and photoreceptor development and degeneration. Website: https://judithogilvie.wixsite.com/mysite
Geoffrey Panjeton
Anesthesiology and Critical Care
geoffrey.panjeton@health.slu.edu
Dr. Geoffrey Panjeton is a board-certified anesthesiologist and an assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. He has clinical experience in general anesthesiology, regional anesthesiology, and management of acute and chronic pain symptoms. He completed his medical education, residency training in anesthesiology, and fellowship specialization in pain medicine at the University of Florida. His interests include neuromodulation, minimally invasive spine interventions, peripheral nerve stimulation and ultrasound guided pain procedures. He incorporates a multimodal approach to treatment of neck, back and joint pain, as well as complex conditions such as spinal stenosis, neuropathic pain and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).
Fred Rottnek
Family and Community Medicine
fred.rottnek@health.slu.edu
Dr. Fred Rottnek is a Professor and the Director of Community Medicine at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and Medical Director of the Physician Assistant Program. He is a graduate of the Saint Louis University School of Medicine and the Master of Arts in Health Care Mission Program at Aquinas Institute of Theology. His clinical practices have included correctional health care, homeless health care, community clinics, and addiction medicine. He teaches in the School of Medicine, the PA Program, the Interprofessional Education Program, and the Center for Health Law Studies. Board-Certified in Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine, he is the medical director for the Assisted Recovery Centers of American (ARCA). He serves on the boards of the Saint Louis Regional Health Commission, Alive and Well Communities, and the ARCHway Institute. Dr. Rottnek is the program director of the Saint Louis University Addiction Medicine Fellowship.
Daniela Salvemini, Ph.D., FASPET
William Beaumont Professor and Chair
Department of Pharmacology and Physiology
Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience
Director, Institute for Translational Neuroscience
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Fellow, Saint Louis Academy of Science & National Academy of Inventors
daniela.salvemini@health.slu.edu
Willis (Rick) Samson
Pharmacology and PhysiologySchool of Medicine
willis.samson@health.slu.edu
Research Interests: Central Control of Metabolism, Reproduction and Cardiovascular Function., G Protein-Coupled Receptors, Pituitary Function, Ingestive Behavior
Lauren Schwarz
Psychiatry
lauren.schwarz@health.slu.edu
Lauren Schwarz, Ph.D., ABPP, is an assistant dean of student affairs at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. She is also a professor of psychiatry and neurology. She is a board certified clinical neuropsychologist. She is the director of the division of health psychology and neuropsychology program director at Saint Louis University. Dr. Schwarz earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Saint Louis University. She completed her internship training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Schwarz’s clinical interests are in the provision of neuropsychological services to adults with a diverse range of presenting concerns. In addition to clinical work, Dr. Schwarz is also involved in the education of residents, fellows, and clinical psychology graduate students. She has a wide variety of research interests including cognitive functioning in patient with mild cognitive impairment.
Fran Sverdrup
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
School of Medicine
fran.sverdrup@health.slu.edu
Dr. Fran Sverdrup is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Director of the IDBI Core Discovery Services lab. He has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry where he focused on new target identification and validation in the therapeutic areas of inflammation, immunology and virology. His research is focused on drug discovery and the epigenetic control of gene expression in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). His lab employs chemical genetics and candidate gene knockdowns to identify druggable pathways that regulate myotoxic DUX4 expression. For promising therapeutic approaches, a mouse xenograft model of human FSHD is utilized to establish pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationships of drug candidates.
Raymond Tait
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience
raymond.tait@health.slu.edu
Raymond Tait, Ph.D., has been active in the pain field as a clinician and researcher for over 40 years. His research has focused on pain assessment and provider judgments, especially factors that influence judgments of pain in others. He has studied racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in the treatment of pain (and in long-term outcomes), as well as patient, provider, and situational factors that influence clinical decisions and factors that occasionally diverge from patient and provider treatment expectations. His current interests involve the study of provider burden, the professional and personal challenges that a physician encounters in the treatment of people with chronic pain, especially as it influences clinical decision-making and the expectations that both providers and patients bring to treatment.
Travis Threats
Professor and Chair
Department of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences
travis.threats@health.slu.edu
Travis T. Threats, Ph.D. is professor and chair of the Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences. He teaches courses that cover neurogenic communication disorders. His primary scholarly work has been with the World Health Organization (WHO) on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health for Children and Youth (ICF-CY). He has been the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) representative liaison to the WHO since 1999 and was the primary contributor to the communication, hearing, and swallowing sections of the ICF. Dr. Threats was also the primary contributor concerning communication disorders for the 2011 World Health Organization publication World Report on Disability. Dr. Threats has also published and presented internationally on his three other scholarly interests: spirituality/religiosity in rehabilitation, evidence-based practice, and rehabilitation ethics. He has given over 25 talks at international conferences, including being an invited keynote presenter in Chile, Greece, Portugal, the Philippines, Slovenia, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, and New Zealand. Dr. Threats is an ASHA Fellow and the ASHA 2012 recipient of the Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Contributions in International Achievement. He is also a distinguished scholar and fellow for the National Academies of Practice, which is a nonprofit organization that advises governmental bodies on policies regarding the U.S. healthcare system. In 2022, he was awarded Honors of the Association by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Honors is the highest award this organization gives and is described on its website as recognition for scholars “whose contributions have been of such excellence that they have enhanced or altered the course of the professions.”
Carissa van den Berk-Clark, Ph.D., LCSW
Family and Community Medicine
School of Medicine
carissa.vandenberkclark@health.slu.edu
Carissa van den Berk-Clark is a clinical and community social worker who focuses on clients and communities with high levels of trauma and substance abuse disorders. Van den Berk-Clark is particularly interested in how trauma affects decision making among individuals in regards to health behaviors, especially substance use and misuse. Along with her interests in building better programs and service delivery systems for trauma-exposed patients, she also works to improve access to care by building health care workforce capacity and collaborating with primary care providers throughout the St. Louis region in SLU's ARCHNet practice based research network.
Andrea Vaughan, M.S., CCC-SLP, BCS-S
Assistant Clinical Professor
Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
andrea.vaughan@health.slu.edu
Missouri SPEAK OUT! Therapy & Research Center
Andrea Vaughan is a licensed speech-language pathologist in the St. Louis metropolitan area. She has extensive experience in medical speech-language pathology in outpatient, skilled nursing, and acute care facilities. She earned board certification in swallowing and swallowing disorders from the American Speech Language Hearing Association. She is employed at Saint Louis University as Assistant Clinical Professor in the Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences department. She teaches multiple academic medical speech-language pathology courses and clinically trains graduate students in the evaluation and treatment of acquired swallowing and communication disorders in medically complex patients. She has specific experience treating patients with Parkinson’s disease, dementia, stroke, head and neck cancer, and older adults. She recently received a grant from Parkinson Voice Project to research the impact of SPEAK OUT! treatment on swallowing function in patients with Parkinson's disease.
John Walker
Pharmacology and Physiology
School of Medicine
john.walker@health.slu.edu
Research Interests: Our research is focused on the application of medicinal chemistry techniques to identify and optimize potential new therapeutic agents. We have active research projects targeting the development of novel antibiotic and antibiotic potentiators.
Jill Waring
Psychology
jill.waring@health.slu.edu
Dr. Waring and the Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience of Aging (CANA) Lab investigates the interactions of cognition and emotion processing across the lifespan, with the goal of identifying behavioral and neural markers that may influence or precede cognitive decline or symptoms of anxiety and depression in late life.
Daniel Warren
Biology
daniel.warren@slu.edu
Dr. Warren is a comparative animal physiologist whose work includes neurophysiological studies of hypoxia- and anoxia-tolerant animals, especially in turtles. Oxygen deprivation is the primary cause of the neurological injury that is caused by strokes and heart attacks, which costs the United States healthcare system billions of dollars annually. It is, therefore, a national priority to discover ways to prevent, minimize, or reverse brain injury associated with these human diseases. By studying hypoxia- and anoxia-tolerant animals, we seek to identify novel mechanisms of hypoxia tolerance that potentially yield novel targets for future therapeutic interventions for humans. We use a variety of experimental approaches to understand the anoxic responses of the turtle’s nervous system, including whole tissue and spatial transcriptomics of the brain and functional studies of cultured cortical neurons that include calcium handling and glutamate sensitivity. I collaborate closely with Dr. Michael Ariel in Pharmacology and Physiology in studies of special sensory function in hypoxic turtles, especially of the visual and auditory systems.
Fenglian Xu
Biology - College of Arts and Sciences
Secondary Appointment - Pharmacology and Physiology
fenglian.xu@slu.edu
Research Interests: Neuronal outgrowth, regeneration, synapse formation and plasticity are pivotal not only for normal brain development and function, but also for brain repair after injury or degeneration. The primary research in Xu's laboratory focuses on understanding the mechanisms that control synapse formation and transmission, and how environmental factors may impact molecules and cellular events that are involved in normal brain development and function. Xu's lab conducts research using both the mollusk Lymnaea stagnalis model and rat (cortical and hippocampal) cell culture in conjunction with state-of-the-art electrophysiological, calcium imaging, confocal microscopy and molecular biological techniques. The long-term objective of her research is to identify critical genes or proteins that are involved in neuronal outgrowth, regeneration, synaptogenesis, and plasticity. The identified genes or proteins will then be manipulated experimentally to deduce their physiological significance in brain development and animal behaviors. The knowledge gained from these studies will help efforts in repairing brain damage after stroke, injury and in treating neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases.
Gina Yosten
Pharmacology and Physiology
School of Medicine
gina.yosten@health.slu.edu
Gina L. C. Yosten, Ph.D., joined the faculty of the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology in 2015, following her Ph.D. and post-doctoral training with Willis K. Samson, Ph.D., D.Sc., and a short fellowship at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. Yosten's work focuses on the role of orphan G protein Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) in the neurobiology of obesity- and diabetes-related complications. In collaboration with Dr. Samson, Dr. Yosten has deorphanized five orphan GPCRs, and is interested in determining the role of those receptors in normal physiology and, importantly, how those receptors can be targeted therapeutically for the treatment of human diseases.
Scott Zahm
Pharmacology and Physiology
School of Medicine
zahmds@slu.edu
Daniel S. Zahm did his early academics in central Pennsylvania (Associates, Liberal Arts, Harrisburg Area Community College, 1970; B.S., Biology, Bloomsburg University, 1977; Ph.D., Anatomy, (the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center of the Pennsylvania State University) and a postdoc at the University of Virginia (1982-5). He joined Saint Louis University in 1985, was promoted to tenured professor in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology (1996) and later moved to the Department of Pharmacological and Physiological Science (2004, now Pharmacology and Physiology). Over 35 years, his laboratory has supported nearly continuously by private foundations and the NIH to use experimental neuroanatomical and behavioral pharmacological methods to address fundamental patterns of organization in the basal forebrain, how forebrain systems contribute to behavioral synthesis and are disrupted by pathology, such as in, e.g., addictions, and what are the vulnerabilities of different forebrain systems to neurodegeneration. Most of the work from the lab was generated independently, but Zahm has also had fruitful collaborations with several domestic and foreign research groups, altogether resulting in 120 publications, including peer-reviewed papers, book chapters and a book. He has served on the editorial boards of four journals, Neuroscience (since 1996), the Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy (since 2005), Brain Structure & Function (since 2007) and the Journal Comparative Neurology (2004-8; 2012-6) and has reviewed grant applications for domestic, foreign national and private agencies, including the NIH (member, IFCN-1, 1998-02, many ad hoc), National Science Foundation (USA), Israel Science Foundation, Medical Research Council of Canada, McKnight Endowment Fund, French National Research Agency and Wellcome Trust of Great Britain. Three students received a Ph.D. and eight Masters degrees for work done in Zahm’s laboratory and he has mentored eight postdocs and two post-graduate fellows and sat on the committees of many other grad students at SLU and other universities and, since 1985, lectured at SLU in the medical and graduate schools.
Jinsong Zhang
Pharmacology and Physiology
School of Medicine
jinsong.zhang@health.slu.edu
Dr. Jinsong Zhang received his Ph.D. degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from University of Pennsylvania in 1999. He did his doctoral dissertation in the laboratory of Dr. Mitchell A. Lazar, a world-renowned nuclear receptor and circadian rhythm expert. Dr. Zhang subsequently conducted his postdoctoral training at the Rockefeller University with Dr. Robert G. Roeder, the 2003 recipient of the prestigious Albert Lasker Award for his pioneering work in mechanisms of eukaryotic transcription. In 2005, Dr. Zhang became an assistant professor in the Department of Cancer Biology at the University of Cincinnati, and joined Saint Louis University School of Medicine in 2013 as an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology. Dr. Zhang’s laboratory has three main research directions, including (i) understanding the molecular basis of cancer, especially leukemia, (ii) characterizing new drug targets, with a focus on (a) epigenetic enzymes such as histone-modifying enzymes, (b) transcriptional coregulators such as myeloid translocation genes, and (c) anti-GPCR/inflammatory proteins such as GPS2 (G-protein pathway suppressor 2); (iii) developing new next-generation sequencing technologies, including single-cell RNA-Seq and single-cell ATAC assays. For more information, contact Dr. Zhang at jinsong.zhang@health.slu.edu.
Silviya Zustiak
Biomedical Engineering -Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology
Secondary Appointment - Pharmacology and Physiology
silviya.zustiak@slu.edu
Dr. Silviya Zustiak obtained a B.S./M.S. degree in bioelectrical engineering from the Technical University in Sofia, Bulgaria in 2002 and a Ph.D. in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering from the University of Maryland Baltimore County in 2009. She spent three years at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland conducting postdoctoral research in biophysics. In 2011 she received the NIH Fellows Award for Research Excellence for her work on transport in complex media. Dr. Zustiak joined the Biomedical Engineering Department at Saint Louis University (SLU) in January 2013. At SLU she was awarded the Outstanding Parks Graduate Faculty Award in 2015 and the SLU Scholarly Works Award for a Junior Faculty in 2017. She is a co-director for the Institute of Drug and Biotherapeutic Innovation and on the Executive Leadership Committee for the Henry and Amelia Nasrallah Center for Neuroscience at SLU. Dr. Zustiak is a frequent reviewer for NIH and National Science Foundation (NSF) review panels, multiple scientific journals and is on the Editorial board for Frontiers in Biotechnology and Bioengineering and Pharmaceuticals journals. Dr. Zustiak’s research is highly multidisciplinary, merging the fields of engineering, materials science, biophysics, and biology. Her research is focused on hydrogel biomaterials and tissue engineering, with emphasis on developing novel biomaterials as drug screening platforms and delivery devices for biologics, elucidating matrix structure-property relationships as well as cell-matrix interactions. Her work has resulted in over 50 peer-reviewed publications, over 200 presentations at regional and national conferences and multiple patent applications.