SHARON L. MILGRAM, Director
James Anderson, Cellular Signaling Mechanisms of the Tight Junction
William Arendshorst, Function of Renal Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells: Receptors and Signal Transduction Pathways
Steven Bachenheimer, Molecular Pathology of Herpes Simplex Virus; Effects on Signal-Transduction Pathways, Cell-Cycle Progression and the Cell-Cycle-Regulated Transcription Factor E2F; Regulation and Function of Viral Immediate-Early Proteins
Albert Baldwin, Regulation of Gene Expression; Control of Oncogenesis and Apoptosis
Vytas Bankaitis, Signal Transduction, Genetic Models for Neurodegenerative Disease in Mice, Yeast Genetics and Cell Biology
Kerry Bloom, Mechanisms of Chromosome Segregation in Yeast; Chromosome and Spindle Dynamics
Keith Burridge, Cell Movement, Cytoskeleton, Interactions of Cells with the Extracellular Matrix, Signaling Downstream from Adhesion
Janne Cannon, Molecular Genetics of Bacterial Pathogens; Bacterial Cell Surfaces; Pathogenesis of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae and Francisella Tularensis; Antigenic Variation and DNA Repair in Pathogenic Bacteria
Charles Carter Jr., Protein Crystallography, Structural Polymorphism and Function
Stephen Chaney, DNA Repair; Drug Resistance; Cancer Chemotherapy; Mutagenesis
Frank Church, Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Thrombosis, Hemostasis, Vascular Biology, and Tumor Cell Invasion; Structure-Activity Relationships of Serine Proteases and Serine Protease Inhibitors
Marila Cordeiro-Stone, DNA Replication in Mammalian Cells and Mechanisms of Chemical Carcinogenesis
Joe Costello, Membrane Biophysics, Intercellular Junctions, Active Transport, Membrane Fusion, Electron Microscopy
Fulton Crews, Neurodegeneration and Chronic Drug-Induced Changes in Brain Signaling Pathways
Stephen Crews, Developmental Neurobiology
Jeff Dangl, Genetic and Molecular Analysis of Disease Resistance
C. William Davis, Regulation of Mucociliary Clearance in Airways
Channing Der, Oncogenes; Ras Superfamily Protein; Signal Transduction
James Faber, Receptor Signal Transduction by Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells
Rosann Farber, Cancer Genetics; Human Molecular Genetics; Somatic-Cell Genetics; Microsatellite Instability
Paul Farel, Neural Development and Regeneration
Jeffrey Frelinger, Immunobiology of the Mouse and Human Major Histocompatibility Complex; Role of MHC in Regulation of the Immune Response; Vaccines
John Gilmore, Perinatal Brain Development and Risk for Schizophrenia and Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Jack Griffith, Structure of DNA; Mechanisms of DNA Recombination and Repair; HIV Research
Kendall Harden, Regulation of Second-Messenger Signaling
Ken Jacobson, Membrane Biology and Biophysics, Cell Migration, Video Image Analysis
Gary L. Johnson, GTP-Binding Proteins, MEK Kinases
Alan Jones, Arabidopsis, Hormone Perception; Growth and Development; Programmed Cell Death
David Kaufman, Temporal Activation and Genomic Organization of Functional Origins of DNA Replication
William Kaufman, Human DNA Metabolism and Carcinogenesis; Stages of Hepatocarcinogenesis
Henming Ke, X-Ray Protein Crystallography and Structures of Cyclophilin, Calcineurin, HIV Gag Protein
Jean Lauder, Developmental Neurobiology: Roles of Neurotransmitters, Growth Factors and Hormones in Brain Development, Neuronal-Glial Interactions
David Lee, Growth Factors and Receptors; Signal Transduction; Tumorigenesis
John J. Lemasters, Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Apoptosis and Necrosis to Liver and Heart Cells; Organ Preservation for Transplantation Surgery; Mitochondrial Permeability Transition; Confocal and Multiphoton Microscopy of Living Cells; Mechanisms of Kupffer Cell Activation; Mitochondrial Calcium Homeostasis
Barry Lentz, Biomembrane Microstructure and Cell Function
Jeffrey Lieberman, Neuroscience of Mental and Behavioral Disorders
Susan Lord, Fibrinogen Structure-Function Analysis; Fibrinogen in Vascular Disease; Modeling Cardiovascular Disease in Mice
Pauline K. Lund, Molecular Biology of Growth Factors and the Gastrointestinal Tract; Transcriptional Mechanisms of Aging-Induced Memory Loss
Nobuyo Maeda, Genetics Modeling of Atherosclerosis in Mice
Terry Magnuson, Mammalian Genetics; Epigenetics; Genomics
Paul Manis, Cellular Basis of Information Processing in the Auditory System
William Marzluff, Regulation of RNA Metabolism in Animal Cells
Steve Matson, Biochemistry and Genetics of DNA Helicases from E. Coli and Yeast
Ann Matthysse, Genetics of Bacterial Adhesion to Plant Surfaces; Genetics and Biochemistry of Cellulose Synthesis
Ken McCarthy, Glial Cells in Brain Function
D. Lee McIlwain, Chemistry of Spinal Motoneurons
Gerhard Meissner, Excitation-Contraction Coupling in Muscle
Beverly Mitchell, Gene Expression; Purine Pyrimidine Metabolism; Leukemogenesis
Michael O'Rand, Cell Biology, Immunology, Reproductive Biology
Leslie Parise, Adhesion Receptors and Signaling in Platelets, Sickle Cells and Cancer
Cam Patterson, Angiogenesis, Vascular Development, Cardiac Failure, and Atherosclerosis
Mark Peifer, Cell Adhesion; Signal Transduction and Cancer
Peter Petrusz, Neurobiology, Neuroendocrinology, Reproductive Biology
Edward Perl, Specificity in Neural Functioning
Tom Petes, Analysis of Recombination, Chromosome Structure, and Genome Stability in Yeast
Gary Pielak, Protein Biophysics in Vitro and in Vivo
Robert Rosenberg, Regulation of Ion Channels
Aldo Rustioni, Neuroanatomy/Neurophysiology
Ted Salmon, Microtubule Assembly, Microtubule Motors, and the Mechanism of Chromosome Movement
Jude Samulski, Development of Virus-Based Delivery Systems for Use in Human Gene Therapy
Gwen Sancar, Regulation of DNA Damage and Stress-Inducible Genes in Eukaryotes
Robert Sealock, Cell Biology of the Neuromuscular Junction and of Dystrophin-Associated Proteins
William Snider, Developmental Regulation by Neuronal Growth Factors
Patick Sullivan, Complex Traits in Humans; Psychiatric Genetics; Pharmacogenetics; Twin Studies; Schizophrenia; Major Depression; Nicotine Dependence
Ronald Swanstrom, Molecular Biology of Retroviruses; HIV Pathogenesis and Drug Resistance
Jenny Ting, Molecular Immunology; Molecular Regulation of Eukaryotic Genes; Regulation of Transplantation Genes; Molecular Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration; Molecular Cancer Biology/Immunology and Transplantation
Michael Topal, Regulation of DNA Damage and Stress-Inducible Genes in Eukaryotes
Terry Van Dyke, Regulation of Cell-Growth Control
Tony Waldrop, Hypertension, Developmental Neurobiology, Effects of Hypoxia on Brainstem Neurons
Bernard Weissman, Tumor Suppressor Genes, Cancer Genetics
Gilbert C. White III, Molecular Mechanisms of Signal Transduction in Human Platelets
R. Mark Wightman, Ultramicroelectrodes, Electrochemistry, Neurochemistry
Elizabeth Wilson, Androgen Regulation of Gene Expression
Ralph Baric, Molecular Genetics of Coronavirus Transcription, Replication, and RNA Recombination; Viral Heart Disease
Victoria Bautch, Molecular Genetics of Blood Vessel Formation in Mouse Models
Manzoor Bhat, Axon Glial Interactions, Blood-Brain Barrier Formation, Signal Transduction
Bob Bourret, Molecular Mechanisms of Signal Transduction in Bacteria (including Protein Phosphorylation)
Patrick Brennwald, Cell Polarity, Tumor Suppressor, Vesicle Transport, Exocytosis, Rho GTPases
Sharon Campbell, Structural Biology: Regulatory Molecules Involved in Cellular Growth Control and Cell Adhesion
Regina Carelli, Neurophysiological and Neurochemical Investigation of Brain Reward Processing
Richard Cheney, Motor Proteins, Cytoskeleton, and Cell Motility
Edward J. Collins, Molecular Recognition by Immune Molecules
Adrienne Cox, Ras Family Oncogenes and Signaling, Cellular Radiation Response; Lipid Modification and Drug Development
Douglas Cyr, Cystic Fibrosis, Organelle Biogenesis, Protein Folding, Molecular Chaperones, the Ubiquitin-Proteasome Pathway
Henrik Dohlman, Regulators of G Protein Signaling
Bob Duronio, Genetics of Cell-Cycle Control during Drosophila Development
Ann Erickson, Cellular Biochemistry: Secretion of Lysosomal Proteases by Transformed Cells
Pat Flood, Host-Microbial Biology, Cellular Immunology, Immune Response, Virology, Antigen Processing and Presentation, Mechanisms of T-Cell Activation, Immune Regulation
Howard Fried, Nucleocytoplasmic Transport and RNA-Protein Interactions
Michael Goy, Biochemical Processing of Information at the Cellular Level
Lee Graves, Biochemistry of Growth Factor-Mediated Signal Transduction
Clyde Hodge, Neurobiological Systems
L. Fredrik Jarskog, Neuropathology
Tom Kawula, Bacterial Genetics, Molecular Biology of Gene Regulation and Pathogenicity in Escherichia Coli; Molecular Basis for Haemophilus Ducreyi Pathogenesis
Joe Kieber, Molecular Genetic Analysis of Hormone Signaling in Arabidopsis
Stephen Knisley, Electrophysiology, Biophotonics, Basic Mechanisms of Electrical Defibrillation
Anthony Lamantia, Control of Gene Expression in the Developing and Adult Central Nervous System
Sharon L. Milgram, Epithelial Biology, Trafficking and Polarity, Signal Transduction in Polarized Cells, Scaffolding and Adaptor Proteins
Andrew Morris, Roles of Lipids in Cellular Regulation, Signal Transduction in Normal and Cancerous Cells
A. Leslie Morrow, Molecular Neuropharmacology of GABA Receptors and Mechanisms of Ethanol Tolerance and Dependence
Robert Nicholas, Signaling Mechanisms of G Protein-Coupled P2Y Receptors for Extracellular Nucleotides
Deborah O'Brien, Molecular Regulation of Mammalian Spermatogenesis and Fertilization
Jason Reed, Plant Development, Auxin Signaling, Light Responses
Mike Schaller, the Integrins, Protein Tyrosine Kinases and Signal Transduction
Lillie Searles, RNA Processing Control in Drosophila, Developmental Genetics
Jonathan Serody, Transplantation and Tumor Immunology; Program in Bone Marrow Transplantation
Lishan Su, T Cells during Normal and Pathogenic Hematolymphopoiesis
Roland Tisch, Molecular Immunology; Mechanisms of T-Cell Activation and Tolerance Induction; T-Cell-Mediated Autoimmunity; Development of Antigen-Specific Immunotherapies for the Treatment of Autoimmunity and Cancer
Alexander Tropsha, Computer-Assisted Drug Design, Combinational Chemistry
Yue Xiong, Cancer Biology, Mammalian Cell Cycle, Tumor Suppressor Genes
Shawn Ahmed, Telomere Replication and Germline Immortality in C. Elegans
Eva Anton, Molecular Analysis of Neuronal Migration and Layer Formation in Cerebral Cortex
Miriam Braunstein, Microbial Genetics; Pathogenesis of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis; Protein Export
Jay Brenman, Neuronal Dendrite Development Using Drosophila Genetics
Christina Burch, Experimental Studies of Evolution Using Viruses
Kathleen Caron, Genetically Engineered Animal Models in Study of Human Disease
William Coleman, Biology of Liver Stem-Like Cells; Mechanisms of Hepatocarcinogenesis; Genetic Mechanisms of Tumor Suppression
Frank Conlon, Heart Development, Mesodermal Patterning, T Box Genes
Gregory Copenhaver, Regulation of Meiotic Recombination in Higher Eukaryotes
Blossom Damania, Viral Oncogenes and Transcription Factors Encoded by Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus and Its Simian Relative (Rhesus Monkey Rhadinovirus)
Mohanish Deshmukh, Mechanisms of Neuronal Programmed Cell Death
Aravinda de Silva, Microbial Pathogenesis; Arthropod Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases; Control of Infectious Diseases in Developing Countries
Nikolay Dokholyan, Computational Structural Biology
Michael Giddings, Bioinformatics; Proteomics; Post-Genomic Complexity; Cellular Modeling; Bacterial Pathogenesis
Bob Goldstein, Generation of Cell Diversity in Early Development of C. Elegans
Scott Hammond, RNA Interference
Mark Heise, Viral Pathogenesis, Virus-Host Interactions, Genetics of Virulence, Vaccine Development
Tal Kafri, Development of HIV-Based Vectors for Gene Therapy
Suzanne Kirby, Stem Cell Biology, Transplantation Biology, and Gene Therapy
Brian Kuhlman, Computational Protein Design/Protein-Protein Interactions/Structural Biology
Andrew Lee, Structural Biophysics and Protein NMR Spectroscopy
Jason Lieb, Exploring Specificity and Function in Protein-Genome Interactions using DNA Microarrays
Christopher Mack, Molecular Mechanisms of Cardiovascular Disease; Transcription and Cell Signaling Pathways that Regulate Smooth Muscle Cell Differentiation
Carol Otey, Mechanisms of Cell Motility and Adhesion
Fernando Pardo-Manuel de Villena, Meiotic Drive, Chromosome Segregation, Non-Mendelian Genetics
Charles Perou, Genomic and Molecular Classification of Human Tumors to Guide Therapy
Larysa Pevny, Neural Induction, Neurogenesis, SOX Proteins
Franck Polleux, Signaling Pathways in the Mammalian Cerebral Cortex
Dale Ramsden, V(D)J Recombination, DNA Double Strand Break Repair
Scott Randell, Airway Epithelial Cell Biology - Stem Cells, Host Defense, and Response to Injury
Matt Redinbo, Structural Basis of Drug and DNA Metabolism
Jeff Sekelsky, Genetics of Genome Instability in Drosophila
Ned Sharpless, Tumor Suppressor Genes, Genetics of Cancer and Aging
David Siderovski, Regulators of G-Protein Signaling (RGS) Family of Proteins
John Sondek, X-Ray Crystallography and Transmembrane Signaling
Brian Strahl, Histone Modifications and Gene Regulation
Nobuyuki Takahashi, Renal Mechanisms of Essential Hypertension and Diabetic Nephropathy: Generation and Characterization of Genetically Modified Mice by Targeting Kidney Genes Using Homologous Recombination, Computer Simulation, and Gene Therapies
Joan Taylor, Dissecting the Cellular Signaling Pathways that Regulate Normal and Aberrant Growth in the Cardiovascular System; Characterizing the Role of Adhesion Signaling and Tyrosine Kinases in Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy and Smooth Muscle Cell Growth and Migration
David Threadgill, Disease Susceptibility; Mutagenesis; Colon Cancer; Genetic Engineering; Microarrays; Gut Flora
Joann Trejo, Biology of Protease-Activated Receptors
Barbara Vilen, B Cell Receptor Signal Transduction; B Cell Tolerance and Autoimmune Disease; B Cell Malignancies
Todd Vision, Genome Evolution and the Architecture of Complex Traits
Da-Zhi Wang, Genetic Pathways for the Development of Cardiac and Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells
Jennifer Webster-Cyriaque, Oral Manifestations of Systemic Disease; Host-Virus Interactions; Viral Oncogenesis; Viral Pathogenesis during Immunosuppression; Signal Transduction; Cellular Biology; Gene Expression
Herbert Whinna, Hemostasis and Thrombosis; Biochemistry and Vascular Biology of Blood Coagulation; Protein Structure-Function
Yi Zhang, Chromatin Dynamics, Gene Expression, and Cancer
Richard Weinberg, Quantitative Immunocytochemistry, Organization of Glutamate Receptors and Second Messengers, Nitric Oxide Synthase
Chris Elkins, Bacterial Pathogenesis, Iron Acquisition
Jeffrey MacDonald, Tissue Engineering
Lawrence Ostrowski, Regulation of Ciliated Cell Differentiation and Gene Expression; Identification of Novel Ciliary Proteins by both Molecular Biology and Proteomics Approaches; Regulation of Ciliary Beat Frequency; Gene Therapy Approaches for Cystic Fibrosis and Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia; Response of Ciliated Cells to Inhaled Toxins or Pathogens
The Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) Program of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill includes faculty from seven departments in the School of Medicine (including Biochemistry and Biophysics, Biomedical Engineering, Cell and Developmental Biology, Microbiology and Immunology, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Pharmacology, and Physiology), one department in the College of Arts and Sciences (Biology), and three curricula (Genetics and Molecular Biology, Neurobiology, and Toxicology). The theme unifying members of these various programs is the pursuit of biomedical science research. The faculty's collective research activities are broad and diverse regarding both scientific endeavors and techniques. Students are able to choose from a variety of preceptors and projects.
A BS or BA degree is required for admission. The admissions committee considers the perceived benefit a student would receive from participation in this interdisciplinary graduate program. It is generally expected that applicants will have a strong background in the biological sciences, chemistry, physics, mathematics, or engineering (as appropriate for biomedical engineering). Only applicants with both strong academic records and prior research experience will be favorably considered. An on-campus interview is required prior to admission.
Students will acquire a foundation of basic science knowledge, accumulate new laboratory skills required for implementing research goals, and develop the ability to reason scientifically and ask questions/solve problems based in the biomedical sciences. During their first year, students will be required to enroll in graduate-level courses and participate in laboratory research rotations. With the guidance of an advisory committee, students will take courses that embrace an interdisciplinary biomedical science format; they will also take courses that are directly related to their research interests. IBMS students will also be required to enroll in IBMS 301 (Research in IBMS) and IBMS 302 (Seminar in IBMS) each semester of their first year.
Students admitted to the program will be able to choose from more than one hundred seventy faculty members as they pursue the required three research rotations (each about twelve weeks in duration) in the fall and spring semesters of their first year. At the completion of the spring semester, each student will be asked to select an academic adviser who will provide guidance for his or her dissertation research training. The student will then become a graduate student within that adviser's department or curriculum and will complete coursework requirements during the second year.
All students enrolled in the IBMS program receive an annual stipend ($23,000 in 2006), full tuition, health insurance, and fees.
901 (301) RESEARCH IN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES (Var.). Prerequisite, enrollment in IBMS program. A research course for IBMS program students to carry on investigations in biomedical science. Fall and spring. Staff.
902 (302) SEMINAR IN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES (2). Prerequisite, enrollment in IBMS program. This course consists of seminars designed to acquaint the student with recent literature in biomedical sciences as it relates to research activity carried on in our departments. Fall and spring. Staff.