As a Ph.D. student in the Cell Biology and Physiology concentration, you will be using state of the art techniques to study both normal and abnormal cellular processes, at the molecular, cellular, organ and whole organism level. You can choose from research studying processes that are fundamental to our understanding, prevention and eventual treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system, skin, blood, kidneys, lungs, gastrointestinal tract and brain.
Specific research projects that you can become involved in and make a major contribution to include:

Membrane transport related to cell volume and ion regulation
Cell differentiation
Intracellular sorting and secretion of hormones
Comparative aspects of kidney function
Cellular growth control
Intracellular signaling pathways
Membrane channels, transporters and receptors: structure and function
Neural control of respiration
Effects of hyperoxia and hyperbaria on neural cell function
Mitochondrial energy production
Nuclear transport
Brain edema
Immunity and wound healing

Several interesting model systems are employed including hematopoietic
progenitor cells, sheep red blood cells, bird kidney cells, crayfish gill cells, mammalian brain slices, and a variety of mammalian cells in culture. Many of the projects involve collaborations with faculty from other areas of concentration, including Neuroscience, Molecular Biology/Biochemistry, and Toxicology, creating a highly cooperative environment for your research.

In addition to your research, you will be involved in departmental seminars, journal clubs, and laboratory meetings. BMS students in this concentration will likely attend several national meetings to present their work.

Students in this concentration have published over 30 papers and presented at numerous national and international meetings. We have a place for all interested students!

Participating faculty and areas of research
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Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology and Physiology

• Thomas Brown, Ph.D. Molecular mechanisms of apoptotic cell death. [bio][home][e-mail]
• Julian G. Cambronero, Ph.D. Human neutrophils, atherosclerosis, leukemia. Dissertation qualified. [bio][research][e-mail]
• Timothy Cope, Ph.D., Chair. Electrophysiology of spinal neurons/synaptic plasticity/sensorimotor integration, motor control [home] [e-mail]
• Adrian Corbett, Ph.D. Ion channel structure and function. Dissertation qualified. [e-mail]
• Jay B. Dean, Ph.D. Neural Control of Respiratory and Cardiovascular Systems; Effects of CO2, pH, O2, Hyperbaric Pressure, and Temperature on Excitability of Central Neurons. [bio][research][e-mail]
• Dan Halm, Ph.D. Epithelial physiology using electrical recording, including patch-clamp, and functional imaging with fluorescent probes [bio][e-mail]
• Richard Henderson, M.D. Hyperbaric medicine [home][e-mail]
• James Olson, Ph.D. [also Clinical Departments, School of Medicine]. Mechanism of brain edema. Dissertation qualified. [home][e-mail]
• Robert Putnam, Ph.D. Membrane transport and intercellular ion regulation. Dissertation qualified. [bio][e-mail]

Department of Biological Sciences

• David L. Goldstein, Ph.D. Physiological responses to environmental stress, including the balance of salt and water, influence of diet composition, and effects of toxicants. [home][e-mail]
• Barbara E. Hull, Ph.D. Skin fibroblasts; cellular defense against viral pathogens, including Herpes Simplex Virus-1 (HSV-1). [home][e-mail]
• Mark Mamrack, Ph.D. Cell cycle control. Dissertation qualified. [home][e-mail]
• Mill Miller, Ph.D. Nuclear transport and nuclear glycosylation. [bio][home][research][e-mail]
• Michele G. Wheatly, Ph.D. Comparative physiology principally of decapod crustaceans but also molluscs and lower vertebrates (fish and reptiles). Exchange of respiratory gases, electrolytes and acid-base equivalents in response to environmental changes including salinity, temperature, dissolved gases, exercise, acidification and the advance from aquatic to terrestrial existence. [home][e-mail]

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

• Norma Adragna, Ph.D. Hypertension, sickle cell anemia, ion transport/regulation of cell volume. Dissertation qualified. [home][e-mail]
• David Cool, Ph.D. Prohormone intracellular sorting signals for the regulated secretory pathway; cardiovascular-linked peptide hormones. [home][e-mail]
• Robert Grubbs, Ph.D. Regulation of muscarinic receptor expression by growth factor. Dissertation qualified. [home][e-mail]
• Courtney Sulentic, Ph.D. Cellular and molecular immunotoxicology. [][e-mail]

Clinical Departments, School of Medicine

• Michael Baumann, M.D. Regulation of hematopoietic progenitor cell differentiation. [research][e-mail]
• Lynn A. Crosby, M.D. Fatty degeneration of rotator cuff muscle, [Department of Orthopaedics] [e-mail]
• Richard Henderson, M.D. Hyperbaric medicine, [Department of Community Health]
• Sidney Miller M.D. [Department of Surgery] Management and quantitative assessment of burn wounds; wound healing and skin grafting. [e-mail]
• James Olson, Ph.D. [Department of Emergency Medicine] Mechanism of brain edema. Dissertation qualified. [home][e-mail]

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

• Lawrence Prochaska, Ph.D. Mitochondrial energy conservation. Dissertation qualified. [bio] [home] [e-mail]

Department of Mathematics and Statistics

• Thomas Svobodny, Ph.D., Applied mathematics/scientific computing [e-mail]

Department of Psychology

• Dragana Ivkovich, Ph.D, Neurocognitive development of learning and memory in rats and humans during infancy. [home][e-mail]
• Tamera Schneider, Ph.D., Physiological and psychological responses to stress [e-mail]
• Scott Watamaniuk, Ph.D. Visual perception, motion perception, eye movements. [home] [e-mail]