Molecular and Cellular Biology Primary Faculty

Professor and Chair
Mechanisms that regulate normal and malignant hematopoiesis, particularly with regard to DNA methylation
goodell@bcm.edu
Goodell Lab

Assistant Professor
Molecular mechanisms of learning, memory, and complex behaviors. Molecular genetic analysis of genes involved in age-related cognitive decline
rachel.arey@bcm.edu
Rachel Arey Lab

Assistant Professor 
The Benham-Pyle lab uses the highly regenerative flatworm Schmidtea mediterranea to study stem cells, whole-body regeneration, and cancer prevention. 
blair.benham-pyle@bcm.edu

Assistant Professor
How protein quality control impacts transcription, translation, and metabolism with relevance to aging and cancer
catic@bcm.edu
Andre Catic Lab

Associate Professor 
Translational research on how estrogen receptor positive breast cancer cells acquire treatment resistance and turn metastatic
echang1@bcm.edu
Eric Chang Lab

Associate Professor
Function and mechanism of Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) protein quality control machinery in cancer progression, metastasis and therapy resistance
xi.chen@bcm.edu

Professor
Clinical metabolomics, biosensors
cdacso@bcm.edu

Associate Professor
Characterizing a new stem-like cell in bone that immediately proceeds the chondro-osseous progenitor that becomes both chondrocytes and osteoblasts
ardavis@bcm.edu
Alan Davis Lab

Assistant Professor
Understanding the post-transcriptional & epigenetic mechanisms that govern stem cell potency and cell fate decisions
bruno.distefano@bcm.edu

Assistant Professor
Molecular mechanisms of DNA folding with a focus on how linear patterns of histone modifications impact three-dimensional chromosome structure
kyle.eagen@bcm.edu
Kyle Eagen Lab

Professor
Mechanism of action and structure analysis of steroid hormone receptors and role of progesterone receptors in mammary gland and breast cancer
deane@bcm.edu
ATC Core Labs

Professor
In vivo and in vitro multi-dimensional models of neural tube closure defects and whole genome investigations of complex human birth defects
finnell@bcm.edu
Richard Finnell Lab

Associate Professor
How environmental endocrine disrupting compounds, toxicants and pharmaceuticals influence embryonic development and cause congenital anomalies
gorelick@bcm.edu
Dan Gorelick Lab

Associate Professor
Molecular mechanism of nuclear receptors and nuclear receptor coactivators in female reproductive diseases progression
sjhan@bcm.edu

Assistant Professor
Mechanisms of ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling and transcription regulation. 3D models of cancer. Systems biology of SWI/SNF complexes.
chodges@bcm.edu
H. Courtney Hodges Lab

Assistant Professor
Role of lipids and mechanisms of signal transduction in the Hedgehog and Wnt pathways
pengxiang.huang@bcm.edu

Assistant Professor
Mechanisms and functions of contact sites between membrane-bound organelles and membrane-less organelles
Jason.Lee2@bcm.edu

Professor
mtlewis@bcm.edu
Michael Lewis Lab

Professor
Molecular and cellular mechanisms of breast cancer initiation, progression and metastasis and cancer stem cells
liyi@bcm.edu
Yi Li Lab

Associate Professor
Role of steroid receptor coactivators in the regulation of transcription and to develop inhibitors to target them
dlonard@bcm.edu

Associate Professor
Cellular and molecular mechanisms that enable embryo implantation into the endometrium to establish a pregnancy
jlydon@bcm.edu

Professor and Core Director
Image-based single cell approaches to study ER/AR-mediated transcription by high content analysis (HCA) using numerous state-of-the-art platforms
mancini@bcm.edu

Associate Professor
Molecular mechanisms of steroid hormone action in brain function. Sex differences in stress neurobiology using omics approaches and mouse models.
smani@bcm.edu
Shailaja Mani Lab

Associate Professor
sean.mcguire@bcm.edu

Associate Professor 
Applying biocuration to archived 'omics datasets to mechanize cellular signaling pathways
nmckenna@bcm.edu

Professor
armeans@bcm.edu

TC Thompson Professor and Chancellor
Hormone action; receptor coactivators; 3-D structures of NR-CoA complexes; CoAs in metabolic, CVS, oncogenic diseases; CoAs as therapeutic targets
berto@bcm.edu

Assistant Professor
Stem cells and regenerative medicine; role of miRNAs in development and disease; environmental and genetic causes of birth defects
ronald.parchem@bcm.edu

Associate Professor
Understanding human auditory and neuronal function disorders; developing pharmacologic, gene or cell-based therapies relevant to aging and cancer
fpereira@bcm.edu

Associate Professor
Metabolomic profiling of tumors to obtain biochemical insights into cancer progression
putluri@bcm.edu
Nagireddy Putluri Lab

Assistant Professor
Biophysics of biological condensates; Role of condensates in forming RNP-complexes and reorganizing the cell in response to diverse stimuli
joshua.riback@bcm.edu

Professor
Molecular mechanisms by which key signaling pathways regulate ovarian cell gene expression and alter cell fate decisions
joanner@bcm.edu

Assistant Professor
Wnt pathway biology; mammary development; breast cancer heterogeneity and plasticity; collective migration; mechanisms of breast cancer metastasis
roarty@bcm.edu
Kevin Roarty Lab

C.C. Bell Distinguished Professor of Molecular & Cellular Biology
Mammary gland development and breast cancer; Wnt and Fgf; translational regulation; immune microenvironment; epigenetic reprogramming of EMT
jrosen@bcm.edu
Jeffrey Rosen Lab

Professor
Role of mesenchymal stem cells in the reactive stroma tumor microenvironment; osteogenic niche and progression of cancer to therapeutic resistance
drowley@bcm.edu

Professor and Dean, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Negative regulation of estrogen receptor function; ER and coactivator interactions; breast and bladder cancer; graduate education
carolyns@bcm.edu

Professor
Metabolic re-wiring associated with prostate and breast cancer progression as well as in cancer health disparities
sreekuma@bcm.edu
Arun Sreekumar Lab

Associate Professor
Neuroendocrine regulation of metabolism; epigenome and circadian clock in neurocognition; exercise, diet, and toxins in resilience
zheng.sun@bcm.edu
Zheng Sun Lab

Assistant Professor
Role of metabolic checkpoints triggered by AMPK and mTORC1 signaling in cancer and metabolic disease
jeanine.vannostrand@bcm.edu

Professor and Director, Center for Precision Environmental Health
Role of gene environment interactions in diseases such as cancer, fibroids and NAFLD. Effects of early environmental exposures on the epigenome
cheryl.walker@bcm.edu
Cheryl Walker Lab

Assistant Professor
Molecular mechanisms of vertebrate embryogenesis using genetic, live imaging, and synthetic embryology approaches in zebrafish
Margot.Williams@BCM.edu
Margot Williams Lab

Gordon Cain Endowed Professorship in Cell Biology
Cell signaling and gene regulation mechanisms. Molecular and Cellular biology of steroid hormone promoted cancers. Gene editing in cells and mice
jxu@bcm.edu

Assistant Professor
Pioneering MAPK4 biology in human cancers; signaling pathways regulating cancer and therapy-resistance; mouse models for cancers; tumor microenvironment
fyang@bcm.edu
Feng Yang Lab

Assistant Professor
Molecular regulation of oncogene activation in cancer.; post-translational modification and signal transduction.; nuclear receptor structural studies
pyi@bcm.edu

Associate Professor
Metabolic and inflammatory pathways involved in liver homeostasis and disease
york@bcm.edu

Professor and Director of Anatomical Sciences
McGovern teaching-award winner. Director, Anatomical Sciences & Willed Body Programs. Course director, Schools of Medicine and Health Professions.
mxzhang@bcm.edu

Professor and William T. Butler M.D. Endowed Chair
Breast cancer metastasis, bone microenvironment and metastasis, tumor immune microenvironment, resistance to immunotherapies, novel precision therapies
xiangz@bcm.edu
Xiang Zhang Lab