Faculty
Faculty members who participate in the Experimental Therapeutics Academic Program are chosen based on their diversity of research expertise in their chosen field. These select individuals are affiliated with various institutions that are part of The University of Texas System – MD Anderson Cancer Center, UT Health Science Center at Houston, UT Medical School at Houston and UT School of Public Health. Among them, they represent more than 20 different departments, institutes or centers – the Center for Targeted Therapy, the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases and the departments of Experimental Therapeutics, Molecular Pathology, Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, Leukemia, Veterinary Sciences and Investigational Cancer Therapeutics – to name just a few.
Listed below is each participating faculty member, along with his/her research interests and contact information.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Lynne Abruzzo, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Hematopathology
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia; gene expression profiling; cancer cytogenetics
Phone: 713-794-5439
E-mail: labruzzo@mdanderson.org - Bharat Aggarwal, Ph.D.
Center for Targeted Therapy; Department of Experimental Therapeutics
Modulation of inflammatory pathways by natural products for cancer prevention and treatment
Phone: 713-794-1817
E-mail: aggarwal@mdanderson.org - Michael Andreeff, M.D., Ph.D.
Departments of Blood & Marrow Transplantation and Leukemia
Apoptosis; drug resistance; cell cycle; gene therapy; cancer and leukemia stem cells and microenvironment
Phone: 713-792-7261
E-mail: mandreef@mdanderson.org - Kumudha Balakrishnan, Ph.D.
Center for Targeted Therapy; Department of Experimental Therapeutics
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia; Mcl-1; microenvironment; apoptosis; BRC signaling; microRNA
Phone: 713-792-3336
E-mail: kbalakr@mdanderson.org - Jan Burger, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Leukemia
Tumor microenvironment; signaling pathways; development of new therapeutic strategies to overcome stromal cell-mediated drug resistance
Phone: 713-792-1865
E-mail: jaburger@mdanderson.org - George A. Calin, M.D., Ph.D.
Center for Targeted Therapy; Center for RNA Interference and Non-Coding RNA; Departments of Experimental Therapeutics
microRNAs; non-coding RNAs; mechanisms of cancer predisposition; new RNA therapeutics
Phone: 713-792-5461
E-mail: gcalin@mdanderson.org - Joya Chandra, Ph.D.
Department of Pediatrics – Research
Therapeutics-induced apoptosis; proteasome inhibitors; oxidative stress and signaling; leukemias; brain tumors
Phone: 713-563-5405
E-mail: jchandra@mdanderson.org - Dina Chelouche Lev, M.D.
Department of Cancer Biology
Soft tissue sarcoma; targeted therapy; cell signaling; animal models; siRNA screens; tumor microenvironment
Phone: 713-792-1637
E-mail: dlev@mdanderson.org - Francois X. Claret, Ph.D.
Departments of Molecular Therapeutics and Systems Biology
Cell signaling; cell cycle control; oncogenes; DNA repair in cancer
Phone: 713-563-4204
E-mail: fxclaret@mdanderson.org - Zhen Fan, M.D.
Center for Targeted Therapy; Department of Experimental Therapeutics
Cancer cell signaling; cancer targets (EGFR family, HIF-1, Brk, EMMPRIN, etc); cancer-associated fibroblasts; molecular-targeted therapies; recombinant antibody techniques; siRNA-mediated therapies
Phone: 713-794-5221
E-mail: zfan@mdanderson.org - Varsha Gandhi, Ph.D.
Center for Targeted Therapy; Department of Experimental Therapeutics
Mechanisms of action of anticancer drugs; nucleoside analogues; transcription inhibition; chemoresistance; Bcl-2 antagonists; translational research
Phone: 713-792-2989
E-mail: vgandhi@mdanderson.org - Elizabeth A. Grimm, Ph.D.
Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology
Therapeutics for melanoma; intracellular expression of nitric oxide; cytokines and interleukins; kinase pathway inhibitors
Phone: 713-792-3667
E-mail: egrimm@mdanderson.org - Walter Hittelman, Ph.D.
Center for Targeted Therapy; Department of Experimental Therapeutics
Genetic/phenotypic changes driving human multi-step tumorigenesis; genetic instability mechanisms; development of cancer therapeutic and preventive strategies
Phone: 713-792-2961
E-mail: whittelm@mdanderson.org - Peng Huang, M.D., Ph.D.
Center for Targeted Therapy; Department of Molecular Pathology
Cancer energy metabolism; mitochondria; ROS; redox signaling; anticancer agents
Phone: 713-834-6044
E-mail: phuang@mdanderson.org - Gary Johanning, Ph.D.
Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research; Department of Veterinary Sciences
Vitamins and resistance to cancer chemotherapy; obesity and cancer; nutrition and gene expression; human endogenous retrovirus expression in cancer
Phone: 512-332-5211
E-mail: gljohann@mdanderson.org - Eric Jonasch, M.D.
Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology
Renal cell carcinoma; von Hippel Lindau disease; targeted therapy; carcinogenesis; molecular biology; predictive biomarkers
Phone: 713-563-7232
E-mail: ejonasch@mdanderson.org - Khandan Keyomarsi, Ph.D.
Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology
Breast cancer; cell cycle control; drug targeting
Phone: 713-792-4845
E-mail: kkeyomar@mdanderson.org - Jian Kuang, Ph.D.
Center for Targeted Therapy; Department of Experimental Therapeutics
Cell cycle control; regulation of G2/M transition; phosphorylation of the MPM-2 epitope; biological function and regulation of Alix
Phone: 713-792-8505
E-mail: jkuang@mdanderson.org - Shiaw-Yih (Phoebus) Lin, Ph.D.
Department of Systems Biology
DNA damage response; cancer stem cells; biomarkers for cancer early detection; prevention and therapy
Phone: 713-563-4217
E-mail: sylin@mdanderson.org - Gabriel Lopez-Berestein, M.D.
Center for Targeted Therapy; Center for RNA Interference and Non-Coding RNA; Department of Experimental Therapeutics
Differentiation and apoptosis in acute promyelocytic leukemia; retinoic acid; apoptotic proteins; DAP5/86
Phone: 713-792-8143
E-mail: glopez@mdanderson.org - Anshu B. Mathur, Ph.D.
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Cell and tissue engineering; nanotechnologies, tissue regeneration
Phone: 713-563-7568
E-mail: amathur@mdanderson.org - David J. McConkey, Ph.D.
Departments of Urology and Cancer Biology
Apoptosis; tumor metastasis
Phone: 713-792-8591
E-mail: dmcconke@mdanderson.org - Timothy J. McDonnell, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Hematopathology
Cell death; oncogenes; molecular oncology; carcinogenesis
Phone: 713-794-1368
E-mail: tmcdonne@mdanderson.org - John S. McMurray, Ph.D.
Center for Targeted Therapy; Department of Experimental Therapeutics
Drug design; chemistry and synthesis of drugs; STAT proteins
Phone: 713-745-3763
E-mail: jmcmurra@mdanderson.org - Kapil Mehta, Ph.D.
Center for Targeted Therapy; Department of Experimental Therapeutics
Inflammation-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT); cancer stem cells; drug resistance and metastasis; transgenic mouse models for cancer progression and pathogenesis
Phone: 713-792-2649
E-mail: kmehta@mdanderson.org - Jeffrey N. Myers, M.D., Ph.D.
Departments of Head and Neck Surgery and Cancer Biology
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma metastasis; p53 gain of function mutations; mechanisms of resistance to EGFR targeted therapy
Phone: 713-745-2767
E-mail: jmyers@mdanderson.org - Hui-Lin Pan, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
Opioid pharmacology; chronic pain; ion channels and synaptic transmission in the nervous system
Phone: 713-563-5838
E-mail: huilinpan@mdanderson.org - William Plunkett, Ph.D.
Center for Targeted Therapy; Department of Experimental Therapeutics
Response of cells to DNA damage signaling pathways that regulate cell cycle progression, DNA repair mechanisms and cell death
Phone: 713-792-3335
E-mail: wplunket@mdanderson.org - Garth Powis, D.Phil.
Center for Targeted Therapy; Department of Experimental Therapeutics
Drug discovery and development; metabolism and mechanisms of action of new anticancer drugs; redox signaling; intracellular signaling
Phone: 713-792-8088
E-mail: gpowis@mdanderson.org - Waldemar Priebe, Ph.D.
Center for Targeted Therapy; Department of Experimental Therapeutics
Drug design and preclinical translational research; translational chemistry; DNA-binding small molecules (WP762)
Phone: 713-792-3777
E-mail: wpriebe@mdanderson.org - Fredika Robertson, Ph.D.
Center for Targeted Therapy; Department of Experimental Therapeutics
Therapeutic targets for breast cancer metastasis; function of cancer stem cells; proteomics for cancer biomarker discovery
Phone: 713-792-8587
E-mail: frobertson@mdanderson.org - Michael Rosenblum, Ph.D.
Center for Targeted Therapy; Department of Experimental Therapeutics
Pharmacology of biological agents; tumor cell-targeted cytotoxic agents; tumor cell-signaling events
Phone: 713-792-3554
E-mail: mrosenbl@mdanderson.org - Deepa Sampath, Ph.D.
Center for Targeted Therapy; Department of Experimental Therapeutics
Epigenetic regulation; microRNA and other non-coding RNA; leukemia
Phone: 713-792-3336
E-mail: dsampath@mdanderson.org - Jagannadha K. Sastry, Ph.D.
Department of Immunology
HIV-AIDS; cervical cancer; vaccines; cellular immunology; synthetic peptides
Phone: 713-563-3304
E-mail: jsastry@mdanderson.org - Zahid Siddik, Ph.D.
Center for Targeted Therapy; Department of Experimental Therapeutics
Drug resistance; DNA damage response; tumor suppressor p53; drug development; platinum drugs
Phone: 713-792-7746
E-mail: zsiddik@mdanderson.org - Judith A. Smith, Pharm.D.
Department of Gynecologic Oncology - Research
Drug/CAM development focusing on pharmacokinetics/ pharmacodynamics; drug metabolism, multi-drug resistance; placenta perfusion model, HPLC assay development; gynecologic cancers, HPV
Phone: 713-500-6408
E-mail: jasmith@mdanderson.org - Anil K. Sood, M.D.
Center for RNA Interference and Non-Coding RNA; Department of Gynecologic Medical Oncology
Anti-angiogenesis approaches in cancer; receptor tyrosine kinase regulation; therapeutic us of RNA interference/nanoparticles; molecular therapeutics
Phone: 713-745-5266
E-mail: asood@mdanderson.org - Christine Stellrecht, Ph.D.
Center for Targeted Therapy; Department of Experimental Therapeutics
Transcription; breast cancer; colon cancer; cMet tyrosine kinase
Phone: 713-792-3336
E-mail: cmstellre@mdanderson.org - Elizabeth L. Travis, Ph.D.
Department of Experimental Radiation Oncology
Radiation-induced fibrosis; genetic basis of tissue radiation sensitivity and fibrosis; growth factors
Phone: 713-792-3424
E-mail: etravis@mdanderson.org - Francisco Vega-Vazquez, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Hematopathology
Signal transduction; hedgehog signaling; malignant lymphomas; interactions microenvironment-lymphoma; targeted therapy
Phone: 713-794-1220
E-mail: fvegava@mdanderson.org - Shuxing Zhang, Ph.D.
Center for Targeted Therapy; Department of Experimental Therapeutics
Computer-aided drug design; molecular modeling; docking/scoring; QSAR; virtual screening; ADMET; cheminformatics; bioinformatics; drug discovery and development; software engineering
Phone: 713-745-2958
E-mail: shuzhang@mdanderson.org - Wei Zhang, Ph.D.
Department of Pathology
Cancer genomics; tumor suppressor genes; signal transduction; molecular markers; drug response
Phone: 713-745-1103
E-mail: wzhang@mdanderson.org - Dapeng Zhou, M.D., Ph.D.
Departments of Melanoma Medical Oncology and Immunology
Cancer glycomics; immunologic glycomics; immunopathology and immunotherapy
Phone: 713-792-3134
E-mail: dzhou@mdanderson.org
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
- Zhiqiang An, Ph.D.
The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases
Antibody therapeutics; drug resistance mechanisms; HER/ErbB signaling pathways; cancer targets
Phone: 713-500-3011
E-mail: zhiqiang.an@uth.tmc.edu - John F. Hancock, M.A., M.B., BChir, Ph.D.
The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases
Mammalian signal transduction; Ras signaling; Ras trafficking; cancer biology; plasma membrane structure and function; drug discovery
Phone: 713-500-2401
E-mail: john.f.hancock@uth.tmc.edu - Barrett R. Harvey, Ph.D.
The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases
Antibody therapeutics and diagnostics; gram-positive pathogenesis prevention; directed evolution; high-throughput selections
Phone: 713-500-3485
E-mail: barrett.harvey@uth.tmc.edu - Ba-Bie Teng, Ph.D.
The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases
microRNA regulation; ribozyme RNA-based therapy; genetic and progenitor cell therapy; cardiovascular diseases; vaccine development; viral vector development
Phone: 713-500-2443
E-mail: babie.teng@uth.tmc.edu
The University of Texas Medical School at Houston
- Zheng (Jake) Chen, Ph.D.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Molecular mechanism of the circadian clock; high-throughput screening and chemical biology
Phone: 713-500-6284
E-mail: zheng.chen.1@uth.tmc.edu - Peter J. A. Davies, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology
Mechanism of hormone action; regulation of gene expression; hormonal control of cellular proliferation and molecular basis of retinoid action; regulation of macrophage function; molecular basis of retinoid action; regulation and function of cellular transglutaminases; molecular basis of malignant transformation and cancer
Phone: 512-237-9414
E-mail: peter.j.davies@uth.tmc.edu - Diane L.M. Hickson-Bick, Ph.D.
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Cardiac energy metabolism; apoptosis; cardiac ischemia and shock
Phone: 713-500-5328
E-mail: diane.l.bick@uth.tmc.edu - Gary C. Rosenfeld, Ph.D.
Education
Phone: 713-500-7435
E-mail: gary.c.rosenfeld@uth.tmc.edu - Heinrich Taegtmeyer, M.D., D.Phil.
Department of Cardiology
Energy substrate metabolism; protein turnover and metabolic signaling in the heart; heart failure and diabetes
Phone: 713-500-6569
E-mail: heinrich.taegtmeyer@uth.tmc.edu
The University of Texas School of Public Health
- Mary Ann Smith, Ph.D.
Nephrotoxicity; oxidative stress; renal cell biology; mesangial cells; tubular epithelial cells; cell proliferation
Phone: 713-500-9236
E-mail: mary.a.smith@uth.tmc.edu