ÃÛÌÒAPP

I develop new tools for cancer immunotherapy including adoptive Natural Killer (NK) and CAR-T therapies. I also research mechanisms of drug resistance in leukemia and lymphoma, and understand mechanisms of NK cell cytotoxicity to improve NK therapy.

Reshmi Parameswaran

My research is in structure-function studies of rhodopsin, molecular mechanisms of retinal degeneration, and rhodopsin dysfunction in retinal disease. 

Methods to stimulate regeneration of damaged or diseased neurons represents a major therapeutic goal for neurodegenerative diseases. Zebrafish have the capacity to regenerate lost neurons and our goal is to understand how the fish regenerates cells of the retina so that we can perhaps one day mimic the same process in order to restore vision. We will study retinal degeneration in zebrafish carrying mutations that lead to progressive neuronal degeneration and determine the role of microglia and Notch signaling in promoting neuronal regeneration.

I research molecular mechanisms of neural circuit assembly during development, genetic control of phrenic motor neuron identity; synaptic specificity in respiratory circuits; Hox genes.

Polyxeni (Pola) Philippidou's Biography

Neuropsychiatry with particular focus on neurodegeneration in disease, injury, and aging; translational basic science leading to new therapies for patients. 

Studies of cholesterol maintenance in the retina and brain to delineate the importance of cholesterol-related pathways for retinal and brain functions and whether pharmacologic modulation of these pathways could lead to disease-modifying treatments for retinal and brain disorders.

Irina Pikuleva's Biography 

I focus on basic and translational research in gut mucosal immunity, including IBD and colitis-associated cancer. I also research sex differences and impact of microbiome in IBD and basic cytokine biology, particularly of IL-1 family members. 

Theresa Pizarro's Biography 

I research altered mitochondrial quality control and metabolic dysregulation in neurodegenerative disease - Huntington's, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and develop therapeutics for these diseases. 

I research molecular mechanisms of membrane remodeling, fission and fusion in synaptic vesicle endocytosis and mitochondrial dynamics.

I research the regulation of signal transduction in health and disease: autoimmune diabetes, inflammatory diseases and cancer.

Parameswaran Ramakrishnan's Biography