OUR FACULTY

Amina Qutub, Ph.D.

Program Director, Associate Professor,

Department of Biomedical Engineering, UTSA

Research Thrust Lead, MATRIX AI Consortium

Areas of Research Interest:

• Systems biology

• Neurovasculature regeneration

• Computational modeling & AI

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Jean Jiang, Ph.D.

Program Associate Director, Professor and Zachry Distinguished University Chair, Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

• To investigate the functional significance of gap junctions, hemichannels and integrins in signaling transmission.

• Structural and cellular biology

​

Eric Brey, Ph.D.

Edward E. Whitacre Endowed Chair,

Department of Biomedical Engineering, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest

• Regenerative medicine

• Vascular tissue engineering

• Biomaterials

• Imaging

​

​

​

​

​

Liang Tang, Ph.D.

Graduate Admissions Chair, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

• Nanomaterials and nanomedicine

• Nano-biotechnology, nanosensor, nano-photonics

• Microfluidics

​

Nehal Abu-Lail, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:​

• Articular cartilage tissue engineering

• Cellular-surface interactions from the nanoscale to macroscale

• Bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation for environmental and medical applications

• Why women are minorities in engineering in the US

Animesh Agarwal, M.D.

Professor, Trauma Service/ Chief of Trauma Division, Orthopedic Surgery

Areas of Research Interest:

• Diabetes and its effects on the musculoskeletal system

• Fracture healing

• Biomechanism of cartilage and bone

• Retrograde femoral nailing

• Knee dislocations and cruciate injuries

• Bone graft/filler substitutes

• Wound VAC applications.

​

Mark R. Appleford, Ph.D.

Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs, Biomedical Engineering, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

• Protein signaling of mechanotransduction in bone cells

• Bone reconstruction following osteosarcoma and severe trauma

• Investigation of angiogenesis applied to tissue engineering strategies

• Experimental and theoretical mechanical behavior of orthopedic implants and tissue-material hybrids

Rena Bizios, Ph.D.

Lutcher Brown Endowed Chair Professor, Biomedical Engineering, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

• Cellular and Tissue Engineering

• Tissue regeneration

• Biomaterials (including nanostructured ones)

• Mechanisms of cellular responses to stimuli (chemical, mechanical, magnetic, electrical)

• Biocompatibility (specifically, cell/biomaterial interactions)

​

​

Jean Bopassa, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Cellular and Integrative Physiology, UT Health

Areas of Research Interests:

• Investigate the role of mitochondria in cardioprotective effect of hormones against ischemia/reperfusion injury and heart failure.

• Cardiovascular Pharmacology

• Mitochondrial signaling

• Pharmacological and genetic approaches

Andrew Brenner, M.D.

Assistant Professor, Cell Systems and Anatomy, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

• Breast cancer and malignancies of the brain and spinal cord

• Medical and Experimental Oncology

• Role of obesity in promoting breast tumorigenesis

• Effect of hypoxia on chemokines and escape from antiangiogenics

Robert Brenner, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Cellular and Integrative Physiology, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

• Large conductance (BK-type) calcium-activated potassium channels

• Potassium Channel Biophysical Studies

• Potassium Channel Regulation of Smooth Muscle Function

• Potassium Channel Regulation of Neuronal Action Potentials

Yidong Bai, Ph.D.

Professor, Cell Systems and Anatomy, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

• Epigenetics of energy homeostasis, bioenergetics and obesity

• Regulation of Mitochondrial Respiratory Complex I Dynamics

• Mechanisms cy which CU/ZNSOD overexpression improves metabolic health in rats

• Regulation and Function of Adiponectin Oligomerization

• Enhancement of Sustainable Research

Shuo Chen, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor, Developmental Dentistry, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

• Molecular mechanisms of the tissue-specific dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) during tooth development

• Role of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (Bmp2) during tooth development

• Biological functions of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) in vitro and in vivo during tooth formation

Xiao-Dong Chen, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor, Comprehensive Dentistry, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

• Reconstitute tissue-specific stem cell niche in vitro to control stem cell fate for tissue regenerative purposes

• Young Extracellular Matrix Rejuvenating Old Mesenchymal Stem Cells

• Bone Biology and Mineral Research

​

​

Geoffrey D. Clarke, Ph.D.

Chief, MRI Division/ Professor, Radiology, UT Health

Areas of Research Interests:

• Cardiovascular Imaging Physics including magnetic resonance imaging of coronary flow and flow reserve, regional myocardial blood volume, left ventricular function, myocardial perfusion, epicardial fat, and vascular imaging agents.

• In-vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy including phosphorus-31 MRS in skeletal muscle, hydrogen-1 MRS of lipids in skeletal muscle, myocardial muscle, and liver.

Robert De Lorenzo, M.D.

Professor of Emergency Medicine, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

• Vancomycin Powder for Acute Long-Bone, Open-Fracture Infection Prophylaxis: a Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial

• Airway Intubation Assistance Devices with Haptic and Physiologic Feedback

• Assessment of far forward provider performance in using a hand-held Algorithmic EEG device to screen traumatic brain injury

David Devereaux Dean, B.S, Ph.D.
 

Adjoint Professor, School of Dentistry, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

• Examining how osteoblasts interact with titanium implant surfaces and the role of arachidonic acid metabolites in regulating osteoblast response

• Isolating and characterizing wear debris particles from resin, wear machine fluids, and tissues

• Developing tissue engineering scaffolds for bone repair

​

​

Ender Finol, Ph.D.

Professor, Computational and Experimental Mechanics, Mechanical Engineering, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

• Vascular biomechanics

• Abdominal aortic aneurysms

• Pulmonary hypertension

• Non-destructive tissue mechanics

Peter Fox, M.D.

Director, Research Imaging Institute

Areas of Research Interest:

• Clinical Neurobiology

• Cognitive Neurobiology

• Computational Neurobiology

• Imaging Methodology

• Neuromodulation Methods

• Research Mentoring

Laura Gaviria, Ph.D.

Senior Lecturer, Biomedical Engineering, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

• Spatio-temporal delivery of growth factors for vascularized bone tissue regeneration

• Drug delivery and microencapsulation

• Synthetic biomaterials for bone regeneration

• Vascular regeneration in bone healing

Hugo Giambini, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

• Rotator Cuff Tears

• Vertebral Fractures and Prediction

• Spine Metastasis

• Rehabilitation

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Randolph D Glickman, Ph.D.
 

Professor, Ophthalmology, UT Health

Areas of Research Interests:

• Laser bioeffects and medical applications

• Photosensitized free-radical reactions in the eye

• Light damage and repair mechanisms in the eye

• Retinal information processing, photodynamic therapy

• Optical tissue diagnostic spectroscopy

• Ocular pharmacology

​

​

Teja Guda, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

• Bioreactors for musculoskeletal tissues

• Bone tissue engineering

• Interplay of biophysical and biochemical stimuli

• Cell and drug delivery for orthopedic regeneration

• Mechanical modeling of biological architectures

​

​

​

​

Yogesh Gupta, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Structural Biology, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

•  X-ray crystallography

• NMR spectroscopy

• small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS)

• Other solution biophysics methods

Marzieh Hajiaghamemar, Ph.D., P.E.
 

Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

• Injury biomechanics 

• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) 

• Finite Element Modeling 

• Biomarkers of TBI 

• Preclinical-Clinical Translation in TBI  

Hai-Chao Han, Ph.D.

Professor and Zachry Mechanical Engineering Department Endowed Chair, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

• Cardiovascular Biomechanics

• Left ventricular remodeling post-myocardial infarction or due to aging

• Vascular remodeling in response to mechanical stress

• Mechanism of artery buckling and tortuosity

​

​

​

​

R. Lyle Hood, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

• Medical Device Design

• Controlled Drug Delivery

• MEMS/NEMS

• Microneedles

• Photothermal Therapies

• Implant Development

• Minimally-Invasive Interventions

​

​

​

​

​

Jenny Hsieh, Ph.D.

Professor and Director of the Brain Health Consortium, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

• Epilepsy-in-a-dish

• 3D cerebral organoids

• Patient recruitment

• Mechanisms of adult neurogenesis.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Gary Jacobs, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

• Catalyst Characterization

• Hydrogen Production Catalysis

• Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis

• Dehydrocyclization of paraffins

• Solid superacid catalysts

• Model catalysts

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Victor Jin, Ph.D.

Professor, Molecular Medicine, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

• Developing computational and genomics approaches for the identification of genomic regulatory elements at 1D and 3D manners

• Functionally and mechanistically characterizing the computational predictions

• Developing computational pipelines to aid molecular biomarker discovery

​

​

​

​

Yufang Jin, Ph.D.

Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

• Synchronization and parameter estimation of chaotic systems

• Vision-based control for mobile robots

• Robust adaptive control design for nonlinear systems

• Observer design for nonlinear systems

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Yu Shin Kim, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

• Identifying novel plasticity mechanisms underlying the transition from acute to chronic pain

• Examining the mechanism of Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD)

• Determining the mechanism of ongoing and evoked pain

​

​

​

​

Richard LeBaron, Ph.D.

Professor, Biology, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

• Cell Adhesion; Cell Biology

• Disorders of the Temporomandibular Joint

• Extracellular Matrix Molecules in Cancers and in Diabetes Complications

• Regenerative Medicine; Tissue Regeneration

​

​

​

​

​

Hye Lee, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Cellular and Integrative Physiology, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

• Identifying the molecular mechanisms responsible for the pathophysiology of autism and related disorders, and using these mechanisms to rescue behavioral dysfunction in mouse models

• Elucidating specific autistic behaviors including social communication deficits and repetitive behaviors, and identifying the brain region(s) and neuron groups

​

​

​

David Libich, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Structural Biology, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

• Understanding the assembly and functional interactions of low-complexity RNA-binding proteins involved in cancer and neurodegenerative processes

• Oncogenic fusion protein EWS-Fli1 and the structural implications of its role as the sole driver of Ewing's sarcoma

• characterizing, at atomic resolution,  structural features of proteins and their its macromolecular interactions

​

Zhijie (Jason) Liu, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Molecular Medicine, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

• Explore the roles and regulation mechanisms of signaling-dependent gene regulation programs in normal development and disease conditions

• Decipher the epigenetic and 3D architectural changes of the cis-regulatory elements upon developmental/pathological stimuli and during hormone/drug resistance acquisition in cancers

​

​

Andrew Meyer, M.D.

Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:​

• Pediatric Medicine

• Contact Pathway Activation in Vascular Devices

• Platelet-derived microparticles generated by pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass As a novel biomarker of post-operative patient outcomes

• Define optimal operating parameters for extracorporeal support in a clinically relevant in vitro ECMO model using human blood

Dimitrios Miserlis, M.D.

Assistant Professor of Surgery, UT Health

Areas of Research Interests:

• Micro-Robotics with integrated Artificial Intelligence for Endovascular
  interventions

• Peripheral Arterial Disease
  Myopathy

• Artificial Intelligence and Mobile phone Bioinformatics Project for
  Pandemic control and Health Care recourses management
  COVID-19

​

​

​

Anson Ong, Ph.D.

Senior Associate Dean of Administration and Graduate Programs, Biomedical Engineering, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

Fundamental:

• Tissue Engineering

• Surface Modification

• Implants

• Materials Characterization

• In vitro cell culture studies

• In vivo animal studies

​

​

​

​

​

​

Martin Paukert, M.D.

Assistant Professor, Cellular and Integrative Physiology, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

• Astroglia-Neuron interplay

• Understanding molecular events and behavioral context leading to astroglia Ca2+ dynamics in awake mice

• Consequences for neuronal signaling and alterations of these signals in transgenic mouse models of neurodegenerative and neurobehavioral disease

​

​

​

​

Abelardo Ramirez-Hernandez, Ph.D.
 

Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

• Computational Modeling

• Self-Assembly in Soft Matter

• Statistical Thermodynamics

• Collective Phenomena in Networks

Christopher R. Rathbone, Ph.D.
 

Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

• Cell-based therapies for orthopaedic injuries

• Tissue engineering strategies for improving tissue perfusion

• Bioreactor technology development for skeletal muscle injuries/diseases

Gabriela Romero-Uribe, Ph.D.
 

Assistant Professor Chemical Engineering Program, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

• Macromolecular Bio-Interfaces for cell manipulation

• Biologically inspired drug delivery systems

• Soft biomedical materials

• Stimuli-responsive macromolecules

Fidel Santamaria, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, UTSA

Areas of Research Interests:

• Neuroscience

• Patch-Clamp Electrophysiology

• Synaptic Plasticity

• Synaptic Transmission

Philip Serwer, Ph.D.

Professor of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

• Translational Applications: Tumor-Directed Drug Delivery Vehicles and Neurodegenerative Disease

• Improved procedures for isolating environmental phages

• Isolation and characterization of capsids that have the characteristics needed for bypassing all limitations of current drug delivery vehicles

Amita R. Shah, M.D., PhD.

Associate Professor/Clinical and Faculty Physician

Adjunct Assistant Professor, UTSA & UTHSCSA

Areas of Research Interest:

•  Peri-operative fluid resuscitation
  strategies in free flap breast reconstruction

• Effect of internal mammary vessels radiation dose on outcomes of
  free flap breast reconstruction

• Issues affecting womens’ success in
  academic and private practice and in organized medicine

Eugene Sprague, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Radiology, UTSA & UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

• Vascular biology with particular emphasis on endothelial biology

• Exploring the influence of specific flow environments on the endothelial cellular and molecular mechanisms mediating key elements related to atherogenesis and restenosis at sites of stent revascularization

Patrick Sung, Ph.D.

Professor of Biochemistry & Structural Biology

Robert A Welch Distinguished Chair in Chemistry, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

• DNA damage response

• DNA Repair Genes and Proteins of the RAD52 Group

• Chromosome Damage Repair via the BRCA1/2 Axis

• Tumor suppression

Esteban E. Ureña-Benavides, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

• Colloids and surface science

• Processing and design of “green” nanoparticles

• Sustainable chemical processes

• Underground sequestration of CO2

• Nanocomposites

Howard Wang, M.D.

Professor, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Program Director, Plastic Surgery Residency Program

Areas of Research Interest:

• Cosmetic and reconstructive surgery

•  Regulation of adipose estrogen output by mechanical stress.

• Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling reveals parity-associated hypermethylation of FOXA1

•  Development and Evaluations of a Simulation Model for Microvascular Anastomosis Training Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery.

Xiaodu Wang, Ph.D.

Professor, ASME and AIMBE Fellow, Department of Mechanical Engineering, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

• Ultrastructure of hard tissues

• Micro/nanomechanics of bone

• Role of collagen in determining bone quality

• Prediction/prevention of age-related bone fractures

Susan Weintraub, Ph.D.

Professor, Biochemistry, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

• Selective Labeling and Identification of the Tumor Cell Proteome of Pancreatic Cancer In Vivo

•  GDF6-CD99 Signaling Regulates Src and Ewing Sarcoma Growth

•  Blueprinting of the human proteome

•  Extracellular vesicles from human iPSC-derived neural stem cells: miRNA and protein signatures, and anti-inflammatory and neurogenic properties

Kexin Xu, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health

Areas of Research Interests:

• The interaction between tissue-specific transcription factors and epigenetic regulators in transcriptional control

• The crosstalk among distinct types of epigenetic modifications in shaping the physical structure of genome

• The response of epigenetic tags to the external and internal stimuli

​

​

​

Feng-Chun Yang, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

• Understand the cellular/molecular mechanisms underlying ASXL1 alteration-mediated myeloid malignancies

• Identify novel therapeutic targets and to develop rational therapies to treat myeloid malignancies and to test if read-through compounds are capable of inducing full-length/functional ASXL1 expression in hematopoietic system 

Jing Yong Ye, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, UTSA

Areas of Research Interest:

• Noninvasive Detection of Prostate Cancer with a Label-Free Optical Imaging System

• Ultrasound Mediated Drug Delivery in 3D Tissue Model Quantified by Photoacoustic Tomography

• Limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) test via an open-microcavity optical biosensor

• Non-invasive, Transgene-free, on-demand Pharmacological Modulation of Neural Activity

Weixing Zhao, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Structural Biology, UT Health

Areas of Research Interest:

• Mutations in the BRCA1 (breast cancer 1) and BARD1(BRCA1-associatedRING domain protein 

• Cancer risk assessment

• Identify critical targets for the development of novel cancer therapeutics

• Neuroblastoma