Learn more about the UTSA-UT Health San Antonio Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering, our administrators, faculty and research.
OUR FACULTY
Leading researchers. Passionate about biomedicine.
Making an impact on the future through the integration of engineering & biology.
​
Program Director, Burzik Professor of Engineering Design and Associate Professor,
Department of Biomedical Engineering, UTSA;
Research Thrust Lead, MATRIX AI Consortium
Areas of Research Interest:
-
Systems biology
-
Neurovasculature regeneration
-
Computational modeling & artificial intelligence
-
Precision medicine for hematological and neurological disorders
Program Co-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
​
​
Acting Department Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering, UTSA
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
Interim Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design and Edward E. Whitacre Endowed Chair,
Department of Biomedical Engineering, UTSA;
Founder, Institute of Regenerative Medicine
Areas of Research Interest
-
Regenerative medicine
-
Vascular tissue engineering
-
Biomaterials
-
Imaging
​
2022 Program Director, Professor
Department of Biomedical Engineering, UTSA
Areas of Research Interest:
-
Label-free optical biosensing for biomolecular and cellular assays
-
Photoacoustic Tomography for traumatic brain injury and cancer research
-
Controlled drug delivery with nano-carriers based on metal-organic frameworks
-
Endotoxin testing via an open-microcavity optical biosensor
​
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.
​
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
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)
​
​
Assistant Professor, Cellular and Integrative Physiology, UT Health
-
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
Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health
Areas of Research Interests:
-
Understand the function and regulation of the multiprotein Mediator of transcription
-
X-linked intellectual disability and Alzheimer's disease
-
Biochemistry, Molecular/Cell biology, human stem cell and animal-based models
Professor, Cell Systems and Anatomy, UT Health
-
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
Staff Engineer, Southwest Research Institute
Areas of Research Interest:
-
Image and Signal Processing, Medical Devices Research
-
Research, development and testing of medical devices
-
Cardiovascular signal processing and analysis
​
​
Adjoint Assistant Professor United States Army Institute of Surgical Research, UTSA, Fort Sam
Associate Professor, Barshop Institute, UT Health
Areas of Research Interest:
-
Genetic and epigenetic regulation of neuronal aging, age-dependent axon regeneration and cancer
-
Microtubule dynamics and aging
-
Role of CELF RNA binding proteins in neuronal development and aging
-
Enhancer regulation in axon regeneration and cancer
​
Professor, Department of Developmental Dentistry, UT Health
Areas of Research Interest:
-
To determine molecular mechanisms of the tissue-specific dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) during tooth development
-
To determine roles of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (Bmp2) during tooth development
-
To determine biological functions of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) in vitro and in vivo during tooth formation
​
Professor, Comprehensive Dentistry, UT Health
-
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
​
​
​
Associate Professor, Kinesiology, UTSA
-
Altered skeletal muscle properties in obesity and diet intervention
-
Gut bacteriome and mycobiome and their interactions in metabolic diseases in offspring born from obese mothers
-
Underlying mechanisms of conventional therapies (Acupuncture, electrostimulation, and nutritional supplementation) to attenuate muscle atrophy
​
Chief, MRI Division/ Professor, Radiology, UT Health
-
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.
Professor of Emergency Medicine, UT Health
-
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
​
Otolaryngology, Fort Sam Houston
Areas of Research Interest:
-
Otolaryngology
-
Laryngotracheal Stenosis
-
Professional Voice
-
Subglottic Stenosis
-
Vocal Cord Polyps, Cysts, and Nodules
-
Vocal fold paralysis
​
​
Professor, Computational and Experimental Mechanics, Mechanical Engineering, UTSA
Areas of Research Interest:
-
Vascular biomechanics
-
Abdominal aortic aneurysms
-
Pulmonary hypertension
-
Non-destructive tissue mechanics
Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, UTSA
Areas of Research Interest:
-
Computational Biology
-
Digital Signal Processing
-
Mathematical Foundations of Machine Learning
-
Deep Learning
Director, Research Imaging Institute
-
Clinical Neurobiology
-
Cognitive Neurobiology
-
Computational Neurobiology
-
Imaging Methodology
-
Neuromodulation Methods
-
Research Mentoring
Assistant Professor, Kinesiology. UTSA
Areas of Research Interest:
-
Maternal/infant health
-
Optimizing nutritional status to enhance performance across the lifespan.
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
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, UTSA
Areas of Research Interest:
-
Rotator Cuff Tears
-
Vertebral Fractures and Prediction
-
Spine Metastasis
-
Rehabilitation
​
​
​
​
Assistant Professor, Director of Basic Science Research, Department of Orthopaedics, UT Health
Areas of Research Interest:
-
Bone regeneration and healing by using preclinical and translational in vivo models to develop novel treatments
-
Mechano-biology
-
therapies to improve the regeneration of bone tissue by means of improving the effectiveness of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) while minimizing the side effects and doses required
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
​
Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Structural Biology, UT Health
Areas of Research Interest:
-
Structural and Chemical Biology
-
RNA modifications
-
Epigenetic Mechanisms
-
Sarcoma and Leukemia
-
Drug Discovery
Assistant Professor of Radiology, Director Biggs Institute Neuroimaging Core, UT Health
Areas of Research Interest:
-
Neuroimaging
-
Medical Image Analysis
-
Cerebral Small Vessel Disease
-
Deep Learning
-
Epidemiology
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
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
​
​
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
​
Professor and Director of the Brain Health Consortium, UTSA
-
Epilepsy-in-a-dish
-
3D cerebral organoids
-
Patient recruitment
-
Mechanisms of adult neurogenesis.
​
Professor, Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, UT Health
Areas of Research Interest:
-
Crosstalk between the genetic and epigenetic regulators and signaling pathways that regulate hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal, differentiation, apoptosis, inflammation, and immune response as well as mechanisms underlying ineffective hematopoiesis.
​
​
Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering, UTSA
-
Catalyst Characterization
-
Hydrogen Production Catalysis
-
Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis
-
Dehydrocyclization of paraffins
-
Solid superacid catalysts
-
Model catalysts
​
​
​
​
Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health
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
​
​
Associate Professor, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, UT Health
-
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
​
Professor, Biology, UTSA
-
Cell Adhesion; Cell Biology
-
Disorders of the Temporomandibular Joint
-
Extracellular Matrix Molecules in Cancers and in Diabetes Complications
-
Regenerative Medicine; Tissue Regeneration
​
​
​
​
​
Assistant Professor, Cellular and Integrative Physiology, UT Health
-
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
​
Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Structural Biology, UT Health
-
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
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
Assistant Professor, Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's & Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Pharmacology, UT Health
Areas of Research Interest:​
-
Neurodevelopmental disorders, like schizophrenia, and neurodegenerative disorders, like Alzheimer’s disease, are highly heritable diseases.
-
Determine risk genes/transcripts across a range of human brain diseases
Adjoint Professor, Biomedical Engineering Joint Program, SWRI
Areas of Research Interests:
-
Biomechanics
-
Computational Modeling
-
Probabilistic Analysis
-
Optimization
-
Bone Biomechanics
-
Micro-mechanics
-
Tissue Engineering
-
Research and Development (R&D)
-
Nanoparticles, and Microscopy
-
​
​
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
​
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
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, UTSA
Areas of Research Interest:
-
Computational Modeling
-
Self-Assembly in Soft Matter
-
Statistical Thermodynamics
-
Collective Phenomena in Networks
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
Assistant Professor Chemical Engineering Program, UTSA
-
Macromolecular Bio-Interfaces for cell manipulation
-
Biologically inspired drug delivery systems
-
Soft biomedical materials
-
Stimuli-responsive macromolecules
Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, UTSA
-
Neuroscience
-
Patch-Clamp Electrophysiology
-
Synaptic Plasticity
-
Synaptic Transmission
​
​
​
​
​
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
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
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
​
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, UTSA
-
Electrokinetics
-
Micro/nanofluidics
-
Lab-on-a-chip
-
Systems bioengineering
Professor of Biochemistry & Structural Biology
Robert A Welch Distinguished Chair in Chemistry, UT Health
-
DNA damage response
-
DNA Repair Genes and Proteins of the RAD52 Group
-
Chromosome Damage Repair via the BRCA1/2 Axis
-
Tumor suppression
Graduate Admissions Chair, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, UTSA
Areas of Research Interest:
-
Nanomaterials and nanomedicine
-
Nano-biotechnology, nanosensor, nano-photonics
-
Microfluidics
​
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
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
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.
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
​
​
​
​
​
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, UTSA
-
Soft biomaterials
-
Biosensing
-
Drug delivery
-
Nanotechnology
-
Cell and tissue engineering
​
​
​
​
Professor, Biochemistry, UT Health
-
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
Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Medicine, UT Health
-
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
​
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
Adjoint Professor, Biomedical Engineering, UTSA
Areas of Research Interest:
-
Materials Engineering
-
Their most recent publication is 'Development of Electrospun Chitosan-Polyethylene Oxide/Fibrinogen Biocomposite for Potential Wound Healing Applications'.
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