CTNT Leadership and Members
Membership Information
CTNT Members are expected to have an active laboratory and funded research program. They propose joint scholarly projects and may request seed funds for publications and grant applications
Associate, Clinical, and Trainee members are encouraged to participate in CTNT scholarly and research activities, suggest research ideas for joint scholarly projects and/or provide the clinical perspective.
If interested in joint CTNT please contact CTNT Director, Dr. Volker Neugebauer
Leadership Information
Volker Neugebauer, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Dept. of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, 香蕉直播
Breanna N. Harris, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Biological Sciences, TTU
Boris Decourt, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, 香蕉直播
Josee Guindon, DVM, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Dept. of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, 香蕉直播
Andrey Karamyshev, Ph.D.
Professor, Dept. of Cell Biology and Biochemistry
J. Josh Lawrence, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Dept. of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, 香蕉直播
Lance McMahon, MS, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation, 香蕉直播
Leslie Shen, Ph.D.
Professor, Dept. of Pathology, 香蕉直播
Miles Day, M.D.
Professor, Dept. of Anesthesiology, Director, Pain Fellowship Program, Director, International
Pain Center, 香蕉直播
John DeToledo, M.D.
Professor and Chair, Dept. of Neurology, 香蕉直播
Sarah Wakefield, M.D.
Associate Professor and Chair, Dept. of Psychiatry,
Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry services, 香蕉直播
CTNT Members
Luis Cuello, Ph.D.
Professor, Dept. of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, 香蕉直播
Research expertise/interest: How do conformational changes of ion channel structures define their biological function?
Keywords: Thermodynamic, ion channel kinetics, protein structure, crystallography, electrophysiology,
fluorescence spectroscopy, continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy,
isothermal titration calorimetry and microscale thermophoresis.
Boris Decourt, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Pharmacology and Neuroscience
Research Interests: Neurobiologist specializing in biomarker development and in translational drug development
approaches using inflammation modulators to study the molecular pathophysiological
changes taking place at early stages of neurological disorders, with the ultimate
goal of slowing down or curing the diseases via early intervention before severe neurodegeneration
and dementia occur.
Petar Grozdanov, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Dept. Pharmacology and Neuroscience
Keywords: Regulation of gene expression by alternative polyadenylation, Molecular mechanisms
of alternative polyadenylation, Alcohol use disorder, Alzheimer's disease, Intellectual
disability syndromes, Epilepsy, Neurodegenerative diseases, Aging.
Vadivel Ganapathy, Ph.D.
Professor, Dept. of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, 香蕉直播
Research interest: Ketogenic diets and exercise are known to be effective in reducing the risk and improving
the symptoms of Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. We hypothesize that the lactate receptor mediates
the beneficial effects of exercise and the niacin receptor mediates the beneficial
effects of ketogenic diets. We investigate this issue using a double-knockout mouse
that lacks both receptors. We have already shown that the double-knockout mice exhibit
increased memory loss. To understand the role of amyloids in the process, we have
crossed this double-knockout mouse with a humanized mouse that expresses mouse APP
with mutations mimicking human APP. We also study the role of ketone bodies in brain
function and in blood-brain barrier integrity using a knockout mouse that lacks Hmgcs2,
the rate-limiting enzyme in ketogenesis. In another project, we investigate the role
of the amino acid transporter SLC38A5 in BBB endothelial cells in the delivery of
critical amino acids to the brain. This transporter has been shown to be obligatory
for the delivery of serine to the brain where it is subsequently converted into D-
serine, the endogenous potentiator of glutamate signaling.
Keywords: Alzheimer鈥檚 disease; lactate receptor; niacin receptor; ketone bodies and brain function;
ketone bodies and angiogenesis; blood-brain barrier; amino acid delivery to brain
Nadia German, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, 香蕉直播
Josee Guindon, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Dept, of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, 香蕉直播
Research Interests: Behavioral pharmacology, immunohistochemistry, molecular biology (RT-PCR, Western
blot), animal pain models (inflammatory, neuropathic, surgical), modulation of pain
pathways (exercise, etc.), kidney physiological pathways
Breanna N. Harris, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Biological Sciences, TTU
Research Expertise/Interest: stress-responses at various biological levels in health, anxiety, feeding, and risk-taking
behaviors, reproduction, cognitive function, and aging, in animals and humans
George Henderson, Ph.D.
Professor, Dept. of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, 香蕉直播
Research Interests: Alcohol, environmental toxins, neurons, gila, apoptosis, oxidative stress
Michaela Jansen, Ph.D.
Professor, Dept. of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, Associate Dean for Medical
Education and Accreditation, 香蕉直播
Research Expertise/Interest: Mechanisms, functions and drug targets of neurotransmitter receptors and their protein
networks. Mechanisms of clinically used drugs and novel drug target discovery and
characterization.
Keywords: Drug targets, protein-protein interactions, molecular pharmacology, molecular biology,
pharmacology
Guangchen Ji, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor, Dept. of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, 香蕉直播
Research Interests: Electrophysiological single-cell recordings in different brain areas and various behavioral
assays to correlate neuronal activity with pain-related behavior
Andrey Karamyshev, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Dept. of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, 香蕉直播
Research Expertise/Interest: Molecular mechanisms of human diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, regulation of
protein synthesis and protein transport.
Keywords: Molecular and cellular biology; human diseases; neurodegenerative disorders; translational
control; protein synthesis; ribosome; RNA stability and degradation; protein quality
control
Zemfira Karamysheva, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Dept. of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, 香蕉直播
Research Expertise/Interest: mRNA translation and ribosome specialization and their dysregulation in human diseases,
including neurodegenerative and other neurological diseases, as well as translational
control in drug resistance
Irene La-Beck, PharmD
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Immunotherapeutics & Biotechnology, 香蕉直播-Abilene
J. Josh Lawrence, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Dept. of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, 香蕉直播
Research Expertise/Interest: nutritional deficiencies, excitation/inhibition balance in disease states, hippocampal
neuromodulation, aging, Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, epilepsy, autism.
Hongjun Liang, Ph.D.
Professor, Dept. of Cell Physiology and Molecular Biophysics, 香蕉直播
Aric Logsdon, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, 香蕉直播
Research Expertise/Interest: Blood-brain Barrier Physiology, Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke, Neuroinflammation
and Neurodegeneration, Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias, Neuropharmacology
and Brain-drug Delivery, Glycobiology and Glycomics
Clinton MacDonald, Ph.D.
Professor, Dept. of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, 香蕉直播
Research Expertise/Interest: Mechanisms tissue-specific mRNA polyadenylation including brain and testis. Molecular
biology of X-linked intellectual disability. Mechanisms of mRNA processing in spermatogenesis.
Keywords: Gene expression, molecular biology, mRNA processing, polyadenylation, neurodevelopment,
spermatogenesis
Maria Manczak, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor, Garrison Institute on Aging and Department of Neurology,
香蕉直播
Lance McMahon, Ph.D.
Professor, SOP, Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation, 香蕉直播
Volker Neugebauer, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Dept. of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, 香蕉直播, Executive Director,
Garrison Institute on Aging, 香蕉直播
Research Expertise/Interest: Brain research, neuroplasticity in health and disease; chronic pain and opioids, neurodegenerative
diseases (Alzheimer鈥檚 disease), anxio-depressive comorbidities; preclinical models
and approaches, human tissue analyses, studies and interventions in humans.
Igor Ponomarev, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Dept. of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, 香蕉直播
Research Interests: Molecular mechanisms of cellular plasticity in models of Alcohol Use Disorder. Neurogenomics.
Drug repurposing.
Andrew Shin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Nutritional Sciences, TTU
Research: Understanding how the brain controls metabolism and nutrient partitioning as well
as the long-term regulation of body weight and appetite and the underlying mechanisms
of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery. Understanding the role of insulin action
in the brain in regulating branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) metabolism and how this
central control can contribute to glucose homeostasis by using molecular, pharmacological,
transgenic, surgical, and integrative physiological approaches
Keywords: neuroendocrinology, inter-organ crosstalk, gut hormones, satiety hormones, obesity,
diabetes, neurodegeneration, gut microbiota, HPA axis, brain manipulation, opto/chemogenetics,
autonomic denervation, pancreatic clamps, other integrative physiological and behavioral
in vivo tests, metabolism, obesity, diabetes, bariatric surgery, brain function, and
neurodegenerative diseases
Jenny Wilkerson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 香蕉直播-Amarillo
Research: Pain, Drug addiction/dependence, natural product drug development
Keywords: peripheral neuropathic pain, cancer pain, drug dependence/abuse, drug discovery
Hongmin Wang, Ph.D.
Professor, Dept. of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, 香蕉直播
Research Interests: My research focuses on neuroprotection and repair of the damaged brain involved in
Alzheimer鈥檚 disease and ischemic stroke. We are particularly interested in the role
of proteostasis and some specific transcription factors in the pathogenesis of these
diseases. Using both genetically modified mice and cell models, including the cultured
stem cells, as well as multiple approaches, we aim at (1) investigating the pathogenic
mechanisms of the diseases, (2) identifying the targets that can be 鈥渄ruggable鈥 for
the disorders, and (3) screening and validating the therapeutic agents that can be
used for treating these diseases.
Keywords: Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, ischemic stroke, proteostasis, neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation,
neuroprotection, therapeutics.
Mirla Avila, M.D.
Associate Professor, Dept. of Neurology, 香蕉直播
Jeremy Bailoo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, 香蕉直播
Keywords: Animal Welfare, Animal Cognition, Behavioral Neuroscience, Environmental Toxicology,
Research Ethics and Policy
Michael Blanton, Ph.D.
Professor and Vice Chair, Dept. of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Sr. Associate Dean,
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Director, MD/PhD Program, Graduate Advisor,
Translational Neuroscience and Pharmacology, 香蕉直播
Ryan Brown, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Human Development and Family Sciences, TTU
Keywords: psychoneuroimmunology, stress measurement, biopsychosocial mechanisms underlying health
disparities across the lifespan, grief/loss, and hormetic stress interventions
Hui CHen, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, TTU
Research Expertise/Interest: "Biochemical Sensing鈥, the long-term goal of his 鈥淎ccessible Diagnostic Research Lab鈥
is to develop accessible, user-friendly, fast, and cost-effective diagnostic tools,
motived by addressing healthcare disparities.
Keywords: Point of care testing, smart molecular switch, microfluidics, biomimicking sensors,
molecular imaging, chemical education
Miles Day, M.D.
Professor, Dept. of Anesthesiology, Director, Pain Fellowship Program, Director International
Pain Center, 香蕉直播
Research Expertise/Interest: The interventional treatment of complex facial pain.
John DeToledo, M.D.
Professor and Chair, Dept. of Neurology, 香蕉直播
Jeremy Donai, AuD, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Audiology Program Director Dept. of Speech-Language-Hearing
Sciences, School of Health Professions
Matthew Grisham, Ph.D.
Professor, Dept. of Immunology and Molecular Microbiology, 香蕉直播
Chanaka Kahathuduwa, MBBS, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Laboratory Science and Primary Care (PA Program), Clinical
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry, 香蕉直播
Affiliate Faculty, Dept. of Human Development and Family Studies, TTU
Hui Ying Luk, Ph.D., CSCS*D
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Kinesiology and Sport Management, TTU
Emily Pereira, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, TTU
Research Expertise/Interest: control theory, complex networks, cyber-neural systems, neuroscience, designing and
analyzing novel control strategies, algorithms, and statistical learning tools to
better understand complex dynamical networks, such as the brain including epilepsy
Adam Schmidt, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychological Sciences, TTU
Leslie Shen, Ph.D.
Professor, Dept. of Pathology, Director, Center of Excellence for Integrative Health,
香蕉直播
Jonathan Singer, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychological Sciences, TTU, Clinical Assistant Professor,
Dept. of Psychiatry, 香蕉直播
Travis Thompson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics, TTU
Research Expertise/Interest: Dr. Thompson uses mathematics, computing and machine learning to understand the brain,
metabolic and age-related neuropathologies, like Alzheimer's disease.
Keywords: Mathematical modeling, Scientific computing, Machine learning, Metabolic disorders,
Neurodegenerative diseases
Sarah Wakefield, M.D.
Associate Professor and Chair, Dept. of Psychiatry,
Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Services, 香蕉直播
Research Expertise/Interest: Mental health, mental health of justice involved youth, perinatal mental health, youth
depression and suicide.
Henrik Wilms, M.D., Ph.D.
Abraham Tarbox Chair for Neurodegenerative Diseases, CH-Foundation Chair in Parkinson's
Disease Research, Associate Professor, Dept. of Neurology, 香蕉直播
Peyton Presto, M.D./Ph.D. Student
Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience
Brent Kisby, Ph.D. Student
Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience
Keywords: brain microvasculature, neuroimmune, ethanol drinking
Damla Yagmur, M.D., Clinical Fellow
Department of Geriatric Medicine