| Name | Department | Title | Field | Research | Accepting Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
McTavish, Emily Jane
|
Life & Environmental Sciences | Associate Professor | Evolutionary Biology, Phylogenetics, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology |
Evolutionary information from large data sets to address big questions in a way that is biologically informed, statistically rigorous and computationally efficient. Email: ejmctavish@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Andresen Eguiluz, Roberto C.
|
Materials Science and Engineering | Assistant Professor | Biointerfaces, Biosurfaces, Mechanobiology, Cell-Substrate Interactions, Force Spectroscopy |
How molecular interactions mediate forces controlling function in biological systems. |
Yes |
|
Kim, Sora
|
Life & Environmental Sciences | Associate Professor | Paleobiology, Macroecology, Stable Isotopes, Elasmobranchs |
I explore the interaction between environmental change and biotic response with temporal and spatial variation using stable isotope analysis. Email: skim380@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
McCloskey, Kara E
|
Materials Science and Engineering | Professor | Cells, Tissue Engineering, Stem Cell Differentiation, Vascular Assembly, Microfluidics |
Directing endothelial cell (EC) fate. Derivation of stable angiogenic and non-angiogenic ECs from stem cells. EC assembly for developing functional cardiovascular tissues. Email: kmccloskey@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Aguirre-Muñoz, Zenaida
|
Cognitive & Information Sciences | Professor | STEM Teaching and Learning, Psychosocial Factors in Learning, Design Based Education Research, Cognitive Processes in STEM learning |
I study environments and processes that maximize STEM learning using principles, theory, and research methods from cognitive science and education. Email: zenaidaphd@gmail.com |
Yes |
|
Nobile, Clarissa J.
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Professor | Microbiology, Genetics, Biofilms, Transcriptional Regulation, Infectious Diseases |
The Nobile lab studies the molecular and mechanistic bases of medically relevant microbial communities. Email: cnobile@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Rube, H. Tomas
|
Applied Mathematics | Assistant Professor | Mathematical Biology, Machine Learning, Genomics, Molecular Systems Biology |
Developing machine-learning methods and paired high-throughput assays that quantify how proteins recognize DNA, RNA and peptides sequences. Email: trube@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Gopinathan, Ajay
|
Physics | Professor | Molecular and Cell Biology, Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics, Mathematical Biology, Computational Biology, Physical Biology |
Theory and computation to understand intracellular transport, regulation of cell shape and assemblies, and the collective migration of cells. Email: agopinathan@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Merg, Andrea
|
Chemistry & Biochemistry | Assistant Professor | Biomolecular Self-assembly, Peptide and Protein Chemistry, Bioconjugation, Biomaterials |
Design and construction of nanoscale biomaterials from the self-assembly of programmable biomolecular building blocks. Email: amerg@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Ge, Xuecai
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Associate Professor | Primary Cilia, Brain Development, Cell Signaling |
Mechanisms of cell signaling in the developing brain, focusing on primary cilium. How signaling errors lead to brain developmental disorders. Email: xge2@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
LiWang, Patricia
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Professor | Protein Biochemistry, Anti-Inflammatory Strategies, Antiviral Inhibition |
Protein-protein interactions involved in viral infection and inflammation, with the goal of designing anti-inflammatory compounds and better viral inhibitors. Email: pliwang@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Ortiz, Rudy M.
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Professor | Metabolism, Physiology, Diabetes, Endocrinology, Nutrition |
Metabolism in response to natural or dietary interventions including fasting and in metabolic diseases like diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Email: rortiz@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Ceballos, Ruben Michael
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Associate Professor | Microbiology, Virology, Biotechnology, Host-Pathogen Interactions, Biochemistry |
The Ceballos Lab studies host-virus interactions in multiple virus systems and develops biotechnologies for biofuels, agricultural, and biomedical applications Lab website Email: rceballos@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Hutchinson, Matt
|
Life & Environmental Sciences | Assistant Professor | Community Ecology, Behavioral Ecology, Large Mammals, Species Interactions |
My lab studies animal foraging behavior and its impacts on individuals, populations, and ecological communities. Email: mhutchinson6@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Jensen, Kirk
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Associate Professor | Immunology, Vaccines, Toxoplasma gondii, Genetics |
Toxoplasma gondii and host-immune responses, vaccine development, parasite pathogenesis Email: kjensen5@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Dumont, Elizabeth (Betsy)
|
Life & Environmental Sciences | Professor | Functional Morphology, Ecomorphology, Species Diversity |
The relationships among form, function and ecology in the evolution of species diversity. Lab website Email: edumont@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Sindi, Suzanne S.
|
Applied Mathematics | Professor | Mathematical Biology, Data Science, Machine Learning, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics |
Combining mechanistic modeling with data driven approaches to uncover knowledge in cellular signaling, protein misfolding diseases and blood coagulation. Email: ssindi@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Sexton, Jason (Jay)
|
Life & Environmental Sciences | Associate Professor | Ecological Genetics, Adaptation, Natural History, Conservation Biology, Species Range Limits |
We study the factors that determine species distributions, focusing on the processes and patterns of plant adaptation and diversification Email: jsexton2@ucmerced.edu |
No |
|
Gaiarsa, Marilia Palumbo
|
Life & Environmental Sciences | Assistant Professor | Ecological Networks, Pollination Ecology, Climate Change, Mutualism |
We integrate empirical and modelling approaches for the role ecological interactions in the maintenance of biodiversity in pollinators. Email: mgaiarsa@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Grasis, Juris A.
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Assistant Professor | Immunology, Virology, Microbiology, Metagenomics, Systems Biology |
Antiviral immunity and interactions with viral particles using multi-omic analyses and computational biology. Email: jagrasis@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Blois, Jessica
|
Life & Environmental Sciences | Professor | Community Ecology, Paleoecology, Paleoinformatics |
Biodiversity-environment-climate linkages – past, present, and future; mammals; data infrastructure; equity and inclusion in biology and earth sciences Email: jblois@ucmerced.edu |
No |
|
Amemiya, Chris T.
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Professor | EvoDevo, Genomics, Immune System, Developmental Biology |
Understanding the development and evolution of novelties in vertebrates. Email: camemiya@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Rutter, Erica
|
Applied Mathematics | Assistant Professor | Mathematical Modeling, Machine Learning, Image Processing, Mathematical Oncology, Mathematical Ecology |
The Rutter Lab uses mathematical modeling and machine learning to understand biological phenomena and make predictions about the future. Email: erutter2@ucmerced.edu |
No |
|
Smaldino, Paul
|
Cognitive & Information Sciences | Associate Professor | Social & Cultural Evolution, Learning, Communication, Cooperation, Formal Models |
I am interested in cultural evolution, cooperation, and complex systems. I use models to study how behaviors emerge and evolve. Email: psmaldino@ucmerced.edu |
No |
|
Oviedo, Nestor J
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Professor | Stem Cells & Cancer, Tissue Regeneration, Host-pathogen Interactions, Bioelectricity, Immunity |
Our group investigates fundamental mechanisms of stem cell regulation to gain insights into tissue repair, host-pathogen interactions, and malignant cell transformation. Email: noviedo2@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Manilay, Jennifer O.
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Professor | Immunology, Development, Hematopoiesis, Osteoimmunology |
Dr. Manilay's lab investigates questions in osteoimmunology: the intersection of developmental biology, immunology and skeletal biology. Email: jmanilay@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Shepardson, Kelly M.
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Assistant Professor | Host-Pathogenesis, Immunology, Fungal, Interferons |
Fungal pathogenesis and immunology, Aspergillus and host-immune responses, Viral-mediated susceptibility. Lab website: Email: kshepardson2@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Woo, Stephanie
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Assistant Professor | Developmental Biology, Tissue Morphogenesis, Cell Migration, Cytoskeleton Dynamics |
How cells work together to build tissues and organs in the developing embryo. Email: swoo6@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Spencer, Joel
|
Bioengineering | Associate Professor | Biomedical Optics, Intravital Microscopy, Hematopoiesis, Immunology, Cancer Biology |
Our lab seeks to develop novel imaging and sensing systems to study the hematopoietic and immune systems in health and disease. Email: joel.spencer@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Thompson, Michael
|
Chemistry & Biochemistry | Assistant Professor | Structural Biology, Biophysics, Enzymology, Protein Dynamics, X-ray Crystallography |
We develop methods at the frontier of structural biology and biophysics to study the function of biological macromolecules. Email: mthompson30@ucmerced.edu |
No |
|
Dutagaci, Bercem
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Assistant Professor | Computational Biophysics, Biomolecular Modeling, Molecular Dynamics, Transcription, Protein-Nucleic Acid Interactions |
Dutagaci Lab studies structure, dynamics, function and cellular organizations of biomolecules using computational modeling, molecular dynamics simulations and machine learning. Email: bdutagaci@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Wolf, Fred
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Professor | Neurobiology, Addiction, Animal Behavior, Genetics, Brain Circuits |
Molecular and neural circuit mechanisms for simple behavioral actions: alcohol plasticity for addiction, thirst motivation. Drosophila genetics and behavior. Email: fwolf@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Alba, Eva de
|
Bioengineering | Professor | Protein Structure, Dynamics and Function, Protein Engineering |
Molecular bases of inflammation, structure and function of protein receptors and sensors, protein engineering for biotechnological/biomedical applications |
No |
|
Beman, Michael
|
Life & Environmental Sciences | Associate Professor | Microbiology, Ecology, Biogeochemistry, Climate change |
We research microbial ecology and biogeochemistry from mountain peaks to the bottom of the ocean—and how this is changing Email: mbeman@ucmerced.edu |
No |
|
Nishiguchi, Michele K. (aka "Nish")
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Professor | Evolution, Microbiology, Symbiosis, Microbial Ecology, Invertibrate Zoology |
The Nishiguchi lab studies the evolution and ecology of beneficial symbiosis, and the molecular mechanisms which govern their interactions. She uses the bobtail squid-Vibrio symbiosis as a model to study beneficial associations. Email: nish@ucmerced.edu |
No |
|
Hernday, Aaron
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Associate Professor | Fungal Genetics, Genomics, Systems Biology, Transcriptional Networks, Epigenetics |
How transcriptional regulatory networks and epigenetic mechanisms control cellular differentiation, heritability, and virulence in unicellular microbes. Email: ahernday@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Subramaniam, Anand
|
Bioengineering | Associate Professor | Synthetic Biology, Soft Matter Physics, Colloid and Interface Science, Microfabrication and Microfluidics |
Email: asubramaniam@ucmerced.edu |
No |
|
Gopinath, Arvind
|
Bioengineering | Assistant Professor |
The origin of function in living matter at scales ranging from the molecular to multicellular. Email: agopinath@ucmerced.edu |
No | |
|
Visel, Axel
|
Molecular and Cell Biology, Joint Genome Institute | Adjunct Professor |
Human functional genomics and enhancers in development and disease Email: avisel@ucmerced.edu |
No | |
|
Liu, Bin
|
Physics | Assistant Professor |
Transport of microorganisms in complex environments, mechanics of biological media and mechanical metamaterials Email: bliu27@ucmerced.edu |
No | |
|
Frank, Carolin
|
Life & Environmental Sciences | Professor | Plant microbiomes; function, community assembly, transmission, and dispersal |
Our current work is on microbiomes in plants in natural ecosystems. We are always open to collaborating on new systems. Email: cfrank3@ucmerced.edu |
No |
|
Li, Changqing
|
Bioengineering | Professor |
Cancer imaging, cancer therapy, fluorescence molecular tomography, x-ray imaging, biomedical imaging system and algorithm Email: cli32@ucmerced.edu |
No | |
|
Ardell, David
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Associate Professor | Computational biology and evolution of gene expression mechanisms |
We use machine learning, data science and multi-scale theoretical models to investigate the evolutionary systems biology of tRNA-protein interactions. Email: dardell@ucmerced.edu |
No |
|
Moran, Emily
|
Life & Environmental Sciences | Associate Professor | Evolutionary ecology of plant responses to environmental change |
Observational and experimental ecological data, genetic markers, and statistical and simulation modeling to address questions about plant population biology. Email: emoran5@ucmerced.edu |
No |
|
Bennett, Gordon
|
Life & Environmental Sciences | Associate Professor | Evolution of animal-microbial symbioses |
How complex animal-microbe symbioses co-evolve and shape biological diversity. How ecological opportunity shapes insect evolution and diversity. Email: gbennett2@ucmerced.edu |
No |
|
Geekiyanage, Hirosha
|
Bioengineering | Assistant Professor |
The properties of intracellular miRNA and extracellular miRNA and their contribution to viral infections, disease pathologies, disease diagnosis and treatment. Email: dgeekiyanage@ucmerced.edu |
No | |
|
Xu, Jing
|
Physics | Associate Professor | Biophysics, Single Molecule, Optical Trapping, Microscopy |
Experimental and computational approaches to study how disease-associated changes in lipid membranes factors impact motor protein function and intracellular transport. Email: jxu8@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Yeakel, Justin
|
Life & Environmental Sciences | Associate Professor | Food Webs, Species Interactions, Paleoecology, Macroevolution |
How the constraints of organismal physiology drive species interactions in complex ecosystems over thousands to millions of years. Email: jyeakel@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Hoyer, Katrina
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Associate Professor |
Immune dysfunction mechanisms leading to disease. We focus on autoimmune disease and host immunity to Coccidioides. Email: khoyer2@ucmerced.edu |
No | |
|
Beaster-Jones, Laura
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Associate Teaching Professor |
Email: lbeaster-jones@ucmerced.edu |
No | |
|
Hirst, Linda
|
Physics | Professor | Experimental soft matter physics and biophysics |
In our lab we focus on developing and investigating new soft materials inspired by nano-science and biology. Email: lhirst@ucmerced.edu |
No |
|
Sogin, Maggie
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Assistant Professor | Microbial Ecology, Marine Biology, Symbiosis, Host-Microbe Interactions |
Ecology and evolution of host-microbe interactions in marine organisms. Email: esogin@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Garcia-Ojeda, Marcos
|
Medical Education | Teaching Professor | Biology Education Research |
My research integrates evidence-based practices and digital technologies to advance inclusive, student-centered biology and medical education for diverse populations. Email: mgarcia-ojeda@ucmerced.edu |
No |
|
Zoghbi, Maria
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Assistant Professor |
Currently our research is mainly focused on the little studied human mitochondrial ABC transporters. Email: mzoghbi@ucmerced.edu |
No | |
|
Colvin, Michael
|
Chemistry & Biochemistry | Professor | Computational Biology, Molecular Dynamics |
I use molecular dynamics simulations to study protein-protein interactions. Email: mcolvin@ucmerced.edu |
No |
|
Dawson, Michael
|
Life & Environmental Sciences | Professor | Biogeography, Evolutionary Ecology, and Comparative Genomics. |
We aim for synthetic understanding of the what, where, how, when, and why of species, mostly in the sea. Email: mdawson@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Cleary, Mike
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Professor |
Email: mcleary4@ucmerced.edu |
No | |
|
Barlow, Miriam
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Professor |
Our research focuses on the evolution of antimicrobial resistance. Our lab is investigating several approaches to combat the threat of resistance. Email: mbarlow@ucmerced.edu |
No | |
|
Saha, Ramendra
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Associate Professor | Neurobiology, Epigenetics, Gene Transcription, Signal Transduction, Phase Separation |
We study synapse-nuclear communication and activity-induced gene transcription. Implications are for neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism. Email: rsaha3@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Khatri, Shilpa
|
Applied Mathematics | Associate Professor |
The focus of the Khatri Lab is fluid dynamics arising in the context of biological and marine phenomena, such as the transport of nutrients, organisms, and pollutants in the ocean. Email: skhatri3@ucmerced.edu |
No | |
|
Materna, Stefan
|
Molecular and Cell Biology | Assistant Professor | Gene Regulation, Morphogenesis, Transcriptomics, Developmental Malformations |
How the information encoded in the genome directs embryonic development using zebrafish as a model. Email: smaterna@ucmerced.edu |
Yes |
|
Tringe, Susannah
|
Life & Environmental Sciences, Joint Genome Institute | Adjunct Professor |
Research in the Tringe group focuses on sequence-based approaches to studying microbial community assembly, function and dynamics. Email: stringe@ucmerced.edu |
No | |
|
Woyke, Tanja
|
Life & Environmental Sciences, Joint Genome Institute | Adjunct Professor |
Research in the Woyke laboratory focuses on the utility of single-cell methods to access genetic material of uncultivated taxa of interest. Email: twoyke@ucmerced.edu |
No | |
|
Munoz Van Den Eynde, Victor
|
Bioengineering | Professor |
Our group’s research interests are on the areas of Molecular Biophysics and Synthetic Molecular Biology. Email: vmunoz3@ucmerced.edu |
No | |
|
Chin, Wei-Chun
|
Bioengineering | Professor |
Email: wchin2@ucmerced.edu |
No | |
|
Wang, Zhong
|
Molecular and Cell Biology, Joint Genome Institute | Professor |
Email: zwang37@ucmerced.edu |
No |
