Committee on Research
Table of JMC Programmatic Research Themes

Organization/Website
Jefferson Centers of Excellence &
Programmatic Research Themes
(Program Support - Envisioned; In Hand - BOLD)		 Investigator (Department)

{Program Leader(s) in BOLD}
[area of interest]
High Dimensional Biology:
Pattern Discovery in High Density Datasets
Sub-themes:
  • Identification of new RNA classes via genomic sequence mining
  • Transcriptional regulatory sequence mining
  • Center for Computational Medicine
(U01) 		Jiang (Path)
London (CB)
Rigoutsos (Path) - RNA discovery; pyknons
Siracusa (Micro/Immuno)
Brody (Surgery)
Signaling Pathway Integration & Systems Physiology
Sub-themes:
  • Dynamic arrays for signaling network analysis
  • Signaling networks in intestinal tumorgenesis
  • Systems-level interactions between signaling
(P01; P50)		 Aplin (CB)
Benovic (BMB)
Cingolani (BMB)
Eto (Physiol)
Fong (Pharm)
Fortini (BMB)
Hoek (Path)
McMahon (CB)
Nevalainen (CB)
Pitari (Pharm)
Riobo (BMB)
Rodeck (Derm)
Rui (CB)
Schwaber (Path/DBI) - signal integration
Vadegapelli (Path/DBI)
Waldman (Pharm)
Zhang (Physiol)
Cellular Network Analysis & Perturbation
Sub-themes:
  • Next-generation cytomics
(P01) 		Tykocinski (Path)
Fortini (BMB)
Hou (BMB)
Scott (BMB)
Small RNA in Diagnostics & Therapeutics
Sub-themes:
  • Pioneering novel classes of small RNAs for human diagnostics, cancer and other
  • siRNA gene targeting: novel strategies
          (P01) 		Bray (Med) - RNAi and platelets
Fong (Pharm)
Gamper (BMB)
Hou (Biochem)
Pestell (CB) – small RNA and cancer
Rigoutsos (Path) – pyknons
Yu (CB) – small RNA and cancer
Wickstrom (BMB)
Brody (Surgery) HuR
Molecular Drivers of Congestive Heart Failure
Sub-themes:
  • Cardiac and smooth muscle signaling
  • CHF biomarkers
(P01; T32) 		Astrof (Med)
Butler (Physiol)
Eto (Physiol)
Holinstat(Med)
Lisanti (SCB-RM)
Siegman (Physiol)
Sheu (Med)
Mitochondrial Pathogenesis
Sub-themes:
  • Organelle-associated pathogenesis
  • Mitrochondrial signaling and cardiac function, neuropathology, and cancer
  • Metabolic evolution in intestinal carcinogenesis
(P01)		 Alnemri (Biochem)
Casimiro (CB)
Chan (Med)
El Nemri (Biochem)
Hajnoczky (Path) - general mitochondrial signaling
Hoek (Path)
Hou (BMB)
Joseph (Path)
Kaji (BMB)
Lisanti (SCB-RM)
Root (BMB)
Seifert (Path)
Sheu (Med) - mitochondrial signaling and heart
Trotti (Neuroscience)
Waldman (Phram)
Wang (SCB-RM)
Stroma as Pathogenic Driver
Sub-themes:
  • Cancer stroma –metabolism and cross-talk
  • Fibrogenesis – aberrant fibrosis in the heart, skin and ectopic sites
  • Sarcoidosis
  • Extracellular matrix biology
(P01; U54)		 Arafat (Surgery)
Brody (Surgery)-pancreas
Fertala (Derm)
Jimenez (Derm)
Lisanti (SCB-RM) - carcinogenic stroma
Martinez-Outschoorm (Med Onc)
Pestell (CB) – pancreatic cancer stroma
Pitari (Pharm)
Riobi (BMB)
Uitto (Derm) – fibrogenesis
Waldman (Pharm)
Witkiewicz (Path)
Unique Biological Niches
Sub-themes:
  • Mammalian cell physiology in low O2 microenvironments: spinal discs, lens/retina, tumor beds
  • Prevention and recovery from ischemia, cardiac and cerebral; stem cell recovery from cerebral ischemia
  • Eye Center
  • Immunoprivledged compartments
  • Zebrafish model for heritable diseases
(P01)		 Benovic (Biochem) - GPCR
Brainard (Neurol) - light and nervous system
Ertle (CB)
Eto (Physiol)
Grunwald (Path)
Haller (Ophthalmol)
Iacovitti (Neuroscience) – cerebral ischemia
Iozzo (Path)
Ju (CB)
Li (Qiaoli) (Derm)
Lisanti (SCB-RM) - tumor bed - low O2 environment
Ma (EM)
Menko (Path) – lens development
Philip (Path)
Schneider (Path)
Shapiro (Ortho) - spinal disc - low O2 environment
Uitto (Derm)
Waldman (Pharm)
Walker (Path) – transducin; diabetic retinopathy
Wu (CB)
Platelet Pathobiology        

(P01)		 Bray (Med) - mediators of platelet function;
small RNA’s
McKenzie (Med)
Membrane Protein Complexes and Signaling
Sub-themes:
  • Membrane signal transduction
  • Membrane protein trafficking
  • Channels as parts of neuroregulatory mechanisms
(P01)		 Alnemri (BMB)
Baserga (CB)
Benovic (BMB)
Bray (Med)
Brody (Surgery)
Cingolini (BMB)
Eto (Physiol)
Fortini (BMB)
Hoek (Path)
Jiang (Path)
Joseph (Path)
Keen (BMB)
Koh (Neuroscience)
Levitan (Neuroscience)
Li (CB)
Lisanti (SCB-RM)
Mahoney (Derm)
Pitari (Pharm)
Rodeck (Derm)
Root (BMB)
Sykulev (Micro/Immuno)
Waldman (Pharm)
Wedegaertner (BMB)
Zhang (Physiol)
Natural Immunity to Pathogens
Sub-themes:
  • Microbial pathogenesis
  • Immunity to murine pathogens
  • Necrotopic viruses
  • Bacterial responses in humanized mice
(P01; T32)		 Abraham (Micro/Immuno)
Alugupalli (Micro/Immuno)
Eisenlohr (Micro/Immuno)
McGettigan (Micro/Immuno)
Paumet (Micro/Immuno)Schnell (Micro) - vaccines
Scott (BMB)
Sykulev (Micro/Immuno)
Snyder (Micro/Immuno)
Faber (Micro/Immuno)Hooper (CB)
Zhang (Micro/Immuno)
In Vivo Models for Neurodegeneration:
from fly to man
Sub-themes:
  • Alzheimer’s Center
  • Parkinson’s
  • MS
(P01)		 Alnemri (Biochem) - inflammasome
Casimiro (CB)
Chin (Neuroscience)
Fortini (BMB)
Iacovitti (Neuroscience)
Iijima (Biochem)
King (Biochem)
Lepore (Neuroscience)
Menko (Path)
Merry (BMB)
Pasinelli (NS)
Rostami (Neurol)
Rovner (Neurol)
Schneider (Path)
Trotti (Neuroscience)
Xia (Path)
Autoimmunity
Sub-themes:
  • Interplay of degeneration and regeneration
  • Novel protein therapeutics
        (U01; P01)		 Alugupalli (Biochem)
Calkins (Micro/Immuno)
Civic (Neurol)
Gonella (Neurol)
Jimenez (Derm)
Manser (Micro)
Su (Neurol)
Rostami (Neurol) - neuroregeneration in MS
Tykocinski (Pathology)
Zhang (Neurol)
Vaccine Innovation
Sub-themes:
  • Cancer Vaccines
(P01; T32)		 Abraham (Micro/Immuno)
Alugupalli (Micro/Immuno)
Dietszchold (Micro/Immuno)
Eisenlohr (Micro/Immuno)
Manser (Micro/Immuno)
McGettigan (Micro/Immuno)
Root (BMB)
Schnell (Micro/Immuno)
Simpson (Med)
Waldman (Pharm)
[See Vaccine Center Website]
Prostate Cancer:
Translational Continuum

(SPORE; P01)		 Dicker (Rad. Onc)
Freedman (BMB)
Gomella (Urology)
Jiang (Path)
Kelly (Med Onc)
Knudsen Karen (CB)
Knudsen, Eric (CB)
Lisanti (SCB-RM)
Lucia Languino (CB)
Merry (BMB)
McMahon (CB)
Nevalainen (CB)
Pestell (CB)
Wickstrom (BMB)
Breast Cancer: Translational Continuum

(SPORE; PO1)		 Avery (Med Onc)Benovic (BMB)
Bibbo (Path)
Buchberg (Micro/Immuno)
Fortini (BMB)
Jiang (Path)
Knudsen, Eric (CB)
Lee (Surgery)
Lisanti (CB)
McMahon (CB)
Mitchell (Med Onc)
Pestell (CB)
Rui (CB)
Schwartz (Surgery)
Wickstrom (BMB)
Witkiewicz (Path)
Pancreatic Cancer Translational Continuum

(SPORE; PO1)		 Arafat (Surgery)
Berger (Surgery)
Brody (Surgery)
Carr (Med Onc)
Dicker (Rad Onc)
Fortini (BMB)
Knudsen, Eric (CB)
Lavu (Surgery)
Lewis (Med Onc)
Littman (Med Onc)
Mitchell (Med Onc)
Waldman (Pharmacology)
Wickstrom (BMB)
Witkiewicz (Path)
Yeo (Surgery)
Tumor Immunology

(PO1)		 Alpdogean (Med Onc)
Andrews (Neurosurgery)
Brody (Surgery)
Eisenlohr (Micro)
Fertala (derm)
Flomenberg (Med Onc)
Gross (Med Onc)
Rodeck (Derm)
Sato (Med Onc)
Sykulev (Micro/Immuno)
Waldman (Pharmacology)
Melanoma: Translational Continuum

(PO1)		 Alexeev (Derm)
Aplin (CB)
Mastrangelo (Med Onc)
Rodeck (Derm)
Sato (Med Onc)
Wickstrom (BMB)
DNA Damage in Hormone Resistant Cancers

(PO1) 		Brody (Surgery)
Capoza (SCB-RM)
Dicker (Rad Onc)
Freedman (BMB)
Knudsen, Eric (CB)
Knudsen, Karen (CB)
Li (CB)
McMahon (CB)
Pascal (BMB)
Pestell (CB)
Pitari (Pharmacology)
Rodeck (Biochem)
Rui (CB)
Schulz (Pharmacology)
Wang (SCB-RM)
Wickstom (BMB)
Colon Cancer:
Translational Continuum

(P01; SPORE)		 Bowman (Christiana)
Brody (Surgery)
Buchberg (Micro)
Fong (Pharmacology)
Gonye (Path/DBI)
Kraft (Pharmacology)
Lewis (Med Onc)
Mitchell (Med Onc)
Pitari (Pharm)
Siracusa (Micro)
Waldman (Pharmacology)
Yeo (Surgery)
Molecular Clocks & Aging

(U01)		 Alnemri (BMB)
Benovic (BMB)
Brainard (Neurol)
Hou (BMB)
Johnson (BMB)
Kaji (BMB)
Koh (Neuroscience)
Lisanti (SCB-RM)
Schwaber (Path)
Wickstrom (BMB)
Kinome: From Bench to Bedside

TKI’s (P01)		 Benovic (BMB)
Kaji (BMB)
Mesenchymal Stem Cells & Tissue Regeneration

(P01)		 Astrof (Med)
Fortini (BMB)
Iacovetti/Rosenwasser (Neuroscience)
Lisanti (SCB-RM)
Riobo (BMB)
Uitto (Derm)
Alcohol Center Hoek (Path)
Vision Research Center
Sub-themes:
  1. Therapeutic interventions in diseases of the visual system
  2. Improving visual health outcomes and overcoming health care disparities – epidemiological-based studies
  3. Molecular Genetic approaches to diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the eye including congenital abnormalities and cancers of the eye
  4. Improving wound healing and preventing fibrosis in cataract and cornea surgeries, and corneal injury
  5. eStem cells and regenerative medicine in the treatment of diseases of the visual system
  6. Preventing neurodegeneration (including age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and impacts of Parkinson’s on the visual system)
  7. Cancers in the visual system: uveal melanoma and retinoblastoma
  8. The impact of diabetes on visual health (NIH – U10, T32, K12, P30; Research to Prevent Blindness – Unrestricted/Challenge Grant)
 Menko (Pathology) - morphogenesis, regeneration, wound healing and fibrotic disease; cell adhesion, cell signaling, and the cytoskeleton
Haller (Ophthalmology) - retinal surgery, macular edema, diabetic retinopathy
Peiper (Pathology) - chemokine receptor function, immune response, molecular genetics and personalized medicine, ocular melanoma
Levin (Ophthalmology) - childhood cataract, glaucoma, and uveitis, genetic eye disorders
Hark (Ophthalmology) - project development, educational programming, nutrition and ophthalmic health
Philp (Pathology) - monocarboxylate transporters and metabolic homeostasis in the retina
Grunwald (Pathology) - cadherins in the development and pathogenesis of the retina
Walker (Pathology) - wound healing and fibrotic disease; relationship between fibrosis and cancer
Rovner (Neurology) - improving vision function and preventing depression in AMD patients; improving visual health in underserved populations with diabetic retinopathy
Schneider (Pathology) - cognitive and motor aspects of Parkinson's disease, symptomatic and neuroprotective treatment strategies; developmental neurotoxicology related to lead-induced damage to the brain
Anderson (Pathology) - nervous system response to environmental toxicants, development and treatment of Parkinson's disease, reversing of abnormal gene regulation in the brain as a therapeutic strategy
Aplin (Cancer Biology) - mechanisms underlying invasive growth of melanomas; identifying novel targets for therapeutic intervention in melanoma
Sato (Oncology) - clinical/research interests in the treatment and study of uveal melanoma
Arafat (Surgery) - oxidative stress and inflammation signaling in type 1 diabetes
Dicker (Radiation Oncology) - ocular melanoma, retinoblastoma
Bilyk (Ophthalmology) - orbital disease, trauma and telemedicine
Eagle (Ophthalmology) – tumor pathology, retinoblastoma and uveal melanoma
Maguire (Ophthalmology) - hypoxia in macular blood flow and application to retinal and choroidal vascular disease
Murchison (Ophthalmology) - reconstructive and orbital surgery, epidemiology of eye diseases, pediatric eye disease, and thyroid disease
Myers (Ophthalmology) - glaucoma and diagnostic imaging and testing of the optic nerve
Pyfer (Ophthalmology) - advanced techniques for maximizing quality of vision after surgery
Rapuano (Ophthalmology) - corneal diseases
Regillo (Ophthalmology) - developing new treatments for retinal disorders such as macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy
Sergott (Ophthalmology) - optical coherence tomography, thyroid eye disease, multiple sclerosis, optic neuritis, ischemic optic neuropathy and tele-ophthalmology
Shields, C (Ophthalmology) uveal melanoma, retinoblastoma, and numerous other intraocular, orbital, and adnexal tumors
Shields, J (Ophthalmology) - improve methods for the diagnosis and treatment of eye cancers, including tumors of the eyelids, conjunctiva, intraocular structures, and orbit
Spaeth (Ophthalmology) - glaucoma and bioethics
Vander (Ophthalmology) - diabetic retinopathy, retinopathy of prematurity, endophthalmitis, AMD
Yuen (Population Health) - public health and health services research, cluster-based randomized intervention designs, and cohort studies focusing on underserved populations in Philadelphia
Paik (Surgery) - therapeutics for corneoscleral destabilization diseases, nitrite-induced damage in AMD
Casten (Psychiatry) - geriatric depression, vision loss, Alzheimer’s Disease, psychological effects of disability
Leiby (Pharmacology) - preventing depression and improving function in individuals with AMD, biomarkers for glaucoma research using statistical methods
Pizzi (Pharmacy) - outcomes research specialist
Plumb (Family & Community Health) - providing care to vulnerable populations, developing health education materials for hypertension, stroke, diabetes, and obesity
Rigoutsos (Pathology) - computational genetics; computational medicine; diagnostics; therapeutics; high-throughput sequencing analysis; high performance computing

 

More Info...

For more information, please contact a member of the Corporate and Foundation Relations team at the Jefferson Foundation:

Molly Gerber
(215) 955-1061;

Deb Kocsis
(215) 955-9418; or

Jessica Boyuka
(215) 955-3970.


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