Research Interests of Faculty Members

Dr. Ed Grabczyk and Dr. Bronya Keats share a research focus in Friedreich ataxia, a neuromuscular disease that has a higher prevalence among the Acadian population of Louisiana.

Bronya J. B. Keats, PhD , Professor and Head (Genetics)

• Identification and characterization of genes for hearing loss and ataxia
• Genetic epidemiology of common diseases

Edward Grabczyk, PhD , Assistant Professor (Genetics)

• Genetic disorders caused by unstable repetitive DNA ("dynamic mutations")
• Interactions between DNA structure, transcription, and replication that elicit repeat expansion diseases such as Friedreich ataxia

Paula Gregory, PhD , Associate Professor (Genetics)

• Research in genetics education for teachers, students, the public, and health care professionals
• Psychological barriers to understanding genetics information and the impact of predictive genetic testing on family dynamics

Andrew D. Hollenbach, PhD , Assistant Professor (Genetics)

• The regulation of transcription factors through phosphorylation
• Biochemical mechanisms of chromosomal translocation gene products in cancer formation

Toomoo Iawkuma, MD, PhD , Assistant Professor (Genetics)

• Protein function in p53 pathway
• Generation and alayses of genetically engineered mice related to tumor development

Wanguo Liu, PhD , Associate Professor (Genetics)

• Genetics and biological roles of Wnt signaling in GI tumor development
• Genetics and functional analysis of DNA damage-response defects in prostate cancer susceptibility

Diptasri Mandal, PhD , Assistant Professor (Genetics)

• Genetic linkage and segregation analysis of complex disorders, in particular humans cancers
• Investigation of properties of statistical genetic analysis methods through computer simulation

Fern Tsien, PhD , Instructor (Genetics)

• Cytogenetics and fluorescent in situ (FISH) in clinical practice and research
• Genetics education

Conjoint Faculty :

Yan Cui, PhD , Assistant Professor (Medicine)

• Genetic modification of hematopoietic stem cells and targeted transgene expression
• Modulation of host immune function for the treatment of cancer and/or autoimmune diseases

Michael Lan, PhD , Associate Professor (Pediatrics)

• Molecular mechanisms of islet cell growth and differentiation
• Genetic defects in diabetes mellitus

Donald Mercante, PhD , Professor (Dental School)

• Statistical methodology and experimental design
• Clinical trials

Augusto Ochoa, MD, PhD , Professor (Pediatrics) and Interim Director,
       Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center

• T cell function
• Cytokine production
• Macrophage-T cell interaction
• Immune regulation
• Immune dysfunction and disease
• Tumor Immunology

Allal Ouhtit, MPh, PhD . Assistant Professor (Pathology)

• CD44 and invasion/metastasis of melanoma, breast and prostate cancers
• Mechanisms of melanoma and non-melanoma initiation

Alistair Ramsay , Professor (Medicine and Microbiology) and Director of the
                            LSUHSC Gene Therapy Program

• Immunology of HIV/AIDS
• Immunology of TB infection
• Development of novel strategies for vaccination

Jakob Reiser, PhD , Associate Professor (Medicine)

• Design of lentivirus-based vectors for gene therapy
• Gene therapy of CNS disorders

Douglas W. Scheer, PhD , Professor (Pathology)

• Molecular diagnostics
• Identification of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes

Guoshun Wang, DVM, PhD , Assistant Professor (Medicine)

• Efficient and persistent gene delivery for cystic fibrosis
• Airway defense to viral and bacterial infections

Oliver Wessely, PhD , Assistant Professor (Cell Biology and Anatomy)

• Early embryonic development and neural induction
• Polycystic kidney disease