Associate professor
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignCorn breeding, Crop Sciences, Genomics, Photosynthesis, Plant Breeding, Plant Physiology, Popcorn, science curriculum, water use efficiency
improves the efficiency and productivity of cereal crops by optimizing photosynthesis and water use. His research helps develop crops that are resilient to climate change and meet the needs of growers at the regional, national, and international levels.
More information: Studer's lab studies the evolution, regulation, and function of the carbon concentrating mechanism employed by plants for C4 photosynthesis. This process plays an important role in carbon dioxide uptake and transpirational water loss, and thus, has direct implications for photosynthetic and water-use efficiency. Elucidating the genetic control of photosynthesis will enable the manipulation of crops (through both breeding and engineering) to improve productivity and sustainability, which will be vital for food and fuel security in a changing environment.
Affiliations: Studer is an associate professor in the in the (ACES) at the . He is also affiliated with the the (CABBI), the , and the at U. of I.
Affective Disorders, Aging, Anxiety, Brain Imaging, Cognitive Neuroscience, Depression, fMRI, individual differences, Memory, MRI, Neuroscience, Personality, Social neuroscience
Florin Dolcos is a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a full-time faculty member at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology.
He performed his Ph.D. research in cognitive and affective neurosciences at the University of Alberta’s Centre for Neuroscience and Duke University’s Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, and his postdoctoral training in cognitive, affective, and clinical neurosciences at Duke University’s Brain Imaging and Analysis Center. Dolcos joined the University of Illinois following an assistant professor appointment in the University of Alberta’s Department of Psychiatry.
Research
Dolcos researches the neural correlates of affective-cognitive interactions in healthy and clinical populations, as studied with brain imaging techniques such as functional MRI and ERP. His program can be divided into the following main directions:
- Neural Mechanisms Underlying the Impact of Emotion on Cognition.
This direction investigates the mechanisms underlying the enhancing and impairing effects of emotion on various cognitive/executive processes (perception, attention, working memory, episodic memory, decision making). A novel direction emerging from this research investigates the neural mechanisms linking and dissociating the opposing effects of emotion. This is important because they tend to co-occur in both healthy functioning and clinical conditions. For instance, enhanced distraction produced by task-irrelevant emotional information can also lead to better memory for the distracters themselves. Also, enhanced memory for traumatic events in PTSD can also lead to impaired cognition due to increased emotional distractibility.
2. Neural Mechanisms Underlying the Impact of Cognition on Emotion.
The impact of cognition on emotion is typically exerted as cognitive control of emotion, or emotion regulation. This direction is corollary to my first direction, and is important to pursue, because optimal cognitive control of emotional responses is a key component of healthy emotional behavior, whereas maladaptive regulation strategies constitute a core feature of affective disorders. Thus, in our studies we also manipulate emotion regulation strategies (e.g., suppression, reappraisal, attentional deployment), to investigate the regulatory mechanisms mediating the beneficial or detrimental impact of emotion on cognition.
3. Neural Mechanisms of Emotion-Cognition Interactions in Social Contexts.
My research also targets mechanisms of emotion-cognition interactions in social contexts. This newly emerging direction in my research program is also important, because proper processing and interpretation of emotional social cues are key components of successful social behavior. Therefore, we are also investigating the neural mechanisms of processing emotional information as social cues, and of their impact on behavior.
4. The Role of Individual Differences in Emotion-Cognition Interactions.
Although the first three lines of research have clear clinical relevance, it is important to also directly investigate the very same issues in clinical cohorts. Therefore, my research program also includes collaborations with clinical researchers that investigate neural mechanisms of emotion-cognition interactions in patients with mood and anxiety disorders (depression, PTSD), as well as investigation of changes associated with therapeutic interventions. Investigation of individual differences, however, is important not only for understanding clinical conditions, but also for integrative understanding of the factors that influence individual variation in the vulnerability to, or resilience against, emotional and cognitive challenges leading to disturbances. Thus, in my research, I have also investigated the role of gender, age, personality, and genetic differences in emotion-cognition interactions. Especially relevant are emerging large-scale studies using comprehensive behavior-personality-brain approaches emphasizing integrative understanding that is critical for the development of training and preventive programs aimed to increase resilience and reduce vulnerability to emotional disturbances.
Vice Chair for Faculty Development and Scientific Innovation. Evans Professor of Dermatology; Director, Residency Program, Dermatology; Co-Director, T32 Research Fellowship Program, Dermatology
Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer HospitalCancer Immunology, CAR T cell therapy, Dermatology
Clinical Expertise: Dr. Girardi is Co-Director of the Yale Cutaneous Lymphoma Group, Director of the Photopheresis Unit, and Director of the Phototherapy Unit at the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center and Yale-New Haven Hospital. Dr. Girardi is also an active member of the national and international organizations (United States Cutaneous Lymphoma Consortium, International Society of Cutaneous Lymphoma) that formulate and publish the criteria guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment CTCL, and is executing the largest clinical database for CTCL. He has published over 150 scientific manuscripts, clinical reports, and book chapters, including on the genetic basis of CTCL and a Medical Progress Report for the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Girardi was awarded the 2023 Yale Blavatnik Innovation Award for the development of new treatments for T cell lymphoma and the 2017 Zeligman Award by Johns Hopkins University for his expertise in understanding the genetic and immunologic mechanisms that cause CTCL, and he has delivered over 100 national and international lectures including at the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Moffitt Cancer Center, Kings College London, and Northwestern University. Dr. Girardi is currently Professor, Vice Chair, and NIH T32 Research Fellowship Co-Director for the Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine.
Disease Interests: the diagnosis and management of cutaneous lymphoma and related conditions, including: mycosis fungoides (MF) cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) [variants of which include folliculotropic MF, follicular mucinosis MF, hypopigmented (hypomelanotic) MF, pagetoid reticulosis (Woringer-Kolopp disease), erythrodermic MF, tumor-stage (T3) MF, transformed MF (T-MF), large cell transformation MF (LCT-MF), and Sézary syndrome (SS)]; CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorders (CD30+ LPD) including lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP) and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL); CD4+ small/medium/pleomorphic T cell lymphoma (CD4+ SMPTCL); cutaneous B cell lymphoma (CBCL) [variants of which include primary cutaneous marginal zone B cell lymphoma (PCMZBCL) and primary cutaneous follicle center B cell lymphoma (PCFLBCL); lymphocytoma cutis (pseudolymphoma); parapsorias (including large plaque and small plaque variants); subcutaneous panniculitic T cell lymphoma (SCPTCL); cutaneous CD8+ cytotoxic T cell lymphoma; cutaneous gamma-delta T cell lymphoma; and cutaneous NK/T cell lymphoma. Laboratory Research: During more than 20 years leading an NCI-funded research program at Yale, Dr. Girardi’s laboratory is credited with major contributions to our understanding of skin biology immunology and skin cancer development, including the elucidation of roles for gamma-delta T cells, NKG2D ligands, Langerhans cells, and innate lymphoid cells. Dr. Girardi has served as the Co-Director for the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Immunology and Immunotherapy Program, and is the holder/filer of 10+ biomedical patents on cancer diagnosis and treatment and co-founder of two Yale startup companies: Stradefy Biosciences and Devana Bio. Dr. Girardi's work has been published in Science(x2), J Exp Med (x3), Nature, Nature Immunology (x4), Nature Genetics (x2), Nature Materials, PNAS (x4), and Blood (x4) – with a Google Scholar Profile of h-index 45+, i10-index 100+, 10,000+ citations.
Dr. Girardi’s current research programs include:
Professor in Agricultural Economics
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignAgricultural Economics, Agricultural markets, agricultural policy, Economics, Food Prices
helps farmers in Illinois, the United States, and throughout the world make more informed production, marketing, and financial decisions by evaluating the economic factors that affect corn and soybean prices. He also leads , a pathbreaking Extension project that provides timely, useful, and relevant online information about Corn Belt farm economics.
More information: Dr. Scott H. Irwin, the Laurence J. Norton Chair of Agricultural Marketing at the University of Illinois, is a globally recognized leader in agricultural economics and multi-published author of commodity books. His influential research on commodity markets is sought after by academics, farmers, and policymakers alike. He’s a frequent media commentator for prestigious outlets like The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. He has over 40,000 followers on social media, the largest following for an agricultural economist worldwide.
Irwin is best known for his work on commodity market speculation and biofuel policy, leading to invitations to testify before the U.S. Congress and the OECD. His vision and leadership have been a driving force behind the innovative farmdoc project that benefits farmers throughout the world. This award-winning project has been dubbed the “Wall Street Journal of ag business.”
He is a Fellow of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA), the highest honor accorded to members. He has also received numerous AAEA awards for his contributions to research, extension, and policy. Dr. Irwin holds a B.S. in Agricultural Business from Iowa State University and earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University. Currently, he teaches courses on commodity price analysis. His lifelong fascination with commodity markets began in his childhood, accompanying his father to the local grain elevator to track the latest prices from ‘Chicago.’
Irwin is the author of three books, most recently , named one of the 100 best non-fiction books of 2023 by Inc. Magazine.
Affiliations: Irwin is a professor in the in the at the .
Professor of Agricultural Economics
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignAgricultural Economics, Crop insurance, Risk Management, Soybeans
is the Soybean Industry Endowed Chair in Agricultural Strategy within the in the at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His activities focus on farm and risk management on Corn Belt grain farms. He analyzes factors causing differences in profitability across farms, and develops ways of mitigating risk on farms. He writes the Weekly Farm Economics article that appears each Tuesday on the .
Cognitive Neuroscience, Conformity, Culture, Culture And Human Development, Identity, nonconformity, Personality, Psychology, Social And Behavioral Sciences
Our work seeks to understand what shapes people's identity. Our research investigates how people think about their identity, changes to their identity, and how identity is different according cultural contexts. We use a personality approach to understanding individual differences in identity. The overarching goal of our research is to illuminate what makes people who they are as dynamic complex individuals living across the world.
D.W. Brooks Professor & GRA Eminent Scholar Chair in Animal Reproductive Physiology
University of GeorgiaBiology, Drug Screening, Medical Research, Medicine, NAI fellow, Neurodegenerative Disease, NIH, Science, Stem Cell, Stroke
Dr. Steve Stice is a University of Georgia, DW Brooks Distinguished Professor and Director of the Regenerative Bioscience Center, who holds a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar endowed chair, and is CSO of ArunA Biomedical Inc. He has over 30 years of research and development experience in biotechnology and is a co-founder of several biotech start-ups, including ArunA Biomedical; the first company to commercialize a product derived from human pluripotent stem cells, and cell development used to facilitate approval of Pfizer’s current cognitive enhancing pharmaceuticals.
Prior to joining UGA, Stice was the co-founder and served as both CSO and CEO of Advanced Cell Technology, the first USA Company to advance to human clinical trials using human pluripotent stem cells. Additionally, he co-founded startups; Prolinia and Cytogenesis which later merged with what is now, ViaCyte.
Outside of his academic professorship and business role, Stice co-directs The Regenerative Engineering and Medicine research center, or REM, a joint collaboration between Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology and UGA, and is also a group leader of EBICS: Emergent Behaviors of Integrated Cellular Systems, a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center founded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As an invited member, he sits on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and is serving on the Governing Committee of the first institute funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC); National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), the eleventh institute in the Manufacturing USA government network.
Stice is a world-renown expert in the field of pluripotent stem cell biology. In 2001, he directed work on derivation of three human pluripotent stem cell lines which were approved for federal funding by the NIH and President Bush. One of several noteworthy achievements for Stice, was producing the first cloned rabbit in 1987 and the first cloned transgenic calves in 1998 (George and Charlie). In 1997 his group produced the first genetically modified embryonic stem cell derived pigs and cattle. Notably, the Stice lab was one of only five NIH sponsored sites for training NIH investigators on the propagation, differentiation and use of hESC over a six year period.
Currently, the Stice lab is developing novel therapies and new technologies for drug screening and neurodegenerative disease, which could change the lives of those suffering with Parkinson’s, Stroke injury, and Alzheimer’s. This research has led to publications in Science and Nature journals, national news coverage (CBS, NBC, ABC and CNN) and the first US patents on cloning animals and cattle stem cells which was featured in the Wall Street Journal. Most recently, Stice was elected to NAI Fellow status, the highest professional distinction accorded solely to academic inventors. Georgia Bio also honored Stice that same year with the 2017 Georgia Bio Industry Growth Award.
Associate Director, Media Relations, UCLA Health
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health SciencesCardiology, Football, Heart Health, Stress, Superbowl
Dr. Tamara Horwich is a cardiologist and Health Sciences Clinical Professor of Medicine/Cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She is Medical Director of UCLA's Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, Co-Director of the UCLA Women's Cardiovascular Health Center, and an active member of the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center.
Dr. Horwich's clinical interests include treating and preventing heart disease in women, cardiac rehabilitation, treating patients with heart failure, and performing and interpreting echocardiograms. Dr. Horwich's main research interests include studying obesity, body composition and cardiovascular disease, as well as risk factors and novel therapies for patients with heart disease, with a focus on women. She has been a grant recipient from the National Institutes of Health, the Heart Failure Society of America, as well as the Iris Cantor Women's Center at UCLA. Dr. Horwich is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association and has helped draft national guidelines on management of heart failure. Dr. Horwich received a BA in History from Brown University and an MD from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She then returned to her native Los Angeles to complete internal medicine residency and cardiology fellowship training at UCLA, during which time she also attained a Master’s of Science in Clinical Research from UCLA.
Research Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences
University of Virginia Division of Perceptual StudiesGrowth, Meaning, Psychology
Philip’s research explores how individuals seek meaning in life, with a particular focus on the positive psychological consequences of death awareness. Inspired by evidence from research into near-death experiences and post-traumatic growth, Philip is responsible for a psychological model that links healthy and honest considerations of mortality to increased well-being, heightened desires for self-direction, and more authentic living. His work has been covered in the ‘Huffington Post’, ‘Psychology Today’, ‘Scientific American’, ‘BBC Radio 4’ and has generated research from numerous psychologists around the world.
Philip also hosted and produced the 'Understanding Our Place In The World' podcast: https://sptfy.com/9M48
Philip received his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Minnesota in 2006. His current role is Associate Professor of Research at the Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS), at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.
Maternal-Fetal Medicine Physician and Associate Professor at UTHealth Houston
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houstonrise in syphilis, Syphilis, syphilis trends
Irene Stafford, MD, is an associate professor and maternal-fetal medicine physician with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston.
Dr. Stafford's clinical interests include syphilis trends and testing. She has interviewed with multiple national and loca news outlets to discuss the ongoing rise of syphilis in Houston, Texas and across the United States. In 2022, Dr. Stafford recieved a $3.3M grant to develop a molecular diagnostic test for congenital syphilis. Dr. Stafford is the PI for the multicenter study, which includes Baylor College of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, the University of California, the University of Southern California, and The Ohio State University, will also focus on neurodevelopment testing of babies born with syphilis.
Dr. Stafford also leads a perinatal syphilis program at UT Physicians, the clinical practice of McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, where she has dedicated a clinic day for patients with syphilis.
Caries, children and oral health, Dentistry and children, Dentistry and kids, Pediatric Dentistry
Dr. Cheen Loo is a Professor, Chair and Postdoctoral Program Director in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry (ABPD), a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and a member of the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and the Academy of Dental Education Association. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the Massachusetts Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the Examination Subcommittee of the ABPD.
Professor, Preventive Medicine Health Policy Professor Division of Infectious Diseases
Vanderbilt University Medical CenterFood Poisoning, Preventive Medicine
Dr. William Schaffner is Professor of Preventive Medicine with a primary appointment in the Department of Health Policy as well as Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee.
After graduating from Yale in 1957, Schaffner attended the University of Freiburg, Germany as a Fulbright Scholar. He graduated from Cornell University Medical College in 1962 and completed residency training and a Fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt. He then was commissioned in the U.S. Public Health Service as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta for two years. While with the CDC, Dr. Schaffner became intimately familiar with public health and investigated outbreaks of communicable diseases both in the United States and abroad. These experiences were a formative stimulus for his subsequent career. He returned to Vanderbilt after that tour of duty, joining the faculty and establishing a long collaboration with the Tennessee Department of Health.
Dr. Schaffner's primary interest has been the prevention of infectious diseases. He is a strong proponent of collaboration between academic medical centers and public health institutions. He has worked extensively on the effective use of vaccines in both pediatric and adult populations and has been a member of numerous expert advisory committees that establish national vaccine policy.
Dr. Schaffner is the current Medical Director and past president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and has served on the Executive Board for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
Dr. Schaffner is committed to communicating about medicine to the general public. He regards this as a teaching opportunity. As such, he is often invited to comment in local and national media on communicable disease issues, translating research advances and public health events into language that the public can understand.
Professor and Faculty Extension Specialist
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignAgriculture, CORN, Herbicide Resistance, Herbicides, Integrated Pest Management, Soybeans, Weed Science, Weeds
contributes to increased crop production through development and implementation of integrated weed management programs. His research helps to identify and manage herbicide-resistance in the most aggressive agronomic weeds.
More information: The focus of Hager's research program is to develop innovative approaches that ultimately expand our knowledge and understanding of weed biology, with a particular emphasis directed toward addressing the contemporary weed species infesting the major field crops of Illinois. His ultimate research goal is to establish a robust applied research program, supplemented with basic research fostered through novel collaborations with molecular biology scientists and ecologists, to provide economical and sustainable solutions to the fundamental weed management challenges plaguing Illinois producers. A contemporary weed biology research program should be holistic and engender partnerships that establish new research paradigms to address the dynamic nature of weed management in Midwestern agronomic cropping systems. His extension/research appointment provides many opportunities to develop new research projects that address the immediate and long-term needs of producers. Forming research collaborations with current weed science faculty and staff provides opportunity for contemporary weed management challenges to be addressed using both applied research techniques and research techniques unique to the University of Illinois weed science program.
Affiliations: Hager is a professor in the and a faculty Extension specialist with , both part of the (ACES) at the .
Professor of Food Science
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignBioactive Chemical Compound, Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, ethnic foods, flavenoids, Food Science, Human Nutrition, Inflammation, Legumes, Type 2 Diabetes
investigates bioactive peptides and proteins in foods that promote health benefits for reducing inflammation, markers of type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease risk. She identifies and characterizes the functional properties of food components, notably flavonoids in ethnic teas, herbs, and berries.
More information: Molecular mechanisms of chemoprevention of bioactive food components, mainly proteins and flavonoids, and their safety. The de Mejia lab studies food components with health benefits; analysis, characterization and mechanism of action of antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic compounds in foods (legumes, oilseeds and vegetables). They currently are working with bioactive proteins in different legumes. The research group investigates the role of processing on the presence, concentration and physicochemical characteristics of proteins with biological potential against transformed human cells as well as their safety, such as allergenic potential. They also are studying the health benefits of tea, in particular the molecular mechanisms underlying the biological effects of ethnic teas used in folk medicine to combat several disorders, including cancer. This scientific study will introduce new materials to improve human health.
Affiliations: Dr. de Mejia is a professor in the and the , both part of the (ACES) at the .
Arthropods, Beetles, Bioinspiration, bioinspired design, brochosomes, Cicada, Cicadas, Dragonflies, Entomology, Flies, Insects, integrative biology, Leafhopper, Materials Science, mechanical systems, Physiology
Marianne Alleyne is a researcher at the , an assistant professor of entomology at the , and is affiliated with the Illinois Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering. Her research group, the Alleyne Bioinspiration Collaborative, or ABCLab, uses a variety of insects as inspiration for the novel design of materials and mechanical systems.
Alleyne is a past president of the Entomological Society of America. She is also regularly featured on news outlets like and .
Research Interests:
Physiology
Bioinspiration
Bioinspired design
The ABC Lab is broadly interested in what structures and systems in nature (specifically those found in arthropods) can help us more efficiently design novel technologies. We rely on fundamental scientific data to inform the bioinspired design process. Our focus is on multi-functionality of insect wings (cicadas, flies, dragonflies, beetles) and insect associated structures (leafhopper brochosomes). We also study the clicking mechanism of click beetles.
Education
M.S., entomology, University of California, Riverside, 1995
Ph.D., entomology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2000
Other links
Program Chair and Professor of Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
American Physiological Society (APS)Aging, Exercise
I received a PhD from University of California-Berkeley and completed a post-doc at the Muscle Research Center in Copenhagen, Denmark. In 2018, I moved from Colorado State University to the Aging and Metabolism Research Program at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF). This move to OMRF was prompted by its growing reputation as a leader in aging research. At OMRF, I retained the title of Full Professor and in 2023 became the Department Chair of the Aging and Metabolism Research Program. My expertise is in skeletal muscle, aging, mitochondria, stable isotope labeling, proteostasis and drug and lifestyle (primarily exercise) interventions. My work with tracers and in muscle aging is nationally recognized and has led to many collaborations, extensive mentoring, and leadership positions. Our work is almost exclusively focused on prolonging the period spent in good health (i.e., healthspan) by targeting mitochondrial energetics and proteostatic maintenance. Specific ongoing projects in the lab include cell-type specific proteomic maintenance, how to improve skeletal muscle recovery in aged muscle after a period of disuse, how metformin has different effects on muscle mitochondria depending on overall metabolic health, and the DNA replication in myonuclei (a cell type previously thought to be post-mitotic). Along with my own research, I co-direct the Multiplexing Protein Analysis Core (MPAC) within the NIA-funded Oklahoma Nathan Shock Center and am part of the leadership to help direct the Center’s efforts. I am also involved in leadership and activities of the Oklahoma Center for Cellular Metabolism (NIH COBRE), and the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center.
Program Chair and Professor of Aging and Metabolism Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
American Physiological Society (APS)Excercise, Nutrition, Obesity
I received my Bachelor’s in Kinesiology from the University of Michigan, where I also served as an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach with the University of Michigan Football team. I then received a Master’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and PhD from the University of Illinois, where I discovered the molecular signal that causes load-induced muscle hypertrophy. I did my postdoctoral studies on the molecular mechanism underlying the muscular adaptation to endurance exercise under the direction of the legendary Dr. John O. Holloszy at Washington University in St. Louis.
I am currently the head of the Functional Molecular Biology Laboratory (FMBLab) at the University of California Davis. My research is focused on determining the effect of exercise, nutrition, age, and disease on musculoskeletal tissue function. Work from my lab spans from the molecular mechanisms that lead to adaptation to human studies that translate these basic discoveries to interventions that improve longevity and quality of life.
Professor of Physiology, University of South Dakota
American Physiological Society (APS)Physiology
My scholarly activity is helping students learn physiology better. I teach a number of different populations of students and have tried numerous active learning and team-based learning pedagogies in my classes to help students learn interactively and enthusiastically. I have also published a number of papers to improve the learning of physiology in Advances in Physiology Education. I am a tenured full professor at a medical school at a midwestern university.
Vice Chancellor for Research Protections, University of Pittsburgh
American Physiological Society (APS)Animal Research, Motion Sickness, Research Ethics, Vestibular System
My research is focused on the vestibular system, a sensory system in the inner ear that detects head movements and changes in head position, and how it influences autonomic regulation. A major focus in recent years is the neural pathways responsible for producing motion sickness. In my administrative (vice chancellor) role at the University of Pittsburgh, I am responsible for assuring that all research is conducted ethically and in compliance with all regulations. Thus, I have expertise in the regulations and ethical framework related to human and animal subject research, biosafety, gene manipulation, human stem cell experiments, radiation safety, clinical trials, research integrity, export control and research security. I can provide background on the regulatory requirements related to the safe and ethical conduct of research.
Assistant Professor of Personalized Nutrition
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignAtherosclerosis, Carotenoids, Obesity, personalized nutrition, Vitamin A
contributes to the reduction of cardiovascular disease by examining how carotenoids and lipid metabolism interact to mediate atherosclerosis. Using animal models and cell culture techniques, he explores the structure and function of vitamin A and its metabolites to mitigate metabolic disease progression.
More information: Dr. Amengual is from Spain (Palma de Mallorca). He obtained his PhD in 2009 at the University of the Balearic Islands (Spain). He was a post-doctoral fellow at Case Western Reserve University (2009-2013) and at New York University (2013-2015). In 2016 he became a Research Assistant Professor at the School of Medicine – NYU (2016-2017). In 2018, he joined the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois Urbana – Champaign.
Affiliations: Dr. Amengual is an assistant professor of personalized nutrition in the and the , both part of the at the .