Research Mentors
Prospective mentors for the University of Missouri Comparative Medicine Program
Name/Degree(s) Rank Primary
(& Secondary)
Appointment(s)Role in Program Research Interest
Amos-Landgraf, James / PhD Associate Professor Veterinary Pathobiology Mentor, Core Faculty Animal models of human colon cancer and potential chemotherapeutic development
Anderson, Deborah / PhD Professor Veterinary Pathobiology Mentor Host pathogen interactions involved in plague disease and immunity
Balboula, Ahmed / DVM, PhD Assistant Professor Animal sciences Mentor Reproductive biology
Bender, Shawn / PhD Associate Professor Biomedical Sciences Mentor Mechanisms of coronary and cardiac dysfunction in swine and mouse models
Brown, Pamela / PhD Associate Professor Biological Sciences Mentor Microbial cell biology
Bryda, Elizabeth / PhD Professor Veterinary Pathobiology; Director, Rat Resource and Research Center Program Co-Director, Mentor Molecular genetics of human disease using animal models
Chen, Shiyou / DVM, PhD Professor, W. Alton Jones Endowed Chair in Surgical Research Surgery Mentor Vascular diseases, fatty liver disease
Clarke, Lane / DVM, PhD Professor Biomedical Sciences; Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center Mentor Stem cell biology and goblet cell function in normal and cystic fibrosis small intestine
Coates, Joan / DVM, MS Professor Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Mentor Comparative and translational research of neurodegenerative disease, i.e. ALS
Cook, Jimi / DVM, PhD William and Kathryn Allen Distinguished Professor Orthopaedic Surgery (Veterinary Medicine and Surgery) Mentor Comparative orthopaedic surgery; arthritis
Cornelison, Dawn / PhD Professor Biological Sciences Mentor Skeletal muscle development and regeneration
Cummings, Kevin / PhD Associate Professor Biomedical Sciences Mentor CNS control of cardio-respiratory function
Domeier, Timothy L. / PhD Associate Professor Medical Pharmacology and Physiology Mentor Changes in intracellular concentration of calcium within heart muscle during heart disease
Ericsson, Aaron / DVM, PhD Assistant Professor Veterinary Pathobiology, Director; MU Metagenomics Center Mentor; Core Faculty Influence of gut microbiota on animal models of disease; role of commensal gut microbiota in intestinal inflammation and colitis-associated colorectal cancer; segmented filamentous bacteria and its influence on the development and function of intestinal immune responses
Flesner, Brian / DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology) Assistant Professor Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Mentor Cancer pain, chemotoxicity and immunotherapy
Franklin, Craig / DVM, PhD Professor Veterinary Pathobiology, Director; MU Mutant Mouse Resource and Research Center Principle Investigator; Program Director; Mentor Inflammatory bowel diseases, microbiomes, mutant rodent pathobiology, animal models of infectious disease
Gil Pagés, Diana / PhD Associate Professor Surgery, MMI, Bio-engineering Mentor Immunology, Cancer immunotherapy
Hoffman, Timothy / PhD Professor; Research Career Scientist Internal Medicine (Chemistry) (Nuclear Engineering); HS Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital, Columbia, MO Mentor Nuclear oncology, molecular imaging, development of targeted radiotherapeutic agents*
*Please contact the lab no later than 6-8 weeks prior to desired rotation start date to allow time for completion of necessary paperwork and background check.
Johnson, Marc / PhD Professor Molecular Microbiology & Immunology Mentor Viral replication
Kline, David / PhD Associate Professor Biomedical Sciences; Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center Mentor Synaptic and neuronal plasticity in the brain during hypoxia
Lever, Teresa / PhD Associate Professor Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Mentor Mechanisms of cranial neuropathy and neuroplasticity in dysphagia
Lorson, Chris / PhD Professor Veterinary Pathobiology (Molecular Microbiology & Immunology) Mentor Translational research, drug development and gene therapy in neurodegeneration, including Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Ma, Wenjun / PhD Associate Professor Veterinary Pathobiology Mentor Viral diseases of animals, with an emphasis on emerging zoonotic viral infections
Martinez-Lemus, Luis A. / DVM, PhD Professor Medical Pharmacology and Physiology Mentor Vascular remodeling
McCleary-Wheeler, Angela / DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Oncology) Assistant Professor Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Mentor Epigenetics and cell signaling pathways in cancer
McDonald, Kerry / PhD Professor Medical Pharmacology and Physiology Mentor Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate striated muscle contraction and the ways that these processes are altered by disease and other physiological stresses such as exercise
Mohan, Rajiv / PhD Professor Ophthalmology (Veterinary Medicine and Surgery) Mentor Corneal gene therapy, nanomedicine, and wound healing.
Nichols, Nicole / PhD Assistant Professor Biomedical Sciences Mentor Mechanisms of respiratory plasticity in models of motor neuron death
Padilla, Jaume / PhD Associate Professor Nutrition and Exercise Physiology; Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center Mentor Physiological and molecular links between physical inactivity, metabolic disease and vascular complications
Parks, Elizabeth / PhD Professor Nutrition and Exercise Physiology Mentor Liver metabolism, body weight regulation
Phillips, Charlotte / PhD Professor Biochemistry (Child Health, Dermatology) Mentor Muscle and skeletal interactions and related therapeutic agents in inherited and acquired diseases of bone disorders
Prather, Randall / PhD Professor Animal Science Mentor Early embryo development, transgenesis, in vitro embryo production, transcriptional profiling, genetically-engineered swine
Rector, R. Scott / PhD Associate Professor Nutrition and Exercise Physiology Mentor Causes of the development and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
Reinero, Carol / DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Internal Med) Professor Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Mentor Translational models of respiratory disease; microbiome studies of low biomass sites; immunology
Rosenfeld, Cheryl / DVM, PhD Professor Biomedical Sciences Mentor Effects of maternal and paternal diet and exposure to environmental chemicals on offspring metabolic and behavioral disorders
Schrum, Adam / PhD Associate Professor Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Mentor Physiologic signaling networks and how they function in molecular and cellular immunity
Schulz, Laura / PhD Associate Professor Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health Mentor Placental development in rodent models
Segal, Steven / PhD Margaret P. Mulligan Distinguished Professor in Medical Research; Chancellor’s Professor of Research Excellence Medical Pharmacology and Physiology (Internal Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, Bioengineering); Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center Mentor Blood flow control in the microcirculation, skeletal muscle, exercise, aging
Shirwan, Haval / PhD Professor Child Health Mentor Autoimmunity, transplantation tolerance, vaccines, cancer immunoprevention and therapy
Skyberg, Jerod / PhD Associate Professor Veterinary Pathobiology Mentor Mechanisms of Brucella-induced articular Inflammation: Immunity and Immunotherapeutics for Tularemia
Smith, Jeffrey / PhD Professor Radiology Mentor Design, synthesis, purification, characterization and evaluation of peptide-based radiopharmaceuticals for prostate cancer diagnosis and therapy using PET, SPECT, CT and MRI imaging modalities
Stavey-O'Carroll, Kevin / MD, PhD Professor Surgery Mentor Microbiome and immunology in liver disease / hepatocellular cancer
Teixeiro, Emma / PhD Associate Professor Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Mentor T cell immune responses against infection and cancer
Thakkar, Mahesh / PhD Professor Neurology Mentor Sleep and sleep disorders
Whiting, Rebecca / PhD Assistant Professor Ophthalmology Mentor Translational therapeutics for retinal and neurodegenerative disease in canine models
