Faculty Research Interests
Faculty categories Heading link
Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty • Research Faculty • Clinical Faculty • Courtesy Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty • Emeriti Faculty • Adjunct Faculty
Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty Heading link
 | Barbolina, Maria V.: Associate Professor of Pharmacodynamics, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (2001) Russian Academy of Sciences Research interests: Microenvironmental regulation of ovarian carcinoma metastasis. Signal transduction pathways. Mechanisms of chemoresistance. |
 | Burdette, Joanna E.: Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, College of Pharmacy. PhD (2003) University of Illinois at Chicago Lab website: https://www.burdettelab.com Research interests: The Burdette lab is interested in biological questions that are important for women’s health. We integrate imaging, drug discovery, and basic biology to try and understand how and where ovarian cancers originate. Our research primarily uses mouse models to understand early events in ovarian cancers. We are also using natural products to uncover new progestins and anti-cancer molecules. |
 | Carlier, Paul R.: Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Director, UICENTRE, PhD (1988) Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lab website: https://www.carlierlab.com Research interests: Medicinal Chemistry for Global Public Health. Malaria is a scourge in the developing world, affecting 200 million people and killing nearly 450,000 annually. We are taking a two-pronged strategy to reduce malaria transmission and mortality. Firstly, new antimalarial drugs are urgently needed to treat infected individuals, and we are working with Prof. Cassera (Univ. Georgia), and Dr. Totrov (Molsoft LLC) to develop a new classes of antimalarial drugs that engage new biological targets in the parasite. Secondly, we are working with Prof. Mike Klemba (Virginia Tech) to determine the biological target of mefloquine (MQ), a currently used prophylactic drug. By identifying the target of MQ we will be positioned to discover new antimalarials that lack the neuropsychiatric side-effects of MQ. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria also pose a great threat to public health in the developed world. |
 | Che, Chun-Tao: Harry H.S. Fong Professor of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. PhD (1982) University of Illinois at Chicago Research interests: Interested in natural drugs and Chinese medicine, including: 1. Natural products chemistry: isolation, characterization, and structural elucidation of secondary metabolites from medicinal plants and other natural sources. 2. Biologically active natural substances. 3. Chemical/biological standardization and quality assessment of herbal drugs and herb-based preparations. 4. Development of analytical techniques for herbal drug analysis. 5. Development of evidence-based Chinese medicine and other natural products |
 | Eustaquio, Alessandra: Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. PhD (2004) Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany Lab website: https://eustaquio.lab.uic.edu Research interests: Specialties: Genetic engineering, microbiology, natural product biosynthesis, drug discovery, chemical biology, synthetic biology. |
 | Federle, Michael J.: Professor, Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutics Concentration Coordinator, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Director, Center for Biomolecular Sciences, PhD (2002) Emory University, Atlanta Lab website: https://sites.google.com/view/uicfederlelab Research interests:Research focuses on discovering and understanding how bacteria communicate among themselves as a means for organizing group behaviors, especially behaviors facilitating the initiation and progression of disease in humans. Cell-to-cell communication in bacteria, termed Quorum Sensing, relies on a language of small, secreted signaling molecules called autoinducers. Bacteria detect and respond to autoinducers through various types of receptor proteins sitting atop gene regulatory networks. it is my goal to identify and describe the production and structure of new autoinducers and their cognate signal-transduction networks that contribute to the pathogenic state of the microorganism. Our lab will use classic bacterial genetic and molecular biology techniques combined with conventional genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic analyses to identify components and targets of these signaling systems. Structural analysis of autoinducers and receptors, as well as screening for inhibitory compounds, will also be a focus of our work. I am concentrating my efforts on Gram-positive pathogens, as these organisms pose the most current threat in developing resistance to multiple antibiotic treatments. It is my hope that our research will lead to the development of new therapies that exploit and confuse communication systems bacteria use to organize attacks on the body. |
 | Franzblau, Scott, G.: Albert Schatz Professor and Director of the Institute for Tuberculosis Research, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (1982) University of Arizona Lab website: https://itr.pharmacy.uic.edu Research interests: New drug discovery from natural and synthetic sources for tuberculosis, non-tuberculous mycobacteria and Lyme Disease. Development of rapid, high-throughput whole cell screens and natural product screening workflows to detect minor bioactives. Investigations at the level of molecular target, bacterial cell, macrophage and mouse infection models including drug metabolism/PK. We collaborate extensively with private and public institutions worldwide. |
 | Freitag, Nancy: Professor and Head, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (1989) University of California, Los Angeles Lab website: https://freitag.lab.uic.edu Research interests: Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which pathogenic bacteria cause disease as well as the host immune responses that limit infection |
 | Gao, Yu (Tom): Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (2014) The Scripps Institute Lab website: https://lab.gy Research interests: Chemical biology, development of novel chemical and informatics tools to investigate the proteome and complex biological system. By combining chemical screening, mass spectroscopy-based proteomics/metabolomics, and informatics, Dr. Gao’s research aims to interrogate the proteome and to elucidate protein interactions (including protein-protein and protein-small molecule interaction). |
 | Gemeinhart, Richard A.: Professor of Pharmaceutics and Bioengineering, Pharmaceutics & Drug Discovery Concentration Coordinator, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Research Integrity Officer and Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, PhD (1999) Purdue University Lab website: https://bps.lab.uic.edu Research interests: Micro/Nanostructures. Therapeutic Drug Conjugates. We are interested in designing polymers that interact with cells to elicit a desired biologic response. We currently have projects in the areas of cellular differentiation and cancer treatment. By utilizing and mimicking biologic interactions into synthetic polymers, the desired properties of the polymer can be exploited. The biologic motifs allow the cells or tissue to respond in a natural manner to the polymer resulting in more natural regeneration, regrowth, or cellular death. |
 | Hanakahi, Les: Associate Professor of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (1996) Yale University Research interests: Genome instability is a hallmark of cancer, and malfunctions in DNA double-strand break repair drive the large rearrangements that are seen in many cancers. My group studies the role of DNA double-strand break repair in oncogenesis, development of DNA repair factors as targets for new cancer therapies, and the potential for use of DNA repair factors as predictors of therapeutic response in personalized medicine. |
 | Henke, Matt: Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (2016) Northwestern University Lab website: https://henke.lab.uic.edu Research interests: Investigating the roles that molecules made by gut bacteria associated with Inflammatory Bowel Disease may play in the onset and severity of disease |
 | Lampkin, Bryan: Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (2020) Iowa State University Research interests: Bioorganic Chemistry, Peptide Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Protein Engineering, Physical Organic Chemistry. Our group is interested in small molecule, peptide, and protein-based probe discovery to study disease relevant biomolecules. We leverage the power of synthetic chemistry, genetically encoded libraries, and directed evolution to develop these molecular tools which are then employed to deconvolute biochemical processes implicated in cancer, neurodegeneration, and infectious disease. |
 | Lee, Steve Seung-Young: Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (2014) Purdue University Lab website: https://stevelee.lab.uic.edu Research interests: The Lee laboratory aims to develop novel bioengineering tools and methods for pharmaceutical science research investigating cancer, vascular and inflammatory diseases. To better understand and improve pharmaco-kinetics and dynamics of therapeutic agents, we currently focus on developing: 1) Integrated molecular assay platforms; 2) High-throughput computational data analysis systems; and, 3) Combination drug delivery strategies. |
 | Mankin, Alexander: The Alexander Neyfakh Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy and Distinguished University Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (1982) Moscow State University Lab website: https://sites.google.com/view/mankin-vazquez-laslop-lab/ Research Interests: Our team is interested in fundamental mechanisms of protein synthesis, mechanisms of antibiotic action, and mechanisms of resistance. We are trying to understand better how the ribosome makes proteins and how antibiotics can prevent it from accomplishing this task. We are also engineering the ribosome to enable it carrying new functions |
 | Moore, Terry W.: Associate Professor, Chemistry in Drug Delivery Concentration Coordinator, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (2008) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Lab website: https://moore.lab.uic.edu Research Interests:Our research group is interested in inhibiting protein-protein interactions implicated in the progression of certain types of cancer, particularly hormone-responsive and -refractory cancers. Specifically, we are interested in inhibiting the Nrf2/Keap1 interaction, an interaction involved in various disease states because of Nrf2’s central role in regulating the cell’s response to reactive species. The second project is focused on inhibiting the interactions of nuclear receptors with coactivators. We study these interactions using fluorescence-based assays, and the lab uses the tools of synthetic medicinal chemistry to develop both small molecule- and peptide-based inhibitors. |
 | Murphy, Brian T.: Professor, Pharmacognosy Concentration Coordinator, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (2007) Virginia Tech Lab website: http://www.murphylabuic.com Research interests: The Murphy lab studies the discovery of new natural product antibiotic leads from bacteria they collect from aquatic environments. In the past few years, we have created innovative methods to improve early stages of this antibiotic discovery process. These include 1) a mass spectrometry-based bioinformatics tool (IDBac) that is used to rapidly create 'smart' libraries of environmental bacteria; and 2) a dual sided agar plate assay (DAPA) that allows bacteria to compete on opposing sides of a solid support in individual wells. We integrated these into a new 'Environment to Bioassay' antibiotic discovery pipeline that combines high-throughput robotics with DAPA and IDBac to rapidly select, screen, and prioritize antibiotic-producing bacteria. |
 | Nitiss, John L.: Professor of Pharmacology, Assistant Dean for Research, Rockford Campus, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (1986) Illinois Institute of Technology Research interests: The Nitiss laboratory uses a combination of genetic and biochemical tools to understand the action of anti-cancer agents. Our hallmark approach uses yeast as a model system to define the pathways responsible for cell killing and drug resistance by anti-cancer drugs, and to apply insights obtained with yeast to in vitro biochemical systems and to mammalian cells. We have been particularly interested in anti-cancer drugs that target DNA topoisomerases, and how topoisomerases influence genome stability. |
 | Orjala, Jimmy: Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (1993) Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland. Lab website: https://www.orjalalab.com Research interests: Our research is focused on three areas: 1. Discovery of pharmacological active natural products from cultured cyanobacteria. 2. Chemical communication between microorganisms and its role in the phenomenon of ‘uncultivable’ microorganisms. 3. Novel antineoplastic agents from higher plants. Our research tools are modern chromatographic methods coupled with sensitive analytical techniques, such as microcoil NMR techniques, and molecular target assays. |
 | Pauli, Guido F.: Norman R. Farnsworth Chair of Pharmacognosy and Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Director, Pharmacognosy Institute, PhD (1993) Heinrich Heine–University Düsseldorf; Pharm.D. (1988), Philipps University Marburg Lab website: https://go.uic.edu/gfp Research interests: Pharmacognosy, biomedical and pharmaceutical analysis, and interdisciplinary natural products research. Discovery of drug leads and investigation of traditional natural products. Development of innovative research tools for are computer-aided structural analysis, quantitative NMR (qNMR), advanced phytochemical an chromatographic methods including countercurrent chromatography, performed in tandem with in vitro/ in vivo (micro)biology. Biomedical applications focus on botanical herbal dietary supplements, dental biomaterials, anti-tuberculosis (TB) antibiotics, pharmaceutical analysis, and reference materials. |
 | Petukhov, Pavel A.: Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (1998) Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russia Lab website: http://medchem.pharm.uic.edu Research Interests: Development of new methods and biologically orthogonal chemical tools for chemical biology and translation of this knowledge to discovery of novel therapeutically relevant compounds; structure-, ligand-, and fragment-based drug design using a mix of medicinal chemistry, computer-aided drug design, and bioinformatics. The current focus of the laboratory is on the development of methods for characterization of multiple binding modes of the ligands in the binding sites of histone deacetylases (HDAC) using photoactivatable chemical probes and discovery of novel inhibitors of HDACs, calpain, beta-secretases 1 and 2, pantothenate synthetase, and malate synthase with potential application in cancer, neurological and bacterial diseases. |
 | Riley, Andrew P.: Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (2015) University of Kansas Lab website: https://riley.lab.uic.edu Research interests: Research in the Riley Lab is focused on the investigation of small molecules inspired by natural products. Employing the tools of modern synthetic and medicinal chemistry we aim to access natural products and their derivatives to investigate how they interact with their macromolecular targets. In doing so, we look to answer important biological questions and provide novel treatment options in the areas of pain and cancer. |
 | Sant, Shilpa P.: Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (2008) Université de Montréal Research interests: The goal of our laboratory is to develop an independent and multidisciplinary research program at the interface of biomaterials, controlled drug delivery, and tissue engineering. We use interdisciplinary approach to build biomimetic microenvironments in vitro based on our expertise in the Pharmaceutical Sciences, Materials Sciences, Cell Biology and Micro/nanotechnologies. Specifically, we aim to develop tissue-engineered tumor models that recreate the three-dimensional structure, cell-cell/cell-matrix interaction, stromal environments, and signalling cues present in vivo. These three-dimensional models will be used for understanding the pathophysiology of the disease as well as for preclinical evaluation of drug safety and efficacy. |
 | Thomas, Douglas D.: Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (2000) Louisiana State University Lab website: https://thomaslab.red.uic.edu Research interests: Our goal is to elucidate fundamental mechanisms to explain the etiologies of cancer. In addition to gene mutations, aberrant epigenetic modifications also play major roles in cancer development and progression. The primary focus of this lab is to investigate the myriad of abnormal epigenetic modifications that have been associated with tumor phenotype via tumor suppressor silencing or upregulation of oncogenic proteins. Our approach uses both in vitro and in vivo model systems coupled with a multitude of methodologies including mass spectroscopy, confocal microscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance imaging of free radicals, chemiluminescence, electrochemical, and molecular biology techniques. The current emphasis of our team focuses on genome-wide analysis of events leading to the development and ultimate treatment of breast cancer. |
 | Tonetti, Debra A.: Professor of Pharmacology, Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (1990) Loyola University Chicago Research interests: Pharmacology and biology of breast cancer including discovery of mechanisms of endocrine resistance, establishing cell-derived xenografts and patient derived xenograft as preclinical models. Major focus on developing novel therapeutics utilizing PKCa as a potential predictive biomarker and mediator of EMT. |
 | Villegas, José: Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (2017) University of Pennsylvania Lab website: http://villegaslab.org Research interests: Computational modeling and drug design. Development of peptide-based therapeutics for targeting cancer and HIV. We specifically aim to exploit the emergent properties of peptide assemblies to develop novel mechanisms of actions in order to accelerate the drug discovery process and combat drug resistance. |
 | Wang, Zaijie (Jim): UIC Distinguished Professor, University Scholar, Professor of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutics, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (1996) University of California San Francisco Lab website: https://zjwang.lab.uic.edu Research interests: Pain, addiction, and natural product pharmacology. |
 | Zhao, Zongmin: Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (2017) Virginia Tech Lab website: https://www.zongminzhao.com Research interests: Drug delivery, biomaterials, cellular engineering, immunomodulation. Our research focuses on innovating drug delivery, cellular engineering, and immunoengineering technologies for advanced therapeutics, with the ultimate goal to improve the diagnosis and treatment of a range of diseases including cancer, infectious diseases, inflammation, drug addictions, and autoimmune diseases. We exploit inspirations from intrinsic biology to fundamentally understand synthetic materials-biology interactions and to develop application-driven technologies for advanced therapeutics. The current focus of our research group includes 1) engineering living cells as the next-generation platforms to tackle biological barriers for drug delivery, gene editing, and beyond, 2) genetic engineering of cells for advanced cell therapy, and 3) biomimetic and material-driven engineering of the immune system/cells for vaccination and immunomodulation. |
Research Faculty Heading link
 | Abad-Zapatero, Celerino: Research Professor. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Affiliated with the Institute for Tuberculosis Research (ITR) and Center for Biomolecular Sciences (CBS). PhD Biophysics, University of Texas at Austin (1978). Postdoctoral Research Associate, Purdue University, Michael G. Rossmann (1979-1985). Structure-Based Drug Design (Abbott Laboratories, 1985-2008) Lab website: http://caz.crystaledges.org Background and Research Interests: A physicist by training, I pursued X-Ray Crystallography and macromolecular structure (e.g. proteins, viruses) studies as an entry into the field of Biophysics. Applied the crystallographic methods of X-ray diffraction to Structure-Based Drug Design (SBDD) at Abbott Laboratories for over twenty-two years. After retirement from Abbott, I have continued to use my experience and expertise in SBDD to study targets of biomedical interest first at CBS with Prof. M. Johnson, and now anti-tuberculosis targets with Prof. Scott Franzblau and colleagues at ITR. In addition, I am pursuing new methods of optimizing drug discovery by developing ideas and concepts related to ‘Ligand Efficiency Indices’ (LEIs) as alternative variables to expedite discovery. Details can be found in the above website. |
 | Bloem, Laura J.: Research Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Bioassay Development Specialist, UICentre. PhD (1986) University of South Carolina Research interests: I am a biochemist/molecular biologist by training and throughout my career have used this skillset in both academic and pharma/biotech environments. For more than 15 years, I refined and utilized my biochemical and molecular skills in the pharmaceutical industry. In 2016 I joined UICentre as a Research Associate Professor, and in that role, I work closely with PI’s at UIC to identify, develop and validate bioassays for targets and pathways of interest. These assays are subsequently used for chemical probe and drug discovery efforts in collaboration with the medicinal chemistry teams at UIC. |
 | Chang, Jennifer: Research Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. PhD (2007) University of Washington Website(s): https://uicollaboratory.uic.edu/6316-jennifer-chang Research interests: As a member of the Federle Lab, I study cell-cell communication and gene regulation in Streptococcus pyogenes. We currently seek to understand how the Rgg2/3 quorum-sensing system affects host immune cell activation and bacterial pigment production. |
 | Cho, Sang Hyun: Research Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Associate Director, Institute for Tuberculosis. PhD (1999) Konkuk University, Seoul Lab website: https://itr.pharmacy.uic.edu/profiles/dr-sang-hyun-cho/ Research interests: Anti-mycobacterial drug screening, mode of action study, natural product library construction, In vitro screening assay development. |
 | Elkington, Bethany: Research Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. PhD (2013) University of Illinois at Chicago Websites: https://pharmacy.uic.edu/profiles/belkin3/ | https://pharmacognosy.pharmacy.uic.edu/ecog/ | https://mpol.fieldmuseum.org/ Research interests:Exploring how plants and people-plant interactions affect human health and well-being, with focus on traditional herbal medicines in Southeast Asia, West Africa, and the Chicago area. |
 | Flavin, Michael T.: Research Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. PhD (1984) University of Illinois Chicago Research interests: Discovery and development of antibiotic and antiviral drugs, anti-cancer medicines and treatments for neurological diseases; also, entrepreneurship and the commercialization of technology. |
 | Klein, Larry L.: Research Professor (Visiting), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences; ITR. PhD (1980) Michigan State University; Harvard Fellow (1980-82) Lab website: http://itr.pharmacy.uic.edu/ Research interests: Synthetic organic chemistry, chemistry of natural products, medicinal chemistry. |
 | Lee, Hyun: Research Associate Professor, PSCI; Associate Director, Research Resources Center, Basic Sciences & Engineering Division; Director, Biophysics Core; Affiliated, Institute for Tuberculosis Research (ITR) & UI Centre Drug Discovery. PhD (2006) The Ohio State University Research interests:The Lee lab research focus has been antimicrobial drug development against four flaviviruses (Hepatitis C virus, Zika, Dengue, and West Nile viruses), three coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and MERS-CoV), and three bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Bacillus anthracis, and Staphylococcus aureus) using various biochemical and biophysical techniques. I have been actively working on all three coronaviruses and anti-TB drug development in recent years. |
 | Movahedzadeh, Farahnaz: Research Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Institute Affiliate, Institute of Tuberculosis Research (ITR). DCLS, PhD, A microbiologist/molecular biologist that has dedicated her life to both teaching science and applying it in the real world. Website: https://itr.pharmacy.uic.edu/target-based-drug-discovery-2/ Research interests:1) Identifying essential genes in metabolic pathways that can be used as drug target in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and other infectious diseases. 2) Discovering novel bioactive molecules that can serve as antimicrobial agents from microorganisms in soil. |
 | Qader, Mallique: Research Assistant Professor, Institute for Tuberculosis Research, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (2019) University of Peradeniya Sri Lanka Lab website: https://itr.pharmacy.uic.edu Research interests: My research focuses on 1) microbial natural products and drug discovery for infectious diseases, specifically for tuberculosis, non-tuberculosis mycobacteria, and Lyme disease; development of 2) high throughput workflows for the isolation and prioritization of slow-growing or rare antibiotic-producing microbes from underrepresented environments and 3) analytical and chromatographic techniques to identify bioactive compounds for scale-up fermentations and lead compound/s identification. |
 | Santarsiero, Bernard: Research Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Affiliate, Pharmacognosy Institute. PhD (1980) University of Washington Websites: https://pharmacy.uic.edu/profiles/bds/ | https://uicollaboratory.uic.edu/6977-bernard-santarsiero | https://lasganas.uic.edu/profiles/bernard-d-santarsiero/ | https://research.uic.edu/profiles/santarsiero-phd-bernie/ | https://grad.uic.edu/profiles/santarsiero-bernard/ Research interests: My expertise is at the interface between structural chemistry and structural biology with a long-term research objective to foster and develop all aspects of drug discovery, including target selection, robotics, high-throughput screening, assay development, and computational methodologies. Focusing on human health, I have collaborated or led projects addressing infectious and neurodegenerative disease, natural products, cancer chemoprevention, and diabetes. As a co-founder of a small drug discovery company, Syrrx, and founding group leader of the Novartis Institute for Functional Genomics, we developed two new drugs, alogliptin and pioglitazone. More recently, over the past decade, I have been on leadership teams that seek to reduce the equity gaps of students of color in higher education, and have helped to develop a number of new programs at UIC, e.g., L@s GANAS, DuSable Scholars, PBRC-PREP. |
 | Svetlov, Max: Research Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. PhD (2010) Institute of Protein Research Russian Academy of Sciences Research interests: My research focuses on the fundamental principles of cellular translation, ribosome functioning, the mechanisms of action of ribosome-targeting antibiotics, and bacterial drug resistance. |
 | Vazquez-Laslop, Nora: Research Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. PhD (1990) Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Lab website: https://sites.google.com/view/mankin-vazquez-laslop-lab/ Research interests: The Mankin/Vázquez-Laslop lab is interested in understanding the fundamental principles of protein synthesis, translation control, mechanistic aspects of protein synthesis inhibitors, and principles of antibiotic resistance |
Clinical Faculty Heading link
 | Larsen, A. Karl: Clinical Professor of Forensic Science, Forensics Concentration Coordinator, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (1993) University of Illinois at Chicago Research interests: Forensic Toxicology, Controlled Substances, Intoxicating Compounds . |
Courtesy Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty Heading link
 | Ondrus, Alison E.: Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (courtesy). PhD (2009) MIT Lab website: https://www.ondruslab.org Research interests: The chemical structures of metabolites are repositories of biological information. How this information is encoded, interpreted, and enacted remains an uncharted dimension in human health. As our most structurally complex metabolite, cholesterol acts as a substrate for a repertoire of signaling molecules that coordinate processes in development, neurobiology, and the immune response. Accordingly, dysregulated activity of cholesterol and its metabolites lies at the heart of diseases such as cancer, neurodegeneration, and immune system disorders. Our lab uses a combination of synthetic, biochemical, and genetic tools to define how specific cholesterol metabolites wire and re-wire cellular pathways, with the ultimate goal of translating their structural code into new small molecule therapeutics.. |
 | Rosas, Paola: Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice; Department Affiliate, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. MD, PhD, RPh Research interests:Dr. Rosas’ research focuses on understanding the pathways leading to heart failure (HF) induced by stressors such as aging, obesity, and diabetes. As a clinician and a dedicated scientist, her mission is to uncover innovative mechanisms that could offer solutions to cardiometabolic diseases. She pursues this objective by targeting myofilament proteins like cardiac myosin binding protein-C, along with cardiac signaling pathways involving β-arrestin-2 and P21 activated kinase-1 (PAK1). Lately, her laboratory has been exploring the possible advantages of incorporating dietary fiber into the treatment of HF.; |
Emeriti Faculty Heading link
 | Beck, William T.: UIC Distiguished Professor Emeritus, Professor of Pharmacology and Molecular Genetics, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (1971) The George Washington University Research interests: Molecular and genetic mechanisms of anticancer drug action and tumor cell resistance to anticancer drugs; splicing factors in cancer initiation, tumor progression, and resistance to therapy, and their potential as novel therapeutic targets to treat ovarian and breast cancers; multidrug resistance; topoisomerases in anticancer drug sensitivity/resistance. |
 | Bruzik, Karol S.: Professor Emeritus, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (1980) Polish Academy of Sciences Research interests: Bioorganic chemistry. Investigation of mechanisms of inositol-related enzymes and their function in cell signaling events. Synthesis of analogs of biophosphates as inhibitors and probes of enzyme mechanisms. Real-time, live-cell assay of enzymatic activities in response to receptor stimulation. Isolation, structure determination and synthesis of novel phosphoinositide second messengers. |
 | Cordell, Geoffrey A.: Professor Emeritus, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (1970) University of Manchester Research interests: Alkaloids and their biosynthesis, ecopharmacognosy, medicines security, cyberecoethnopharmacolomics, L.O.V.E. and natural products in the 4IR and 5IR, the impact of COP28 on natural products research, and C.A.R.E. and publication practices in research. |
 | Fong, Harry HS: Professor Emeritus, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (1965) The Ohio State University Research interests: Natural agents useful against cancer, malaria, HIV and TB, and standardization of herbal medicines/botanical dietary supplements. |
 | Johnson, Michael E.: Professor Emeritus, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (1973) Northwestern University Lab website: https://mjohnson.people.uic.edu/lab.htm Research interests: Structural biology of proteins and RNA; structure-based design of therapeutic agents using modern techniques of computer-aided drug design, combinatorial expansion, in silico screening of chemical libraries and related technologies. Modern biotechnology provides an enormous range of tools for the development of new therapeutic agents to treat infectious diseases and other human ailments. |
 | Onyuksel, Hayat: Professor Emerita, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (1978) University of London, London, UK Research interests: Developing novel targeted nanomedicines for cancer, Alzheimer's, inflammatory diseases and mRNA therapeutics. Drug delivery using nanotechnology and nanomedicine. Early detection and targeted chemotherapy of breast cancer. Formulation and delivery of peptide and protein drugs using lipid-based carrier systems. Targeted therapy of rheumatoid arthritis and hepatic/renal fibrosis. Liposomes (StealthR, targeted and conventional) as drug delivery systems, ultrasound contrast agent and model membranes. |
 | Soejarto, D. Doel: Professor Emeritus, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (1969) Harvard University Websites: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djaja_Soejarto | https://mpol.fieldmuseum.org/ | https://fieldguides.fieldmuseum.org/ Research interests: Taxonomy and conservation of plants, with special focus in Southeast Asia, particularly, Vietnam and Laos, and study of plants used in indigenous therapy, as well as continuing explorations of the tropical rainforest for new drug leads as part of collaborative research between the Ohio State University and the University of Illinois at Chicago. |
 | Waller, Donald P.: Professor Emeritus, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD (1974) The Ohio State University Research interests: Reproductive pharmacology and toxicology, STD prevention in women, environmental toxicology. Characterization of PCB exposures in pregnant African American women through ingestion of fish from Lake Michigan. Toxicology studies on new contraceptive devices and agents. Antifertility screening of plant-derived compounds and crude plant extracts. Mechanisms of male mediated effects on fetal development. |
Adjunct Faculty Heading link
 | Angerhofer, Cindy K.: Adjunct Assciate Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Anisfeld, Michael H.: Adjunct Assistant Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Appetiti, Emanuela: Adjunct Assistant Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Bacus, Sarah: Adjunct Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Bisson, Jonathan: Adjunct Research Assistant Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Block, Keith I.: Adjunct Assistant Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Cox, Paul Alan: Adjunct Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Cullum, Malford E.: Adjunct Associate Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Dietz, Birgit M.: Adjunct Research Associate Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
 | DiMagno, Stephen G: Adjunct Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences, UIC; Research Professor, Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University. PhD (1991) University of California, Berkeley Research interests:Radiopharmaceutical chemistry, medical imaging, organofluorine chemistry, kinetics, and computational chemistry. |
| Friesen, John Brent: Adjunct Assistant Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Granneman, Denise: Adjunct Instructor, PharmD () Research interests: |
| Gupta, Pulkit: Adjunct Assistant Professor, PhD, Pharmacognosy (2013) University of Illinois Chicago Research interests: |
| Hansen, Donald W.: Adjunct Assistant Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Harris, Guy: Adjunct Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Hong, Seungpyo: Adjunct Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Huberman, Eliezer: Adjunct Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Hunsberger, Dawn: Adjunct Instructor, PharmD () Research interests: |
| Khaja, Fatima Alzahraa: Adjunct Assistant Professor, PhD, Biopharmaceutical Sciences (2014) University of Illinois Chicago Research interests: |
 | Kleps, Robert A: Adjunct Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences, UIC. PhD (1974) UIC Research interests:Sex Specific Metabolites and Enzyme systems in Animals and Plants. |
| Kueker, Janet Renee: Adjunct Instructor, PharmD (2008) University of Illinois Chicago Research interests: |
| Kurien, Jiji: Adjunct Instructor, PharmD () Research interests: |
| McAlpine, James B.: Adjunct Research Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Nam, Joowon: Adjunct Research Assistant Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Napolitano Farina, Jose: Adjunct Research Assistant Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
 | Niazi, Sarfaraz K: Adjunct Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences, UIC. PhD, SI, FRSB, FPAMS, FAACC Websites: www.niazi.com | www.therarna.com Research interests:Biosimilars, mRNA therapeutics, gene editing, FDA. |
| Onajole, Oluseye: Adjunct Research Assistant Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Petak, Istvan: Adjunct Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Pitzele, Barnett S.: Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, PhD () Research interests: |
| Pomerance, Marc Gregory: Adjunct Instructor, MS, Forensic Science (2005) University of Illinois Chicago Research interests: |
 | Ray, G. Joseph: Adjunct Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences, UIC. PhD (1968) Carnegie Mellon University Research interests:After almost 60 years of industrial research into applications of NMR to petroleum, polymers, small molecules, catalysts, rugs and now natural products, my interest is to continue applications of NMR in structural elucidation and quantitation mixtures. |
| Shulman, Lee Philip: Adjunct Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Simmler, Charlotte: Adjunct Research Assistant Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Stec, Josef: Adjunct Research Assistant Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Swanson, Steven M.: Adjunct Professor, PhD, Pharmacognosy (1990) University of Illinois Chicago Research interests: |
| Szymulanska-Ramamurthy, Karina M.: Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor, PhD, Pharmacognosy (2015) University of Illinois Chicago Research interests: |
| Tanzi-Samaan, Maria G.: Adjunct Assistant Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Thatcher, Gregory RJ: Adjunct Professor, PhD (1986) University of Toronto Research interests: |
| Touwaide, Alain: Adjunct Assistant Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Viana, Marlos A.G.: Adjunct Research Associate Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Vollmer, Guenter: Adjunct Professor, PhD () Research interests: |
| Zhao, Ming: Adjunct Research Assistant Professor, PhD () Research interests: |