Faculty Researchers

Dr. Aduonum's research focuses on assessing the effects of psychostimulants on learning and memory consolidation in the rodent in vivo model.

Dr. Baker's research is focused on exploring the biochemical pathways associated with blood coagulation, and includes a variety of molecular and biochemical techniques. Recently, Dr. Baker has begun research collaborations with other faculty, allowing her to develop projects in other diverse areas such as neurology and virology.

Dr. Brown's varied publications as well as his patents on color MRI reflect his research interests and innovations in neuroscience, neurological-rehabilitation, diagnostic medical imaging, and tissue segmentation in Magnetic Resonance Imaging. His tendency to think out of the box and to improvise novel solutions to problems were born of farm life, honed by his work as a technician and continue to serve him well in medical research.

Dr. Cadet’s current research interests lie in the identification and characterization of antibiotic-producing microbes obtained from soil; the modulation of coagulation by influenza virus; vaccine efficacy, complications and perceptions; and more broadly, novel approaches to the treatment of Type 1 diabetes and hypothyroid disease. Her teaching focuses primarily on the immune system, mechanisms of host defense, virology, bacteriology and general microbiological therapeutic interventions.

Dr. Hielscher's research interests are currently centered on the role of the microenvironment in breast cancer initiation, growth and metastasis, with a focus on the key roles of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in supporting aberrant cell behaviors, angiogenesis and breast tumor progression. 

Dr. Jenney's research involves the study of metalloproteins from hyperthermophiles, focusing on the potential of utilizing these proteins as treatments for cancer and ischemia/reperfusion injury, and in biofuel production.

Dr. Komiskey's has conducted research on the effect of estrogen on manganese-induced toxicity on embryonic astrocytes. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology. He is also a member of the Society for Neuroscience, Society of Toxicology, and American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Dr. Lu has established a lab capable of doing both in vivo and in vitro studies of cerebellar function at GA-PCOM. Meanwhile, he is conducting collaborative research at Emory University using electrophysiological and optogenetic methods. 

Dr. Matayoshi initiated a Human Performance Laboratory to drive student and faculty research on the Georgia Campus. Besides his expertise in medical science, he is a trained cultural diversity facilitator, public speaking coach and educational consultant. 

Dr. McAfee's research includes field work in the Dominican Republic and locally with cave sites in Georgia and Alabama. The other side of this work involves geomorphometrics using 3D surface scans to explore the changes and variations in sloth anatomy and morphology.

Dr. Owen has conducted research on the cardiovascular system in normal health and disease states. This research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, and Deborah Research Institute. She has served on grant review committees including that of the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association, and Deborah Research Institute and she has served as a reviewer of manuscripts for several major research journals. Dr. Owen has published extensively in her area of research and has received numerous invitations to speak at national and international research symposia.

Dr. Peffley’s research interests focus on dietary prevention of cancer through plant derived terpenes or isoprenoids derived from the plate mevalonate biosynthetic pathway.

The research in Dr. Redmond’s lab examines the roles of proteins and genes in the development and maturation of the cerebral cortex. The role of signaling proteins, such as CaMKIIβ, that translate neuronal activity into changes in neuronal shape and connections is the focus of Dr. Redmond’s research. Genetically modified mice, immunohistochemical, biochemical, and molecular biological approaches are used to elucidate the role of signaling proteins in the development of the central nervous system and differentiation of neurons.

Dr. Stanescu's research and publication interests reside in clinical applicability.

Dr. White's research centers upon applying cellular/molecular electrophysiological techniques to investigate cell excitability and signal transduction, especially in coronary arteries. The main focus has been on understanding how gonadal hormones (e.g., estrogen, testosterone) modulate potassium channel activity in coronary artery smooth muscle cells to produce vasodilation. 

Dr. Adams has co-authored several published papers and books. He is a recipient of the Individual National Research Service Award, NIDCR, NIH and the New Investigator Award among others.

Dr. Appelt has done extensive research in the field of aging and is recognized for her work on Alzheimer’s disease. She is the director of PCOM’s Biological Imaging Facility and is investigating pathogen involvement as a trigger for developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Balin has received numerous National Institutes of Health and private foundation grant awards for his research. His research interests include infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae as a trigger in the neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's Disease, effects of infection and inflammation on the blood brain barrier in cerebrovascular disease, modification of neuronal cytoskeletal proteins through phosphorylation and the action of transglutaminase, and pathogenesis of chronic disease associated with the aging process. 

Dr. Barsotti's areas of focus include neuromuscular functions and disease and cardiovascular function and disease.

Dr. Bell is an expert on the regulatory systems of cardiac and skeletal muscle, and the enzymatic processes related to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's Disease.

Dr. Borghaei's research interest is in transcriptional regulation of gene expression, particularly in response to inflammation. In addition, her lab is also interested in studying mechanisms behind epigenetic changes that occur in chronic inflammation, and may be involved in increased risk of carcinogenesis.

Dr. Bravo Nuevo has been working on neuroprotection of the retinal neuronal cells, muscle physiology and diabetes. Most recently, he has worked in the role that Myo/Nog cells have to prevent blindness caused by retinal degenerations, and slowing the progression of plaque formation in Alzheimer's disease.

For the past decade, Dr. Chen's research has been conducted in topics related to the cardiovascular system. Currently, she is interested in finding the key mechanisms involved in various cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction, stroke and diabetes.

Dr. Claeson maintains four active areas of research in which students and volunteers at PCOM may participate in her lab: comparative vertebrate anatomy, variation in human anatomy, paleontology and evolutionary biology, and collaborative work with osteopathic physicians.

Dr. Daghigh's research interests include medical nutrition education and advocacy.

Dr. D’Angelo's research interests include cartilage and bone development, regulation, and pathophysiology.

Dr. Goldstein's research interests focus on methods to reduce pain in post-operative patients and for those with chronic pain. He currently conducts a pharmacology research study in hospice patients to improve their analgesia.

Dr. Hatcher’s research interests are focused on various aspects of cardiovascular and skeletal muscle development and disease.

Dr. Hingley’s research is a collaborative study with Drs. Appelt, Little and Balin that examines a possible role for infectious agents in triggering Alzheimer's Disease. Dr. Hingley’s primary involvement is to investigate consequences of Herpes simplex virus type 1 and Chlamydia pneumoniae infection of astrocytes, either as single or dual infections.

Dr. Lippman-Bell's research is dedicated to uncovering mechanisms of synaptic development, maintenance, and plasticity. She is interested in how early-life events can disrupt these mechanisms, often with long-term consequences.

Dr. Little's research interests include immunology and chronic infection associated with diseases of aging, specifically the role of the immune system in modulating disease severity.

Dr. Montie’s research program is focused on androgen receptor (AR) function in two different diseases, spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA, Kennedy’s disease) and prostate cancer.

Dr. Philip Reno is a biological anthropologist who investigates the evolutionary and developmental bases for human anatomy.

The ultimate goal of Dr. Xu's research is to improve functional recovery from axon degeneration in neurodegenerative diseases and following the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerve injuries.

Dr. Young has conducted research related to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury and to evaluate mechanisms related to oxidative stress that initiate I/R injury.

Present research projects in Dr. Zhang's laboratory are focused on, but not limited to, the molecular mechanisms of chemo-preventive effects of different phytochemicals, especially resveratrol, in prostate cancer development; mechanisms of resveratrol effects on tensin expression and prostate cancer; and the underlying molecular mechanisms of TMPRSS fusion with ETS transcriptional factors (ERG in particular) in cancer prevention and gene therapy.

Dr. Allison's area of focus is osteopathic manipulative medicine.

Dr. Becker's area of focus is family practice.

Dr. Galluzi's area of focus is geriatrics. 

Dr. Hobson's area of focus is osteopathic manipulative medicine.

Dr. Kuo is actively involved in student and resident education as director of medical education for the Philadelphia campus and associate dean for graduate medical education.

Dr. Morris' area of focus is family practice. 

Dr. Nicholas serves as professor and chair in the Department of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. 

Dr. Noto Bell has published on the comparison of different types of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) on cervical somatic dysfunctions. Her research efforts have included measuring the principles of palpation using a computer program that identifies and measures shape change; the effects of OMT on lateral deviations of the spine, using a computer program that identifies and measures shape change; incorporating self-reflection into course content to improve the learning experience and develop expertise; the effect of an osteopathic technique on the modulation of the autonomic nervous system; and assessing the effectiveness of an osteopathic technique on ankle function and swimming time in children and adolescents.

Dr. Berkowitz is a published author and speaker with over 100 manuscripts, papers, and presentations. His area of focus is neuromusculoskeletal medicine and OMM.

Dr. Bai been working in the field of drug delivery for many years.  Her research interests include protein/peptide drug delivery, HIV vaccine and cancer research.

Since Dr. Bai joined PCOM, she has published several manuscripts in peer-reviewed scientific journals, including first authorship and coordinating authorship.

Dr. Bhave's research focuses on investigating the mechanisms of liver regeneration and transdifferentiation including investigating the role of reprogramming factors (specifically OCT4), in transdifferentiation of hepatocytes to biliary epithelial cells and investigating the role of protease and phospholipase inhibitors in treatment of drug-induced acute liver failure. 

Her research interests include chronic biliary liver diseases, somatic cell reprogramming, liver regeneration, and acute liver failure.

Dr. Huang’s research interest lies in brain physiology and pathophysiology. Currently his main focus is on the mechanisms of synaptic plasticity, and especially on the regulation of the NMDA subtype of the glutamate receptors. "NMDA receptors", as they are called, play critical roles in learning and memory, and in the development of the brain. As NMDA receptors are also critically important in brain disorders, his studies have significant implications that extend to a broad range of pathological processes in the central nervous system, including brain and spinal cord injury, epilepsy, chronic pain, stroke, Alzheimer disease, and schizophrenia.

Dr. Rayalam has worked in the areas of obesity, body weight regulation, phytochemicals and adipocyte biochemistry for over eight years. Her research interests include studying the adipocyte life cycle and to understand the interaction of adipocytes with other cell types as an approach to address several problems associated with obesity; developing novel treatment strategies for obesity by inducing transdifferentiation of white to beige adipocytes and to inhibit lipid accumulation in white adipocytes; and identifying combinations of phytochemicals and vitamins that have synergistic anti-adipogenic effects with an ultimate goal of developing pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals for prevention and treatment of obesity and associated disorders.

In his search for clinical biomarkers for the early stages of congestive heart failure, Dr. Sharma’s research is focused on apoptosis and the signaling cascade that occur with sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction. In addition to intramural resources, Dr. Sharma’s research had been funded through the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of NIH, American Heart Association and Oral & Maxillofacial Research Foundation.

One of the major focuses of Dr. Shashidharamurthy's research is to delineate the molecular mechanism(s) lipocalin-2 (Lcn2) during various autoimmune/inflammatory disorders such as arthritis and lupus. This may eventually lead to development of novel therapeutic approaches. Dr. Shashidharamurthy also conducts research focused on the individual role of FcGamma receptor and complement proteins during the pathogenesis of immune-complex (IC) mediated vasculitis (funded by American Heart Association), attenuation of IC-mediated inflammation by prostaglandin E2 receptor antagonists and aynergistic effect of IC’s and TLR ligands during IC-mediated inflammatory disorders.

Dr. Wang is interested in the research and development of new medicines that affect the cardiovascular system, metabolism homeostasis and central nervous system. Previously, Dr. Wang’s research had been funded by NIEHS/NIH, NIH and CV Therapeutics, Inc (California). At PCOM, Dr. Wang’s research has been funded by intramural research programs such as the CCDA center and the CRSO office.

Dr. Eric Wang’s research interest is focused on the drug discovery and development to identify potential drug candidates with anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant properties. He has presented his research in various national and international conferences and published peer-reviewed articles in different pharmaceutical fields including medicinal chemistry, molecular pharmacology, pharmaceutical analysis, and pharmacokinetics. 

Dr. Wu is actively involved in the research laboratory at GA-PCOM. His research projects focus on improving oral absorption and targeting of anti-tumor and antiviral agents. He has published several research papers in these areas and presented his work at a number of national meetings.

Dr. Holaway’s areas of scholarship and teaching are primary care pharmacy practice, chronic disease management and innovative pharmacy education methodologies and programs.

Dr. John’s therapeutic interests are in the areas of cardiovascular and anti-coagulation management.

Dr. Lee's areas of clinical and research interests include primary care, ambulatory care, anticoagulation care, cardiovascular disease, medication therapy management (MTM), and interprofessional education. He has given professional presentations and published several peer-reviewed articles on diabetes and anticoagulation managements.

Dr. Lisi has professional experience as an cardiology and anticoagulation clinical pharmacist and as a prenatal genetic counselor, and has additional certifications in basic life support (BLS), advanced cardiac life support (ACLS), and Pharmacy-Based Immunization. She has broad ranging pharmacy interests in adult internal medicine, women’s health, anticoagulation, and cardiology.

Dr. Mukherjee is currently working on multiple secondary databases of the USA to understand how socio-demographic characteristics of general population is related to out-of-pocket expenditure for prescription medications used in different disease states.

Dr. Parihar has strong interest in clinical research, especially in the area of diabetes. His key areas of interest are medication use in gestational diabetes (GDM)—management, therapeutic options/outcomes and maternal and fetal Implications; cost benefit analysis of medication use; and medication adherence along with glycemic monitoring and control in diabetic patients.

Dr. Reece's area of clinical and research specialty is endocrinology with a focus on diabetes. She has given podium and poster presentations on diabetes at regional and national meetings and has published several peer reviewed manuscripts.

Dr. Rollins' research interests include pharmaceutical marketing, direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising, consumer behavior and community pharmacy practice. Dr. Rollins is a journal referee for the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association and has presented and published on numerous subjects in pharmacy practice, including drug advertising, patient satisfaction, patient drug information and pharmacy simulation software.

Dr. Smallwood has been an investigator or co-investigator of more than 40 human clinical trials. His research interest includes immunology, transplant, and diabetes with his most recent work being with the Immune Tolerance Network (ITN) using immunosuppressants in treating Type 1 diabetes which is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) of the National Institute of Health (NIH).

Dr. Thomas's research and teaching interests include development and implementation of specialized pharmacy education curriculum and practica, and therapeutics in oncology and cancer pain management.

Dr. DiTomasso's major areas of interest are cognitive-behavioral assessment, therapy, and consultation, anxiety and anxiety-related disorders, primary care psychology, patient non-adherence, developing assessment instruments for health risk behaviors, and research design, measurement, methodology and program evaluation.

Dr. Felgoise's research focuses on quality of life in, and psychosocial aspects of, ALS (Lou Gherig's Disease) and Long QT Syndrome (LQTS, a life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia condition). Research on these topics have emphasized factors relating to quality of life, social problem solving, coping and adjustment, resilience factors (hope, optimism, spirituality), and comorbid psychological conditions (i.e., anxiety, depression).

Dr. Festinger has served as principal or co-investigator on more than 20 NIH-funded grants and numerous contracts and grants from other federal, state and local funding agencies, has authored over 70 articles and chapters, and has disseminated his research findings at conferences and scientific meetings across the US and abroad.

Dr. Gosch is a nationally recognized expert on clinical child psychology, anxiety disorders, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with youth. Her major research interest concerns the process and effectiveness of psychotherapy with differing populations. Much of her work has focused on the treatment of anxiety and depression in youth.

Dr. Kendorski's primary research interest and expertise focus on supporting the social, emotional, and behavioral development of all children as well as those diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders in the home and school settings. Dr. Kendorski is a licensed psychologist, certified school psychologist and board certified behavior analyst, with a passion for child advocacy, education, and positive parenting practices.

Dr. Lent's ongoing program of research focuses on obesity treatment and prevention in children and adults. Her research interests span pediatric obesity treatment, psychosocial factors in bariatric surgery, school and community-based obesity prevention and treatment initiatives, “food addiction,” urban consumer food purchasing behaviors and cognitive-behavioral interventions for adult obesity.

Dr. Mindel's research interests include issues in clinical child psychology, with an emphasis on the prevention and treatment of anxiety disorders, and diagnostic differences and treatment of subtypes of ADHD. She is currently involved in research examining coping and anxiety in Latino youth. Furthermore, her interests branch out to broader areas including child psychopathology as related to parenting variables, comorbidity, social behavior patterns, peer relationships, coping, and treatment responsiveness.

Dr. Poteau conducts research in many areas of social psychology including, but not limited to: terror management theory, implicit measurement/cognition (of attitudes and self-esteem), personality, game theory/decision-making, political psychology/ethnopolitical conflict, and cultural evolution.

Dr. Rosenfield's current research interests include cognitive behavioral therapy for adult ADHD, personality disorders, depressive disorders, somatic disorders, anxiety disorders, single session treatment for panic attacks, the social psychology of terrorism, multicultural counseling, communication skills, and treating complex patients. Dr. Rosenfield also has an intense interest in human-animal interactions and modifying behavior to the benefit of all concerned. His projects have included integrating pet therapy dogs into a positive behavioral support program for adolescents with various disabilities.

Dr. Salzer's research interests include parent-child relationships in families with aggressive and socially rejected children, the examination of children's internal social cognitive models and their impact on childhood aggression, study of the impact of parental treatment for depression on the development of childhood psychopathology, the impact of the treatment of childhood anxiety on parent-child interactions, and the impact of symptom reduction via psychopharmacological interventions and whether or not changes in children's expression of anxious symptoms elicits alternative parenting styles.

Dr. Tomes' major areas of research and interests are: cross-cultural psychology, multicultural/psychological/educational assessments, cognitive/learning styles, and issues surrounding GLBTQ populations. Dr. Tomes' research has appeared in a variety of national journals and throughout a wide range of textbooks.

Dr. Tresco has worked extensively with children and adolescents with ADHD and their families and continues to pursue research and clinical interests pertaining to assessment and intervention for externalizing behavior problems.

Dr. Zahn's mentoring and research interests are in the supervision competency, diversity issues in clinical training and practice, recovery and serious mental illness, and cognitive therapy with older adults.