John Neiswinger, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
Belhaven University
As DNA sequencing becomes cheaper and more prevalent, databases like ClinVar are a valuable resource for elucidating how genomic variability relates to disease progression. This research will use this database to generate clinically curated kinase mutants in order to determine if a change in kinase activity has occurred. Further analysis will be performed to assess the effect of altered kinase activity on cellular function, especially with respect to disease pathogenicity. Additionally, mutagenesis studies will be performed on kinases to probe the sensitivity of their activity to a variety of types of mutations.
Discipline: Biology
Institutional Profile
Mariana Sa, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biology
Belhaven University
My research bridges fungal taxonomy and proteomics to explore microbial diversity and host–pathogen interactions. In taxonomy, I investigate Basidiomycota fungi across Brazilian ecosystems, describing new species and clarifying evolutionary relationships to advance understanding of fungal biodiversity. In proteomics, I apply mass spectrometry to study antimicrobial resistance and host–pathogen dynamics, identifying molecular mechanisms of pathogenicity and informing innovative approaches for infection detection, treatment, and ecological applications.
Discipline: Biology
Institutional Profile
Ross Whitwam, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
Mississippi University for Women
Dr. Whitwam investigates the spontaneous formation of yeast prions, focusing on the [URE3] prion of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Prions are infectious proteins that can induce other copies of the same protein to misfold and aggregate into amyloids. The yeast prion [URE3] can also misfold spontaneously into its prion conformation at a low rate. Dr. Whitwam’s lab investigates how cellular factors, such as chaperone protein expression, can alter the rate of spontaneous prion formation as a means of investigating molecular mechanisms that might impact the prevalence of mammalian prion diseases such as Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, fatal familial insomnia, and others.
Discipline: Biology
Institutional Profile
Travis Hagey, Ph.D
Associate Professor of Biology
Mississippi University for Women
Hagey is an evolutionary biologist with interests in herpetology, adaptation, functional morphology, and biomechanics. Working with live and preserved specimens in lab, museum, and field settings, Hagey investigates adaptive patterns in gecko and anole adhesive toe pads. Hagey’s work combines correlating morphological traits, habitat use, and measurements of animal performance. He has experience with phylogenetic comparative methods, geometric morphometrics, and high-resolution imaging, including microCT and scanning electron microscopy.
Discipline: Biology
Institutional Profile
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