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
Victor M. Bii, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Mississippi Valley State University
Dr. Victor M. Bii is Assistant Professor and Director Bioinformatics graduate program at MVSU. He has 15+ years of interdisciplinary expertise in target discovery, viral vector engineering, and translational oncology. As an Investigator and Program Director, he has successfully led federal and private research grant portfolios (ACS, NSF, USDA) and managed high-throughput core facilities, bridging the gap between computational genomics and complex in vitro and in vivo validation. Dr. Bii offers a unique “bench-to-data” skillset, combining sophisticated wet-lab techniques—including Lentiviral/CRISPR systems, novel in utero microinjection, and 3D cell culture—with deep-dive genomic mapping and cancer database analysis. GCP-certified and proficient in navigating the FDA-regulated landscape. He excels at directing cross-functional teams and mentoring the next generation of STEM leaders to translate basic molecular mechanisms into potential actionable therapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers.
Discipline: Biology
Institutional Profile
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