Faculty

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Department Funding

The department currently has 13 tenure-track faculty members, 6 full-time research and clinical faculty, and 15 adjunct faculty members. Their research interests and links to contact them are listed below.

Primary Faculty | Research and Instructor Track Faculty | Adjunct Faculty | Emeritus Faculty | Past

Primary Faculty

Name & Contact Position Research Interests
Rick Ash, Ph.D.
rick.ash@utah.edu
801-581-3192
Professor Membrane trasnport and teh use of technology in medical education.
Maureen Condic, Ph.D.
mlcondic@neuro.utah.edu
801-585-3482
Associate Professor Control of neurite outgrowth and axon guidance.
Jan Christian, Ph.D.
jan.christian@neuro.utah.edu
801-581-5397
Professor Understanding how BMP activity is regulated by proprotein proteolysis and intracellular trafficking, and analysis of a novel protein that functions to regulate the balance between non-canonical and canonical Wnt signaling during hematopoiesis.
Adam Douglass, Ph.D.
adam.douglass@neuro.utah.edu 801-587-8628
Assistant Professor Functional anatomy of neuromodulatory circuits.
Richard Dorsky, Ph.D.
richard.dorsky@neuro.utah.edu
801-581-6073
Lab Web Site
Associate Professor The role of the Wnt signaling pathway in neural cell fate specification.
Christopher Gregg, Ph.D.
chris.gregg@neuro.utah.edu
801-581-8212
Lab Web Site
Assistant Professor Genomic imprinting and the identification of epigenetic and genetic pathways that influence neuronal circuits associated with feeding and foraging behavior and neuroeconomic decisions.
Thomas Parks, Ph.D.
tom.parks@neuro.utah.edu
801-581-7236
Vice President for Research

Professor
Responsible for all research infrastructure, policies, and compliance for the University of Utah.
Scott Rogers, Ph.D.
scott.rogers@hsc.utah.edu
801-585-6339
Professor Molecular basis of neuro-immune interactions.
Yukio Saijoh, Ph.D.
y.saijoh@utah.edu
801-585-9887
Assistant Professor Pattern formation of vertebrates, how vertebrate make up their complicated and organized body pattern.
Gary Schoenwolf, Ph.D.
schoenwolf@neuro.utah.edu
801-581-6453
Lab Web Site
Distinguished Professor

Editor-in-Chief, Developmental Dynamics
How intercellular and intracellular signaling results in the generation of pattern during vertebrate development.
Sheryl Scott, Ph.D.
sheryl@neuro.utah.edu
801-585-5633
Department Associate Chair

Professor

Director of Graduate Studies (DGS)
Neuronal development.
Jason Shepherd, Ph.D.
jason.shepherd@neuro.utah.edu
801-587-7854
Lab Web Site
Assistant Professor Mechanisms of memory consolidation and experience-dependent plasticity. Exploring the role of synaptic dysfunction in neurological disorders.
Sharif Taha, Ph.D.
s.taha@utah.edu
801-585-6214
Assistant Professor Neural control of reward-directed behaviors; role of opioid signaling in modulating food intake; impulsivity and alcohol consumption.
Monica Vetter, Ph.D.
monica@neuro.utah.edu
801-581-4984
Department Chair

Professor

George and Lorna Winder Professor of Neuroscience
Molecular pathways and cellular interactions governing retinal development and disease.
Matt Wachowiak, Ph.D.
matt.wachowiak@utah.edu
801-587-9694
USTAR Associate Professor Understanding the basic principles of olfactory function.
Megan Williams, Ph.D.
megan.williams@neuro.utah.edu
801-581-8274
Lab Web Site
Assistant Professor Molecular mechanisms that regulate synapse formation and specificity of neural circuits.
H. Joseph Yost, Ph.D.
joseph.yost@genetics.utah.edu
801-585-6110
Lab Web Site
Professor Embryonic axis formation, left-right asymmetry, cardiovascular development, the roles of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans in cell-cell signaling, cell migration and cell-matrix interactions, discovering new genes in cancer biology.

Research and Instructor Track Faculty

Name & Contact Position Research Interests
Noel Carlson, Ph.D.
noel.carlson@med.va.gov
801-584-1292
Research Associate Professor Neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration and multiple sclerosis.
Alejandra Bosco, Ph.D.
alebosco@neuro.utah.edu
801-585-9827
Assistant Professor Molecular pathways and cellular interactions leading to retinal neurodegeneration in
glaucoma.
Kathryn Moore, Ph.D.
kmoore@neuro.utah.edu
801-585-9827
Research Associate Professor Understanding the molecular pathways governing neuronal differentiation during retinal development.
David Morton, Ph.D.
david.morton@hsc.utah.edu
801-581-3385
Associate Professor

Gross Anatomy Course Director
Dr. Morton is currently investigating the use of active learning exercises in the class room to promote analytical reasoning. He is also working on publishing an anatomy atlas, an anatomy text, a histology text and the second edition of his dissection guide.
Stephen Voron, M.D.
savoron@earthlink.net
801-566-1508
Associate Professor (Lecturer) Efficient and effective medical education in my areas of expertise: clinical neuroanatomy and diagnostic neuroradiology.

Adjunct Faculty

Name & Contact position Research Interests
Kurt Albertine, Ph.D.
kurt.albertine@hsc.utah.edu
801-587-7490
Professor, Pediatrics My research efforts are focused on lung biology in health and disease, for both neonates and adults.
Bala Ambati, M.D.
bala.ambati@utah.edu
801-581-2352
Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Ocular Angiogenesis and Corneal Research.
Wolfgang Baehr, Ph.D.
wbaehr@hsc.utah.edu
801-585-6643
Professor, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Exploration of genes expressed in mammalian rod and cone photoreceptor outer segments.
Josh Bonkowsky, M.D., Ph.D.
joshua.bonkowsky@hsc.utah.edu
801-581-6756
Lab Web Site
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics Pediatric neurodevelopmental disorders.
Kenneth Foreman, PT, Ph.D.
bo.foreman@hsc.utah.edu
801-581-3496
Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy Educational outcomes with an emphasis in computer assisted instruction, and examinating the effects of dissection on teh spatial understanding of anatomy.
Yingbin Fu, Ph.D.
yingbin.fu@hsc.utah.edu
801-213-3436
Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Signal Transduction and Protein Trafficking in Photoreceptors; Macular Degeneration.
Sabine Fuhrmann, Ph.D.
Sabine.fuhrmann@hsc.utah.edu
801-581-4684
Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Regulation of early eye development in vertebrates.
Mary Hartnett, M.D.
me.hartnett@hsc.utah.edu
801-585-6510
Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Mechanisms of vascular genesis, dysgenesis and reorganization in retina.
Edward Levine, Ph.D.
ed.levine@utah.edu
801-587-9537
Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Control of the cell cycle in retinogenesis.
Alan Light, Ph.D.
alan.light@hsc.utah.edu
801-581-6393
Research Professor, Anesthesiology Neurobiology of pain pathways.
Suzanne Mansour, Ph.D.
suzi.mansour@genetics.utah.edu
801-585-6893
Associate Professor, Human Genetics Genes involved in inner ear development and function.
Anne Moon, M.D., Ph.D.
anne.moon@genetics.utah.edu
801-585-0717
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Neurobiology & Anatomy, and Human Genetics

Investigator, Program in Molecular Medicine
Understanding normal and abnormal cardiovascular and limb development.
Shannon Odelberg, Ph.D.
odelberg@howard.genetics.utah.edu
801-581-7150
Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine Identifying the genes that regulate cellular plasticity and other aspects of regeneration.
Tatjana Piotrowski, Ph.D.
pio@stowers.org
816-926-4527
Associate Investigator,
Stowers Institute for Medical Research,
Kansas City, Missouri
Fundamental developmental mechanisms such as cell migration, cell proliferation and cell fate determination.
Christopher Rodesch, Ph.D.
crodesch@cores.utah.edu
801-587-7964
Lab Director, Fluorescence Microscopy Core Facilty Provide equipment and expertise necessary to facilitate the use of microscopy in research.
Alejandro Sánchez, Ph.D.
asa@stowers.org
816-926-4529
Investigator,
Stowers Institute for Medical Research,
Kansas City, Missouri
Identification and characterization of the molecular components underpinning regeneration.
Ning Tian, M.D., Ph.D.
ning.tian@hsc.utah.edu
801-581-2352
Associate Professor,
Ophthalmology & Visual Science
Synaptic plasticity.
Jun Yang, Ph.D.
jun.yang@hsc.utah.edu
Assistant Professor,
Ophthalmology & Visual Science
Pathogenetic mechanisms of retinal degeneration and cell biology of photoreceptors

Emeritus Faculty

Name & Contact Position Research Interests
Webster S. S. Jee, Ph.D Professor Musculoskeletal Tissues.
Suzanne Stensaas, Ph.D.
suzanne.stensaas@hsc.utah.edu
Professor Finding appropriate ways to integrate technology into teaching.

In Remembrance

Name & Contact Position Research Interests
Chi-Bin Chien Professor Understanding how genetic and molecular mechanisms control cell behavior in vivo.
Marcus Jacobson Professor Single-cell injection techniques and lineage tracing in Xenopus to study early patterning of the nervous system.