Ph.D. Candidates

Chuck Hay, M.S.
Mentor: Eric Peterson, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Degree: Cornell College; Master Degree: University of Nebraska Medical Center

Research Interests: Autoimmunity, pathogenesis, biologic drug development especially monoclonal antibodies as drugs, and drugs of abuse.

 

 

Julia Tobacyk, B.S.
Mentor: Lee Ann MacMillan-Crow, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Degree: Louisiana Tech University

Research Interests: Role of mitochondrial fusion regulators in renal transplant injury.

 

 

Chris Bolden, B.S.
Mentor: Eric Peterson, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Degree: University of Mississippi

Research Interests: Utilizing viral expressed scFvs to reduce Methamphetamine’s neuroinflammatory effects.

 

 

Lascelles Lyn-Cook, M.S.
Co-Mentors: Alison Harrill, Ph.D. and Philip Mayeux, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Degree: University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Masters Degree: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Research Interests: Diversity outbred mice may improve preclinical screening for drug-induced liver injury (DILI).

 

 

Stephen Shrum, B.S.

Co-Mentors: Lee Ann MacMillan-Crow, Ph.D. and Nancy Rusch, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Degree: Hendrix College

Research Interests: The role of the mitochondrial BK channel in renal cold storage injury.

 

 

Brittney Garner, B.S.
Mentor: Nancy Rusch, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Degree: East Texas Baptist University

Research Interests: Ion channel remodeling in lymphedema.

 

 

Catheryn Wilson, B.S.
Mentors: Bill Fantegrossi, Ph.D. and Paul Prather, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Degree: University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Research Interests: Studying the effects of synthetic cannabinoids using in vivo and in vitro approaches.

 

Lauren Russell, B.S.
Mentor: Bill Fantegrossi, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Degree: Southern Arkansas University

Research Interests: Neuro degeneration

 

 

 

Laura Ewing, M.S.
Mentors: Igor Koturbash, Ph.D. & Annie Lumen, Ph.D. (NCTR)
Undergraduate Degree: University of Oklahoma

Research Interests: Interactions of diet and radiotherapy in improving cancer treatment outcomes.

 

 

Kyle Urquhart, B.S.
Mentor: Bill Fantegrossi, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Degree: University of Georgia

Research Interests: The effects of drugs of abuse on behavior and the biological mechanisms responsible for producing these effects. He is specifically focusing his training on the behavioral pharmacology of synthetic opiods.

 

Amal Shoeib, M.S.
Mentor: Paul Prather, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Degree: Misr International University (in Egypt)
Research Interests: Development of Cannabinoid receptor biased agonists for potential improvement of the safety and efficacy of therapeutic agents.

 

 

Christian Cabanlong, B.S.
Mentor: Paul Prather, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Degree: University of New Mexico

Research Interests: Signal transduction.

 

 

David Henry, M.P.H.
Mentor: Sung Rhee, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Degree: Davidson College
Masters Degree: Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Research Interests: The role of adrenergic receptors in leptomeningeal collateral arterial blood flow.

 

Melissa Clemens, M.P.H.

Mentor: Mitchell McGill, Ph.D.
Undergraduate Degree: University of Central Arkansas
Master’s Degree: University of Arkansas for Medical Science
Research Interest: Mechanisms and biomarkers of liver regeneration after drug-induced liver injury.

 

 

 Pre-Candidate

Joel Vazquez, B.S.
Undergrad: St. John’s University, Queens, NY, 18′, B.S. Toxicology
Grad: 2nd year in GPIBS, Pharmacology & Toxicology track, in the lab of Dr. Mitch McGill
Research interest: Drug Induced Liver Injury (DILI) is a leading cause of Acute Liver Failure in the United States. Without proper biomarkers, it is difficult to predict the severity of injury. Our research focuses on establishing and validating biomarkers that would give better predictive and prognostic insight, useful in both the clinical setting and in improving the drug regulatory process by distinguishing between artificial and real liver injury.