
Rajendra K. Agrawal, PhD
Director, Division of Translational Medicine, Wadsworth Center
We study mechanisms of protein biosynthesis in bacterial and eukaryotic cells, with a goal to understand bacterial drug resistance and identify new drug targets, using biochemical and high-resolution 3D cryo-EM techniques.

Nilesh Banavali, PhD
Structure-based Therapeutics for Infectious Diseases
We use NextGen sequencing to determine frequencies and sequence dependence of polymerase errors, and computational methods for drug design, structure prediction, and elucidating chemical and conformational mechanisms.

Thomas M. Bartlett, PhD
Cell biology of bacterial pathogens
We study the molecular basis of bacterial growth and cell shape determination in critical bacterial pathogens with “unusual” shapes. Our research helps us to understand how bacterial shape contributes to pathogenesis, and identifies vulnerabilities in understudied bacterial growth plans.

Valerie J. Bolivar, PhD
Neurobehavioral Genetics
We examine the genetics of brain abnormalities and behavioral impairments associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Our current focus is identifying genes involved in abnormal forebrain connectivity and autism-relevant behaviors in mice.

Spencer Bruce, PhD
Director, Bioinformatics Core

Alana Buscher
Associate Director for Administration

Nicole Cairns, MS
Assistant Director, Division of Environmental Health Sciences

Sudha Chaturvedi, PhD
Director, Mycology Laboratory
We develop new technologies for fungal diagnostics and pathogenic mechanisms of Cryptococcus gattii and Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the etiologic agents of human cryptococcal meningitis and bat white nose syndrome, respectively.

Karen J. Chave, PhD
Director, Protein Expression and Biochemistry Cores
Dr. Chave serves as the Director of the Tissue Culture and Media Core as well as the Protein Expression Core.

James Chithalen, PhD
Deputy Director, Wadsworth Center

Yu-Fen (Kathy) Chou, PhD
Director, External Systems Quality Unit, Newborn Screening Program
Newborn Screening Program: We develop data visualizations and reports for public health surveillance. We provide education and work collaboratively with external stakeholders to improve the overall quality of the newborn screening system in NYS.

Liang T. Chu, PhD
Environmental Heterogeneous Chemistry Laboratory
We investigate heterogeneous reactions occurring on ice, environmental particle and nanoparticle surfaces to better understand the atmospheric pollution processes and their impact on human health using spectroscopic techniques.

Alexander T. Ciota, PhD
Director, Arbovirus Laboratory
We study arbovirus adaptation and vector-virus interactions, focusing on West Nile virus and Culex mosquitoes. Areas of interest include mutant swarm dynamics, mechanisms of adaptation, microbial interactions and vectorial capacity.

Richard Cole, MA
Director, Light Microscopy Core

Jan E. Conn, PhD
Vector Biology and Population Genetics
We investigate ecological and genetic adaptation of Anopheles malaria vectors to environmental factors that impact vectorial capacity, population genetics/genomics, ecology and behavior, and novel ways to monitor and control vectors.

April D. Davis, DVM, PhD
Director, Rabies Laboratory
We focus on developing and improving diagnostic tools for rabies. Additional research programs focus on studying rabies in bats within the laboratory and in field environments.

Amy B. Dean, PhD
Viral Diseases Laboratory

Keith M. Derbyshire, PhD
Associate Director for Research and Technology
We study mycobacteria and use molecular genetic approaches to investigate: global gene expression, at both transcriptional and translational levels; the mechanism of distributive conjugal transfer; and synthetic genetic interactions.

Ye Ding, PhD
RNA Bioinformatics
We are engaged in algorithms and software tool development for the prediction of RNA secondary structure and their applications to understand mechanisms of regulatory non-coding RNAs, with a recent focus on microRNAs and small bacterial RNAs.

George L. Donati, PhD
Deputy Director - Laboratory of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry
We develop new approaches to calibration and use advanced statistical tools to minimize matrix effects and improve the accuracy and sample throughput of spectrochemical methods such as MIP-OES, ICP-OES, and ICP-MS to determine trace elements in a wide variety of samples of public health interest.