Basic Science Research

An image of Dr. Jim Aloor. He has dark skin, gray hair, and is wearing glasses.

Jim Aloor, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
252-744-0404
aloorj15@ecu.edu

An image of Dr. Ikramuddin Aukhil. He has tanned skin, a beard, is bald, and wears glasses.

Ikramuddin Aukhil
Professor
252-737-7856
aukhili23@ecu.edu
Wound Healing, Tissue Regeneration, Extracellular Matrix Biology & Molecular Biology of inflammation.

An image of Dr. Nicholas Broskey. He has pale skin and brown hair, and wears glasses. He is smiling in the image, which was taken in front of a purple background.

Nicholas Broskey, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
252-737-4684
broskeyn19@ecu.edu
Role of mitochondria in health and disease and how exercise interventions can help ameliorate conditions of metabolic disease
through mitochondrial biology.

An image of Dr. Miles Cabot. He has pale skin and gray hair, and wears glasses.

Myles Cabot, Ph.D.
Professor
252-737-5020
cabotm@ecu.edu
Sphingolipid metabolism as it relates to cancer and targeted therapeutics.

An image of Dr. John Cavanagh. He has pale skin and brown hair. In the image, he wears a suit and red tie.

John Cavanagh
Professor
252-744-2684
cavanaghj19@ecu.edu
The Cavanagh lab uses a variety of biophysical techniques to study the structures and dynamics of proteins and their targets.

An image of Dr. Stefan Clemens. He has pale skin, as well as gray hair and a beard. The background shows that he is at some kind of event.

Stefan Clemens, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
252-744-2920
clemenss@ecu.edu
Understanding the role of dopamine function in the spinal cord, and its role in Restless Legs Syndrome and chronic pain.

An image of Dr. Ronald Cortright. He has pale skin and black hair. He is wearing a lab coat with the Brody School of Medicine logo on it.

Ronald Cortright
Professor
252-737-4678
cortrightr@ecu.edu

An image of Dr. Lisandra de Castro Brás. She has long red hair and pale skin. She wears a striped black-and-white shirt, as well as a necklace.

Lisandra De Castro Brás, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
252-744-0391
decastrobrasl14@ecu.edu
To define the roles of the extracellular matrix in scar formation and cardiac function.

An image of Dr. Zachary Domire. He has dark brown hair, a beard, and tanned skin. He is wearing a dark purple shirt, and the image was taken in front of a lighter purple background.

Zachary Domire
Associate Professor
252-737-4564
domirez@ecu.edu
His research interests include prevention of musculoskeletal injury, diagnosis of and rehabilitation from mTBI, and influence of tissue material properties on physiological function.

An image of Dr. Jeffery Eells. He has tanned skin, gray hair, and is wearing glasses. He seems to be in front of a window curtain.

Jeffrey Eells
Associate Professor
252-744-2819
eellsj17@ecu.edu
The overarching theme of my research is understanding how the environment can alter brain function.

alt="An image of Dr. Ellis. She has long dark brown hair, tanned skin, and is smiling."

Jessica Ellis, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
252-744-2862
ellisje18@ecu.edu
Determining the regulatory nodes in fatty acid metabolism and their role in health and disease in muscle and brain.

An image of Dr. Kelsey Fisher-Wellman. He has tanned skin, earrings, and a buzz cut. He is smiling.

Kelsey Fisher-Wellman, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
252-744-2585
fisherwellmank17@ecu.edu
Investigating how intrinsic alterations across the mitochondrial network drive/enable the cancer phenotype.

An image of Dr. Alexandra Garvin, also known as Bobbie. They have long brown hair, pale skin, and are smiling brightly. They also wear a necklace.

Alexandra (Bobbie) Garvin
Assistant Professor
252-744-0334
garvina22@ecu.edu
The overarching theme of my research program is to examine cell specific – cardiac myocyte and cardiac fibroblast – responses to stress using both cellular and molecular approaches.

An image of Dr. Christopher Geyer, who is smiling brightly. He has brown hair and a beard.

Christoper Geyer, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
252-744-3433
geyerc@ecu.edu
Studying the mechanism regulating mammalian male germ cell development.

An image of Dr. Ted Graber, who is wearing a black suit and blue tie. He has tanned skin, a bread, and gray hair. He is smiling.

Ted Graber
Assistant Professor
252-744-6234
grabert19@ecu.edu
Age-related functional decline, sarcopenia, frailty, and biology of aging.

An image of Dr. Johanna Hannan. She has long brown hair and is smiling.

Johanna Hannan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
252-744-2099
hannanj14@ecu.edu
Studying pathophysiological mechanisms of genitourinary dysfunction to discover strategies to treat and prevent sexual
and urinary dysfunction and promote vascular health and neuro-regeneration.

An image of Dr. Joseph Houmard. He has tanned skin and gray hair, and is smiling. This picture is taken in front of a light blue background.

Joseph Houmard, Ph.D.
Professor
252-737-4617
houmardj@ecu.edu
How skeletal muscle metabolism is altered with conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and the aging process, and how a physically active
lifestyle can counteract decrements associated with these conditions.

An image of Dr. Hu Huang. He has tanned skin and dark brown hair. He wears a suit, and is smiling brightly.

Hu Huang, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
252-737-2879
huangh@ecu.edu
Whether exercise induces hypothalamic neurogenesis and which neurons in the hypothalamus control moving behavior.

An image of Dr. Laxmansa Katwa. He has black hair, a moustache, and mid-tone dark skin. He is wearing a gray suit and a gray patterned tie.

Laxmansa Katwa, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
252-744-1906
katwal@ecu.edu
Cardiac Fibrosis: Emerging role fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in ECM collagen turnover in heart disease.

An image of Dr. Brett Keiper. He has pale skin and brown hair. He is wearing a black suit and blue patterned tie.

Brett Keiper
Professor
252-744-2656
keiperb@ecu.edu
mRNA regulation in germ cells, embryos and tumors; cell differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis.

An image of Dr. Chien-Te Lin, also known as Peter. He has black hair and pale skin. The image has been taken at an angle, and he is holding up a test tube.

Chien-Te Lin
Research Associate Professor
252-737-5022
linch@ecu.edu

An image of Dr. Karen Litwa. She has tanned skin, blonde hair, and is smiling.

Karen Litwa, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
252-744-5555
litwak16@ecu.edu
We are interested in the molecular mechanisms of brain development and how these are altered in neurodevelopmental disorders,
such as autism.

An image of Dr. Robert Lust. He has pale skin, gray hair, and a moustache. He wears a black suit and a blue patterned tie.

Robert Lust, Ph.D.
Professor and Chairman
252-744-2762
lustr@ecu.edu
Translational physiology: Investigation of the adaptive and maladaptive responses of the heart to stress and disease.

An image of Dr. Kyle Mansfield, who has pale skin and brown hair. He is smiling.

Kyle Mansfield
Professor
252-744-5519
mansfieldk@ecu.edu
The Mansfield lab currently has two main areas of research focusing on posttranscriptional regulation by the mRNA modification N6-methyladenosine (m6A). m6A modification of mRNA has received renewed interest in recent years due to its ability to affect mRNA fate (stability, translation, splicing, localization) and therefore drive gene expression changes that impact cellular functions and underly disease phenotypes.

An image of Dr. Linda May. She has long brown hair, pale skin, and is smiling brightly.

Linda May, Ph.D., M.S., FAHA
Associate Professor
252-737-7072
mayl@ecu.edu
The influence of maternal exercise during pregnancy on child development before and after birth.

An image of Dr. Joseph McClung. He has pale skin, brown hair, and glasses.

Joseph McClung, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
252-737-5034
mcclungj@ecu.edu
Investigating the genetic and molecular mechanisms of clinical vascular disease.

An image of Dr. Akshaya Meher. He has black hair and mid-tone dark skin.

Akshaya Meher
Assistant Professor
252-744-2705
mehera19@ecu.edu
Our major goal is to understand immunopathogenesis and develop immunotherapeutics for vascular and metabolic diseases.

An image of Dr. Darrell Neufer. He has pale skin and gray hair, and is smiling.

Darrell Neufer, Ph.D.
Professor
252-744-2780
neuferp@ecu.edu
Cellular/mitochondrial bioenergetics and metabolic disease.

An image of Dr. David Paquette. He has pale skin, brown hair, facial hair, and glasses. He is wearing a gray suit and a red striped tie. He stands in front of a window.

David Paquette
Professor and Department Chair
252-737-7034
paquetted15@ecu.edu
The connection between poor oral health (periodontitis) and systemic diseases, novel interventions for periodontal disease, oral health disparities, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.

An image of Dr. Walter Pories. He has tanned skin, short gray hair, and is wearing glasses. In the image, he is shown wearing a lab coat with the ECU Physicians logo on it.

Walter Pories
Professor
252-744-3290
poriesw@ecu.edu
Research interests include the discovery that zinc is an essential element and required for wound healing, the development of animal feeds and the addition of trace elements to parenteral and alimentary formulations.

An image of Dr. Jaques Robidoux. He has mid-tone skin, gray hair, and a beard. He is wearing a blue suit and a blue striped shirt. He also has glasses.

Jaques Robidoux
Associate Professor
252-744-5909
robidouxj@ecu.edu
We are studying the molecular mechanisms that coordinate angiogenesis and adipogenesis during the course of adipose tissue remodeling and expansion.

An image of Dr. Rachel Roper. She has long blonde hair, tanned skin, and is smiling. She is standing in front of background depicting a flowering sakura tree.

Rachel Roper
Professor
252-744-2708
roperr@ecu.edu
My research laboratory focuses on viral pathogens, mechanisms of virulence (how viruses cause disease) and how viruses can be designed to create improved vaccines against numerous diseases, including cancer, COVID-19 coronaviruses (SARS), and emerging poxvirus threats.

An image of Dr. Espen Spangenberg. He has tanned skin and is bald. He is depicted smiling.

Espen Spangenburg, Ph.D.
Professor
252-737-5035
spangenburge14@ecu.edu
Investigating mechanisms that regulate physiological and metabolic properties of skeletal muscle.

An image of Dr. Srinivas Sriramula. He has black hair, tanned skin, and glasses. He wears a black suit and a blue striped tie.

Srinivas Sriramula
Associate Professor
252-744-2746
sriramulas17@ecu.edu
The overarching goal of my research is to understand the bidirectional communication between the central nervous system and the immune system in regulation of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.

An image of Dr. Elizabeth Szatmari. She has chin-length brown hair, pale skin, and glasses. She is wearing a jean jacket. She is smiling.

Elizabeth Szatmari
Assistant Professor
252-737-7154
szatmarie18@ecu.edu
Cellular mechanisms of neuronal resilience against neurodegeneration.

An image of Dr. Jitka Virag. She has pale skin, curly black hair, and is wearing a white North Face jacket.

Jitka Virag
Professor
252-744-2777
viragj@ecu.edu
The overarching goal of my research is to understand the bidirectional communication between the central nervous system and the immune system in regulation of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.

An image of Dr. Tracy Woodlief. She has tanned skin and mid-length brown hair. She is wearing a flowery shirt and smiling.

Tracey Woodlief
Research Assistant Professor
252-744-2474
woodlieft18@ecu.edu
My research program explores the impact of exposure to environmental contaminants on bioenergetics at the whole-body level, as well as within the immune system, liver, and skeletal muscle.

An image of Dr. Li Yang. He has tanned skin and black hair, and wears glasses. He is wearing a Brody School of Medicine lab coat and is shown in the lab in front of a microscope.

Li Yang
Professor
252-744-3419
yangl@ecu.edu
Cancer biology and inflammation are the main research interests in our laboratory.

An image of Dr. Tonya Zeczycki. She has chin-length wavy brown hair, tanned skin, and is smiling brightly. She has a necklace on.

Tonya Zeczycki
Associate Professor
252-744-5609
zeczyckit@ecu.edu
Intrinsically disordered proteins, protein folding, allostery, protein motions, biophysical chemistry, structural proteomics, enzymology

An image of Dr. Donghai Zheng. He wears glasses and has black hair and tanned skin. He is wearing a black shirt; the picture was taken in front of a purple background.

Donghai Zheng
Research Associate
252-744-3465
zhengd@ecu.edu