INTEGRATED BIOSCIENCE PH.D. PROGRAM | THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON
Research Areas
Our research is concentrated in five areas:
- Biogeochemistry and Environmental Bioscience
- Bioinformatics
- Biological Materials
- Biomimicry
- Biomedical Science and Bioengineering
Biogeochemistry and Environmental Bioscience
Biogeochemistry examines the roles that biological activities have in modulating elemental cycles, as well as the roles that prevailing chemical conditions have on biology. Research ranges from surveying the biogeochemical cycling of elements to applied questions (e.g., how can biological activities be economically exploited?; how do ecosystems respond to anthropogenic disturbances?). Environmental Bioscience is an exceptionally broad field that spans from basic ecology/evolution to bioremediation and habitat restoration. IB students in environmental bioscience study everything from pollination biology, life history evolution, microbial community ecology to applied issues (e.g., oil spills, mine discharge, groundwater contamination, stream pollution, habitat destruction, and brownfields).
Faculty
- Dr. Brian Bagatto – Vertebrate physiology
- Dr. Hazel Barton - Microbial ecology and evolution, biofilms, biogeochemistry
- Dr. Peter Lavrentyev - Microbial ecology, arctic microbial community ecology
- Dr. Randy Mitchell – Pollination ecology, conservation biology, invasive species
- Dr. Peter Niewiarowski - Biomimicry, biophysical ecology, evolution
- Dr. Nita Sahai - Biogeochemistry, materials, biopolymers
- Dr. John Senko - Geomicrobiology, Environmental Biogeochemistry
- Dr. Stephen Weeks - Population biology, Biological control, ecology
- Dr. Anne Wiley - Population ecology, marine food webs, radiocarbon dating
Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics is defined as an “interdisciplinary field that combines computer science, statistics, mathematics, and engineering to analyze and interpret biological data.” The massive growth of whole genome genetic data has also grown the need to interpret these data and to draw meaning from the wealth of organisms that are being assayed across the globe.
Faculty
- Dr. Chien-Chung Chan - Data Mining, Database, Knowledge-based Systems
- Dr. Curtis Clemons – Biomathematics
- Dr. Zhong-Hui Duan - Fast Algorithms and Scientific Computation, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology
- Dr. R. Joel Duff – Molecular systematics, molecular genetics
- Dr. Kevin Kreider – Biomathematics
- Dr. Kathy Liszka - Computational Biology
- Dr. Francisco Moore - Microbial ecology and evolution, biofilms, bioinformatics
- Dr. Timothy O’Neil - Computational Biology
- Dr. Donald P. Visco Jr. - Computational Biology
- Dr. J. Patrick Wilber – Mathematical biology
- Yingcai Xiao - Computational Biology
Biological Materials
Biological materials play key roles in organism function – from influencing how the cytoskeleton transports materials within cells to production of blue colors without using pigments in diverse animals to explaining how nearly invisible spider webs can stop fast flying insects in mid-air. Investigating biological materials integrates biology, engineering and materials science and often spans the biological hierarchy. Biological materials research also has important implications for health, technology and Biomimicry.
Faculty
- Dr. Matthew Becker – Biomaterials synthesis
- Dr. Todd Blackledge – Biomechanics of spider silk
- Dr. Alper Buldum – Nanobiology, biofilms
- Dr. Ali Dhinojwala - Biomimicry, materials, surface science, adhesion
- Dr. Li Jia - Materials, optical engineering, self-assembly
- Dr. Abraham Joy - Biopolymers, biomaterials, drug delivery
- Dr. Lu-Kwang Ju – Biofuels, directed enzyme production
- Dr. William Landis - Biomaterials, biopolymers
- Dr. Sergei F. Lyuksyutov – Nanotechnology, optics
- Dr. Robert Mallik - Nanoscale thin films
- Dr. Bi-min Newby – Biomaterials, biofilms, microbiologically influenced corrosion
- Dr. Judit Puskas - Biomimicry, biomaterials
- Dr. Nita Sahai - Biogeochemistry, materials, biopolymers
- Dr. Chrys Wesdemiotis - Biopolymers, biochemistry
- Dr. Shing-Chung "Josh" Wong - Bio-inspired materials research
- Dr. Yang Yun – Gene therapy, targeted drug-delivery systems, nanotechnology
Biomimicry
For a complete description of research opportunities and activities, please visit UA's Biomimicry Research and Innovation Center website
Biomedical Science and Bioengineering
Research in this area is focused on investigation, innovation, and translation of scientific discoveries to enhance patient care. This involves designing devices that can be efficiently used to monitor patient’s conditions, developing imaging techniques for early diagnosis and to monitor treatment outcome, or investigating novel drug delivery systems and nanomedicine to effectively treat different pathological conditions. Research areas include (but are not limited to): developing and testing new therapies for patients who suffer diseases that result in the loss of healthy tissue using stem cells, regenerative medicine; developing biomaterials to facilitate tissue repair; understanding cardiovascular dynamics and developing pioneering surgical and device treatments for heart failure; understanding brain function and disease conditions and developing effective interventions and stimulation to facilitate repair; computational modeling to design new devices and therapy.
Faculty from The University of Akron
- Dr. Teresa J. Cutright – Environmental engineering
- Dr. Nic Leipzig – Bioengineering, stem cells
- Dr. Lingyun Liu - Bioengineering
- Dr. Qin Liu – Neurobiology, retinal development
- Dr. Richard Londraville – Cellular physiology, fat metabolism, ichthyology
- Dr. Frank Loth - Biofluids, biomedical engineering
- Dr. Rolando Ramirez – Cardiovascular disease, preeclampsia, maternal health
- Dr. Narender Reddy - Biomechanics, neural networks, biomedical engineering
- Dr. Jordan Renna - Neurobiology, neural circuit development
- Dr. Stanley Rittgers – Bioengineering, Cardiovascular Hemodynamics & drug delivery
- Dr. Shengyong Wang - Bioengineering, health care delivery systems
- Dr. Wiley Youngs – Development of silver-based antimicrobials and PLGA-PEG and LTP nanoparticles for medical uses
- Dr. Yang Yun – Gene therapy, targeted drug-delivery systems, nanotechnology
Participating Cleveland Clinic Foundation Faculty
- Kathleen Berkner, Ph.D.
- John Crabb, Ph.D.
- Margot Damaser, Ph.D.
- Kathleen Derwin, Ph.D.
- Don Jacobsen, Ph.D.
- Vinod Labhasetwar, Ph.D.
- Bruce Lamb, Ph.D.
- Veronique Lefebvre, Ph.D.
- Xiaoxia Li, Ph.D.
- Zong-Ming Li, Ph.D.
- Feng Lin, Ph.D.
- Keith McCrae, MD
- Ronald Midura, Ph.D.
- Saurav Misra, Ph.D.
- Diane Perez, Ph.D.
- Sanjay Pimplikar, Ph.D.
- Anand Ramamurthi, Ph.D.
- Jeremy Rich, MD
- Jonathan Smith, Ph.D.
- Dennis Stuehr, Ph.D.
- Hoonkyo Suh, Ph.D.
- Bin Zhang, Ph.D.