Faculty & Research
Taslima Akter, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, College of Sciences
Email: Taslima.Akter@utsa.edu
- Accessibility
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Privacy
Alfonso Apicella, Ph.D.
Professor, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: alfonso.apicella@utsa.edu
- Neural basis for Perception and Behavior
- Cortical Circuits
- Optogenetics
Lacy Barton, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: lacy.barton@utsa.edu
- Cell signaling and migration
- Ovary and testis development
- Primordial germ cell dynamics
- Reproductive developmental biology
Carlos Bassetto, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Sciences
Email: Carlos.Bassetto@utsa.edu
- Biophysics
- Ion Channels
- Development of Techniques
Malvika Behl, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Counseling, College of Education and Human Development
Email: malvika.behl@utsa.edu
- Understanding the Experience of International Students
- Mental Health of Adults and Children with Specific Learning Disabilities
- Impact of Diagnosis of a Disability on the Family System
- Mental Health of Neurodivergent People
Emily Bonner, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching, College of Education and Human Development
Email: emily.bonner@utsa.edu
- Equity and Access in Mathematics
- Community-Based Mathematics
- Teacher Professional Development in STEM
Anthony Burgos-Robles, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: anthony.burgos-robles@utsa.edu
- Cortical and Amygdala Circuits
- Emotion
- Learning and Memory
- Motivation
- Stress
Erika Tatiana Camacho, Ph.D.
Professor, Manuel P. Berriozabal, PhD and Maria Antonietta Berriozzabal Endowed Chair, Department of Mathematics, College of Sciences
Email: Erika.Camacho@utsa.edu
- Dynamical Systems
- Mathematical Biology
- Mathematical Modeling
- Mathematical Ophthalmology
- Photoreceptors and Retinal Degeneration
Melanie Carless, Ph.D.
Professor, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: melanie.carless@utsa.edu
- Cardiometabolic Risk
- Epigenetics
- Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders
- Stem Cells
https://www.utsa.edu/biology/faculty/MelanieCarless.html
Felicia Castro-Villareal, Ph.D., LSSP
Associate Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education and Human Development
Email: felicia.castrovillarreal@utsa.edu
- Multicultrual Assesment and Issues
- Teacher Consultation
- Mental Health in Schools
Kelly Cheever, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology, College for Health, Community and Policy
Email: kelly.cheever@utsa.edu
- Long-term health outcomes associated with contact sport participation
- Cervical spine injury following concussion
- Sports-related concussion
- Training load acclimatization and periodization to reduce musculoskeletal injury risk
https://hcap.utsa.edu/kinesiology/research/applied-biomechanics-research-lab.html
Tracy Cowden, DMA
Roland K. Blumberg Endowed Professor in Music, Department Chair, Department of Music, College of Liberal and Fine Arts
Email: tracy.cowden@utsa.edu
- Music as Therapy
- Cognition and Behavior
- Alzheimer's Disease
- PTSD
- Brain Wellness and Aging
John Davis, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education and Human Development
Email: john.davis2@utsa.edu
- Meta-analysis
- Education intervention to promote neuro diverse learning
- Developing strategies to provide functional outcomes for life skills and workforce capacity
Samuel DeJulio, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching, College of Education and Human Development
Email: samuel.dejulio@utsa.edu
- Teacher literacy and education
- Curriculum and instruction development
- Literacy tutoring and mentoring
- Bilingual literacy practices
Kathy Ewoldt, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching, College of Education and Human Development
Email: kathy.ewoldt@utsa.edu
- Internventions and Accomodations to Maximize Learning in Inclusive Settings
- Integration and Implementation of Technology in Inclusion Classrooms
- Service Animal Policy
Thomas Forsthuber, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor, Molecular Microbiology and Immunology Department, College of Sciences, Jesse H. and Mary Gibbs Jones Chair in Biotechnology
Email: Thomas.Forsthuber@utsa.edu
- Mechanisms Promoting Autoimmune Diseases
- Translational Research That Can Be Directly Applied
Truman Gamblin, Ph.D.
Professor, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: Truman.Gamblin@utsa.edu
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Electron Microscopy
- Neurodegeneration
- Protein Biochemistry
- Protein Misfolding and Aggregation
Ed Golob, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychology, College for Health, Community, and Policy
Email: edward.golob@utsa.edu
- Spatial Cognition
- Attention and Working Memory
- Perception and Action
- Age-related Neurological Disorders
http://www.golobcogneurolab.org/
Yanmin Gong, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design
Email: yanmin.gong@utsa.edu
- Trustworthy and Intelligent Networked Systems (TINS) Lab
- Edge intelligence
- Trustworthy AI
- Data security and privacy
- Digital health
Marzieh Hajiaghamemar, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering & Chemical Engineering, Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design
Email: marzieh.memar@utsa.edu
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Biomechanics
- Biomarkers
- Translational Knowledge for Preclinical and Clinical Applications
https://engineering.utsa.edu/biomedical/team/marzieh-hajiaghamemar-memar-ph-d-p-e/
Brian P. Hermann, Ph.D.
Professor, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: brian.hermann@utsa.edu
- Male Infertility and Fertility Preservation
- Single-Cell Gene Expression
- Spermatogonial Stem Cells
Jenny Hsieh, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences, Semmes Foundation Distinguished Chair in Cell Biology, Director, UTSA Brain Health Consortium
Email: jenny.hsieh@utsa.edu
- Epilepsy
- Neurogenesis
- Stem Cells
Chia (George) Hsu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Kinesiology, College for Health, Community and Policy
Email: chia.hsu@utsa.edu
- Molecular mechanisms of immunity and inflammation
- Programmed cell death pathways in neurological diseases and injuries
- Small molecule pharmacology
- Exercise as it relates to 'Immune Fitness' in performance
https://hcap.utsa.edu/kinesiology/research/immune-fitness-lab.html
David Jaffe, Ph.D.
Professor, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: david.jaffe@utsa.edu
- Epilepsy
- Hippocampal Function and Alzheimer's Disease
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Synaptic and Axonal Signal Integration
Crystal Kalinec-Craig, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching, College of Education and Human Development
Email: crystal.kalinec-craig@utsa.edu
- Supporting Teacher's to Recognize Children's Mathematical Resources
- Incorporating Group Worthy Tasks that Leverage Children's Funds of Knowledge
Russell Lang, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education and Human Development
Email: russell.lang@utsa.edu
- Autism
- Behavioral Interventions
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
- Enhancing Quality of Life with Evidence-based Practices
Richard LeBaron, Ph.D.
Professor, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: Richard.Lebaron@utsa.edu
- Cell Adhesion; Cell Biology
- Disorders of the Temporomandibular Joint
- Extracellular Matrix Molecules in Cancers and in Diabetes Complications
- Regenerative Medicine; Tissue Regeneration
Hyoung-gon Lee, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, John H. Doran, M.D., F.A.C.P., Distinguished Professorship in Peripheral Neuropathy, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: hyoung-gon.lee@utsa.edu
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Neurobiology
- Neurodegeneration
- Impacts of PTSD and TBI on Neuronal health
Itamar Lerner, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, College for Health, Community, and Policy
Email: itamar.lerner@utsa.edu
- Cognitive & Computational Neuroscience of Memory & Learning
- Sleep Effects on Cognition & Emotion
- Brain Mechanisms Behind Creativity and Semantic Memory in Healthy and Schizophrenic Individiuals
Hannah Macnaul, Ph.D., LSSP
Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education and Human Development
Email: hannah.macnaul@utsa.edu
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Assessment and Treatment of Severe Problem Behavior with ASD
- Developing Non-Obtrusive Interventions Based on Applied Behavior Analysis
- Multidisciplinary Training and Collaboration for Higher Education Students
Lindsey Macpherson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: lindsey.macpherson@utsa.edu
- Circuit Mapping
- Functional Imaging Techniques
- Sensory Neuroscience
- Gut-Brain Connections
- Chemosensation of Taste
Marcelo Marucho, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Sciences
Email: marcelo.marucho@utsa.edu
- Computational and Theoretical Biophysics
- Computational and Theoretical Nanomaterials
- Computational and Theoretical Neurophysics
- Scientific Software Developer
- Biophysical Mechanisms of Electrical Signals Along Cytoskeleton Filaments
- Role of Monomer Mutations in Protein Binding, Polymer Stability, and Information Processing
John R. McCarrey, Ph.D.
Professor, Kleberg Distinguished University Chair in Cellular & Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: john.mccarrey@utsa.edu
- Epigenetic Regulation of Cell Functions
- Mammalian Germ Cells and Stem Cells
- Transcriptome Analysis
- Epigenetic Reprogramming, Epimutations
- Potentials for Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART)
Alan Meca, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, College for Health, Community and Policy
Email: alan.meca@utsa.edu
- Identity development across variety of domains including ethnic/racial identity, parental identity, military identity, etc.
- Cultural Identity Development among ethnic/racial minorities
- Acculturation and cultural stress among immigrant populations
Sandra Morissette, Ph.D.
Professor and Department Chair, Department of Psychology, College for Health, Community and Policy
Email: sandra.morissette@utsa.edu
- Military Health
- Post-Deployment Functional Recovery
- Trauma, Anxiety and Addictive Behaviors
- Smoking Cessation
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Christopher Navara, Ph.D.
Director Stem Cell Core, Professor of Research, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: christopher.navara@utsa.edu
- Cell Cycle Regulation in Stem Cells
- Human and Non-Human Primate Pluripotent Stem Cells
- Neuronal Differentiation of Pluripotent Stem Cells
- Non-Human Primate Models of Stem Cell Therapies
Leslie Neely, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA
Associate Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education and Human Development, Director of the San Antonio Applied Behavior Analysis Research Consortium
Email: leslie.neely@utsa.edu
- Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
- Autism
- Maladatpive and Pro-Social Behaviors
- Preemptive Treatment for At Risk Infants and Toddlers for Autism
- Telehealth
Sakiko Oyama, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology, College for Health, Community and Policy
Email: sakiko.oyama@utsa.edu
- Prevention and rehabilitation of upper extremity injuries
- Analysis of pitching motion and how it relates to the shoulder and elbow injuries commonly seen in youth and adolescent baseball pitchers
- Identification and modification of movement patterns and physical characteristics (ex. strength, flexibility, core stability) that are associated with injuries
Se-Woong Park, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Kinesiology, College for Health, Community and Policy
Email: sewoong.park@utsa.edu
- Upper limb motor control
- Movement variability in motor learning
- Sensorimotor behavior in individuals with autism spectrum disorder
Humberto Pena, Ph.D., BCBA, LBA
Associate Professor of Research, Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education and Human Development
Email: humberto.pena@utsa.edu
- Special Education
- Closing employment gap for young adults with ASD, intellectual disabilites, and other developmental disabilities
- Social skills in integrated employment to promote inclusion
- ABA interventions to decrease maladaptive behaviors
George Perry, Ph.D.
Professor, Semmes Foundation Distinguished University Chair in Neurobiology, Department of Biology, College of Sciences
Email: george.perry@utsa.edu
- Alzheimer's Disease
- Neurobiology
- Oxidative Stress
- Mechanism of Amyloid β Directed Protective Response
Christopher R. Rathbone, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering & Chemical Engineering, Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design
Email: chris.rathbone@utsa.edu
- Tissue Engineering and Regeneration
- Vascularization
- Regenerative Medicine
- Bioreactor Technology Applications
- Skeletal Muscle Injuries and Disease
Robert D. Renthal, Ph.D.
Professor, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: robert.renthal@utsa.edu
- Biochemistry and Biophysics of Cell Membranes
- Insect Chemical Communication
- Lanthanide Tags in Live Bacterial Cells
Devon Romero, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Counseling, College of Education and Human Development
Email: devon.romero@utsa.edu
- Trauma
- Sex Trafficking
- Counselor Training and Development
- Neurofeedback
Gabriela Romero Uribe, Ph.D.
Klesse Endowed Professor, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering & Chemical Engineering, Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design
Email: gabrielaromero.uribe@utsa.edu
- Macromolecular Bio-Interfaces for cell manipulation
- Biologically inspired drug delivery systems
- Soft biomedical materials
- Stimuli-responsive macromolecules
Fidel Santamaria, Ph.D.
Professor, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: fidel.santamaria@utsa.edu
- Computational Neuroscience
- Experiments and Modeling of Cerebellar Function
- Learning and Memory
- Modeling Power-Law Behavior from Molecules to Behavior
Francesco Savelli, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: francesco.savelli@utsa.edu
- Computational Neuroscience
- Neural Basis of Navigation
- Neural Circuits and Behavior
- Neurophysiology and Function of the Hippocampal Formation
Morteza Seidi, Ph.D., P.E.
Assistant Professor of Research, Department of Biomedical Engineering & Chemical Engineering, Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design
Email: morteza.seidi@utsa.edu
- Brain Biomechanics
- Brain Injury Monitoring Sytems
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Brain Injury Protections Technology
https://ceid.utsa.edu/mechanical/team/morteza-seidi-ph-d/
Marina Silveira, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: Marina.Silveira@utsa.edu
- Auditory neuroscience
- Neuromodulation of auditory computations
- Neuronal circuits
Alexey Soshnev, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: alexey.soshnev@utsa.edu
- Chromatin structure and function
- Gene regulation in development and disease
- Histone biology and biochemistry
Casey Straud, Psy.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, College of Health, Community and Policy
Email: casey.straud@utsa.edu
- Trauma and Anxiety Related Disorders
- Military and First Responder Health
- Psychological Treatment Outcomes
- Clinical Trials and Biostatistics
Jeremy Sullivan, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education and Human Development
Email: jeremy.sullivan@utsa.edu
- Informed Decision Making in School Psychology
- Psychological Assessment, Measurement, and Professional Issues
- Academic and Psychosocial Outcomes
Gongchen Sun, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering & Chemical Engineering, Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design
Email: gongchen.sun@utsa.edu
- Electrokinetics
- Micro/Nano-fluidic Systems
- Biomanufacturing
- Systems Neuroscience
Syed Muhammad Usama, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Chemistry Department, College of Sciences
Email: syedmuhammad.usama@utsa.edu
- Fluorescence Molecular Imaging
- Raman Spectroscopy and Imaging
- Small Organic Fluorophore Development
- Super Resolution Imaging
- Targeted Drug Delivery
- Theranostics
- Tumor Microenvironment and Cancer Research
Jeffrey Vedanayagam, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: Jeffrey.Vedanayagam@utsa.edu
- Biological data analysis/Bioinformatics
- Evolutionary/Comparative genomics
- Genetic conflicts and meiotic drive
- Selfish genes and evolution of germline development
Carolina Vivas-Valencia, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering Department, College of Engineering
Email: carolina.vivasvalencia@utsa.edu
- Data Analytics for Precision Population Health
- Semi-Mechanistic Models on Health Risks of Vulnerable Populations
- Impact of Genetic and Social Determinants on Care Access and Health Outcomes
Matthew Wanat, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: matthew.wanat@utsa.edu
- Drug Addiction
- Learning and Memory
- Neurobiology of Motivated Behavior
- Stress
Wei Wang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, College of Sciences
Email: wei.wang@utsa.edu
- Programming Languages and Compilers
- Runtime Environments
- Software Reliability and Security
Nicole Y. Wicha, Ph.D.
Professor, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: nicole.wicha@utsa.edu
- Human Electrophysiology
- Language and Math Cognition
- Neurobiology of Human Language
- Bilingual Brain
Charles J. Wilson, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology Department, College of Sciences
Email: charles.wilson@utsa.edu
- Brain Stimulation as a Treatment for Neurological Disease
- Computational Function of Neuron
- Ionic Mechanisms of Autonomous Brain Activity
- Structure and Functions of the Basal Ganglia
- Synaptic Integration and Neuronal Information Processing
Mimi Xie, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, College of Sciences
Email: mimi.xie@utsa.edu
- Emerging non-volatile memory optimization
- Energy harvesting system
- Tiny AI on IoT
Jing Yong Ye, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering & Chemical Engineering, Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design
Email: jingyong.ye@utsa.edu
- Cancer Diagnosis
- Controlled Drug Delivery
- Drug Toxicity Assays and Pharmaceutical Quality Control
- Neuroengineering
- Optical Biosensing and Imaging
Timothy Yuen, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching, College of Education and Human Development, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, College of Sciences
Email: timothy.yuen@utsa.edu
- Broadening Diversity and Improving Student Success
- Developing Initiatives to Increase Student Participation
- Collaborative Research
