Jenny Hsieh, Ph.D.

The Semmes Foundation Endowed Chair in Cell Biology

Professor, Biology

Jenny Hsieh is the Semmes Foundation Chair in Cell Biology and the director of the UTSA Brain Health Consortium (BHC). A nationally recognized researcher, Hsieh’s work focuses on how to make neurons replicate themselves so a brain affected by disease or injury and replace its own damaged cells and heal. She tackles the challenge using molecular and genetic tools and is focused on understanding the factors that control the brain’s stem cells so she can manipulate and stimulate new growth. 

She has a doctorate in biology from John Hopkins University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. She is an author of over 56 original papers and reviews, and has received continuous funding from the NIH since 2009. She serves on NIH study section and is a Reviewing Editor for the Journal of Neuroscience.

UTSA’s bold vision to become a national leader in brain health attracted Hsieh to the university in 2018. She plans to expand UTSA’s work in pluripotent stem cell research and precision medicine to develop new and innovative approaches to neurodegenerative disease. Hsieh will use CRISPR, a cutting-edge gene-editing technology, to identify the role of genetic mutations in brain disorders. 

The BHC is a new organized research unit under the Vice President for Research, Economic Development, and Knowledge Enterprise encompassing faculty and researchers from the Colleges of Sciences, Engineering, Liberal and Fine Arts, Education and Human Development, and Health, Community, and Policy. BHC researchers collaborate on complex, large-scale research projects that will produce a greater understanding of the brain’s complexity and the factors that cause its decline. This knowledge will be used to develop new and more effective methods for treating debilitating conditions including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, addiction and traumatic brain injury.