Department Leadership
Meet the Chair
Dr. Jenny Hsieh received her Ph.D. in biology from Johns Hopkins University in 2000, completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and obtained her first faculty position in 2005 at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. While at UTSW, she began studying how to make neural stem cells replicate themselves so a brain affected by disease or injury can replace its own damaged cells and heal. In 2018, she moved to UTSA to develop new and innovative approaches, such as human brain organoids and CRISPR gene editing, to combat neurological disorders. Among Dr. Hsieh's proudest professional achievements is mentoring young scientists who go on to become successful in an independent research setting. Dr. Hsieh also advocates on behalf of women and underrepresented minorities in science.
Meet the Assistant Chair
Dr. David Jaffe received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, Texas) in 1992. Following a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University, he joined the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1994. His research interests include the study of neuronal circuits and cellular plasticity, particularly with respect to epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease. His laboratory also studies peripheral gating of pain information.
