Building B, Room 240, Medical Sciences I; (949) 824-5261
Rozanne M. Sandri-Goldin, Department Chair
Marian L. Waterman, Department Vice Chair

Faculty

Hoda Anton-Culver: Cancer epidemiology, genetic epidemiology, statistical genetics, molecular genetics and medical informatics

Ruslan D. Aphasizhev: Molecular biology of trypanosomes; mitochondrial RNA editing

Alan G. Barbour: Molecular pathogenesis and immunology of vector-borne infections

Emiliana Borrelli: Dopaminergic system and glial cells in CNS development

K. George Chandy: Role of potassium channels in lymphocyte function and disease

Dennis D. Cunningham: Proteases and protease nexins: regulation of neural cells

Michael Demetriou: The molecular biology and glycobiology of T cell dysfunction in organ-specific autoimmunity

Alan L. Goldin: Molecular analysis of ion channel function and its roles in human diseases

Sidney H. Golub: Regulation of cytotoxic cell functions

George A. Gutman: Potassium channel and immunoglobulin super-family genes

G. Wesley Hatfield: Effects of DNA topology and chromosome structure on gene expression

Klemens J. Hertel: Regulation of gene expression by alternative splicing

Anthony A. James: Methods for controlling the transmission of vector-borne diseases, specifically malaria and dengue fever

Janos K. Lanyi: Bacteriorhodopsin; halorhodopsin; light-driven ion pumps

Masayasu Nomura: RNA Polymerase I; nucleolus; nuclear transport and function

Andre J. Ouellette: Regulation of Paneth cell defensin biosynthesis and function

W. Edward Robinson, Jr.: Molecular pathogenesis of lentivirus infection and drug discovery against HIV

Suzanne B. Sandmeyer: Molecular genetics of a position-specific yeast retrovirus-like element

Rozanne M. Sandri-Goldin: Structural and functional analysis of a multifunctional herpes virus regulatory protein

Paolo Sassone-Corsi: Signal transduction, gene expression, oncogenesis, circadian clock

Michael Selsted: Role and mechanisms of antimicrobial peptides in mammalian innate immunity

Bert L. Semler: Replication and translation of picornaviruses; RNA-protein and protein-protein interactions

Eric J. Stanbridge: Tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes in human cancer

Ming Tan: Bacterial pathogenesis; gene regulation in Chlamydia

Marian L. Waterman: Wnt signaling in cancer and lymphocytes

The Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics provides advanced training to individuals interested in the regulation of gene expression and the structural and functional properties of proteins encoded by these genes. The research in the Department covers a wide range of topics with special emphasis on bacterial gene expression and pathogenesis; viral gene expression and host interactions; trypanosome molecular biology; vector-borne malaria and dengue fever transmission; nuclear-cytoplasmic transport and intracellular signaling; eukaryotic gene expression; mRNA splicing, editing, and processing; cancer genetics and tumor suppressors; ion channel expression and function; genomics and bioinformatics.

The Department offers graduate study under the auspices of the School of Biological Sciences and in conjunction with the program in Molecular Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry (MBGB), which is described in a previous section. Students admitted into the MBG&B program who select a research advisor in the Department begin following the departmental requirements for the Ph.D. at the beginning of their second year.

Participation in the Department's seminar series and completion of at least one advanced topics course per year for three years are expected of all students. In their third year, students take the advancement-to-candidacy examination for the Ph.D. degree by presenting and defending an original proposal for specific dissertation research. The normative time for completion of the Ph.D. is five years, and the maximum time permitted is seven years.

Course descriptions may be found in the School of Biological Sciences section.

Building D, Room D440, Medical Sciences I; (949) 824-6574
Michael E. Selsted, Department Chair

Faculty

Jefferson Y. Chan: Regulation of genes associated with oxidative stress

K. George Chandy: Molecular biology and structure of ion channels; novel therapeutic agents

Luis M. de la Maza: Chlamydia trachomatis vaccines and sexually transmitted diseases

Robert A. Edwards: Mucosal immunology, inflammatory bowel disease, G-proteins, prostaglandins, and chemokines

Agnes Henschen-Edman (Emerita): Protein structure, function, post-translational modification; fibrinogen

Taosheng Huang: Molecular basis of genetic diseases in humans

Anthony A. James: Malaria parasite development; genetic manipulation of insect vectors

John J. Krolewski: Signal transduction pathways regulating the growth and death of normal and neoplastic cells

J. Lawrence Marsh: Regulation of growth factor signaling in patterning, regeneration and oncogenesis

Dan Mercola: Translational cancer biology

Edwin S. Monuki: Cerebral cortex development and disease

Andre J. Ouellette: Mechanisms and regulation of innate immunity in mammalian epithelia

Ellena M. Peterson: Chlamydia vaccine development

W. Edward Robinson: Pathogenesis of retrovirus infections; molecular mechanisms of integration

Michael E. Selsted: Molecular effectors of mammalian innate immunity

Sandor Szabo: Pathogenesis of gastrointestinal ulceration, duodenal ulcer

Andrea J. Tenner: Innate immunity; the roles of complement and phagocytes in health and disease

Ping Wang: Molecular hormone actions in the normal and diseased heart

The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine offers a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Experimental Pathology. The graduate program emphasizes experimental approaches to better understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms of disease. Students work in laboratories studying topics ranging from infectious processes such as cryptococcosis and the acquired immune deficiency syndrome to innate immunity, including studies on granulocytes and antimicrobial peptides. The principal areas of research investigated by faculty in the Experimental Pathology concentration range from developmental neurobiology to cancer, including prostate cancer.

The Department offers graduate study under the auspices of the School of Biological Sciences and in conjunction with the program in Molecular Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry (MBGB), which is described in a previous section. Students admitted into the combined program who select a research advisor in the Department begin following the departmental requirements for the Ph.D. at the beginning of their second year.

Experimental pathology makes extensive use of both animal models of human disease and studies on human tissues from human subjects. Therefore, the curriculum is heavily weighted on experimental models, including animal models, of human disease. The didactic teaching components of the track are supplemented by a twice-monthly Pathology research conference, in which postdoctoral fellows and graduate students present "research in progress" seminars. This seminar series allows trainees the opportunity to gain invaluable experience in presenting their research to other scientists and provides a mentoring process through which students gain insights from diverse scientific viewpoints.

Students must advance to candidacy during their third year. The normative time for completion of the Ph.D. is five years, and the maximum time permitted is seven years.

Course descriptions may be found in the School of Biological Sciences section.

360 Medical Surge II; (949) 824-7651
Paolo Sassone-Corsi, Department Chair
Olivier Civelli, Graduate Program Director/Advisor

Faculty

James D. Belluzzi: Brain substrates and pharmacology of reward; characterization and development modulation of nicotine and cocaine reinforcement; abuse potential of tobacco smoke constituents

Emiliana Borrelli: Dopamine signaling and drugs of addiction; mouse models of neurodegenerative diseases

Olivier Civelli: Molecular biology of G protein-coupled receptors; search for novel neurotransmitters and neuropeptides; pharmacological and behavioral characterizations of the novel neurotransmitters and neuropeptides

Sue Piper Duckles: Pharmacology and physiology of vascular smooth muscle; regulation of cerebral circulation, impact of gender and gonadal steroids on vascular function

Frederick J. Ehlert: Muscarinic receptor coupling mechanisms; functional role of muscarinic receptor subtypes; pharmacological methods of analysis

Kelvin W. Gee: Pharmacology of allosteric modulators of the GABA_A receptor, selective modulation of GABA_A receptor subtypes

Diana N. Krause: Cerebrovascular regulation and pharmacology; vascular effects of gonadal hormones; melatonin receptors

Frances M. Leslie: Effects of drugs of abuse on the developing brain

Z. David Luo: Molecular mechanisms of pain and transduction

Hans-Peter Nothacker: Physiology, pharmacology and signal transduction of novel G protein-coupled receptors; discovery of novel ligand-receptor systems ("orphan" GPCRs)

Daniele Piomelli: Biochemistry and pharmacology of the endogenous cannabinoid and other lipid signaling systems

Rainer K. Reinscheid: Isolation of natural ligands for so-called "orphan" G protein-coupled receptors and their physiological functions; neurobiology of anxiety and stress behavior

Paolo Sassone-Corsi: Signal transduction and gene expression; chromatin remodeling and epigenetics; germ cell differentiation; circadian clock and rhythms

The Department of Pharmacology offers the M.S. and Ph.D degrees in Pharmacology and Toxicology. The Department is engaged in a broad scope of research activity, and faculty research interests include the mechanisms of action and effects of drugs on the nervous system and on behavior, on skeletal muscle, heart and blood vessels, and on basic processes in these tissues.

Prerequisites for admission include a background in the physical and biological sciences which includes courses in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biochemistry, including laboratory experience. The Graduate Record Examination and Subject Test in Biology or Chemistry are required. Primary emphasis in the Department is placed on the Ph.D. degree program.

The graduate core program includes Pharmacology 241A-B, 252, 254, 255, 256, 257, Biochemistry 210A, and Physiology 206A-B, quarterly participation in Pharmacology 298, and any additional elective courses assigned by faculty advisors. The major additional requirement for the Ph.D. is the satisfactory completion and oral defense of a dissertation based on original research carried out under the guidance of a faculty member. All candidates for the Ph.D. degree are required to engage in research activities throughout the course of their academic programs. This requirement applies to all students whether or not they are compensated for such services. An appointment as a research assistant is awarded on the basis of scholarship and not as compensation for services rendered. Before advancing to candidacy each student must pass a written qualifying examination to determine the student's competence in pharmacology or pharmacology and toxicology. The full-time student is expected to pass the written qualifying examination by the eighth quarter and the oral qualifying examination for the Ph.D. by the eleventh quarter. The normative time for advancement to candidacy is three years. All requirements for the Ph.D. degree should be completed within five years, and the maximum time permitted is seven years. For more information, contact the Graduate Advisor, Department of Pharmacology.

Graduate Gateway Program in Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology (MCP). The one-year graduate MCP Gateway Program is designed to function in concert with selected department programs, including the Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology. Detailed information is available in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences section on page 542, and online at http://www.cohs.uci.edu/pharm.shtml.

The Department also participates in the Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, described in the School of Biological Sciences section of the Catalogue. Students who select a focus in Neuroscience and a research advisor in the Department begin following the departmental requirements for the Ph.D. at the beginning of their second year.

GRADUATE COURSES IN PHARMACOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY

210 Chemical Neuroanatomy (4). Lecture, two hours; seminar, two hours. Organization of the nervous system, especially with respect to chemical identity of elements, for students of pharmacology. Major cell types, methods of study, ultrastructure, synaptic organization of functionally defined systems, localization of chemically defined cells and receptors, and brain development.

241A-B Medical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (6-6) F, W. Lecture and seminar, eight hours. Principles of pharmacology and in-depth study of drug action. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics: absorption, distribution and metabolism, general principles of action and receptor concepts. Discussion of major drug classes: molecular mechanism of action, physiological consequences of administration, and clinical use. Prerequisites: Physiology and Biophysics 206A-B and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry 210A.

252 Neurotransmitter and Drug Receptors (6) W. Lecture, three hours; seminar, three hours. Ligand gated ion channels, G protein linked receptors, receptor tyrosine kinases, ligand regulated transcription factors, their signaling mechanisms, trafficking and physiological responses. Analysis of receptor properties by pharmacological methods, radioligand binding, and molecular biology.

254 Methods in Pharmacology (4) F. Lecture, four hours; laboratory, eight hours. Receptor analysis: bioassay measuring contraction, calcium mobilization, second messenger responses; operant conditioning: whole animal, single neuron; radioligand binding; quantitative autoradiography; immunocytochemistry; in situ hybridization for analysis of mRNA; Western and Northern analysis; transgenic mouse knock in and knock out techniques. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

255 Chemical Transmission (4) S. Lecture, two hours; seminar, two hours. Mechanisms underlying chemical signaling processes in the brain and periphery. Molecular biology, signal transduction, transmitter synthesis and inactivation, pharmacology of integrative function and behavior. Prerequisite: consent of instructor.

256 Experimental Design for Pharmacologists (1) F, W, S. Lecture, one hour; discussion, one hour; laboratory, one hour. Population and sample statistics, hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, nonparametric statistics, experimental design, power, and the use of statistical computer software. Prerequisite: Pharmacology 252 or consent of instructor.

257 Ethics in Research (1) F, W, S. Lecture, one hour; discussion, one hour. Ethical conduct in research including data handling, authorship, conflict of interest, animal rights, handling of misconduct. Prerequisite: Pharmacology 299 or consent of instructor. May be taken for credit two times.

271A, B Molecular Physiology and Disease (4, 4). F of even years, 271A; F of odd years, 271B. Introduces students to concepts of molecular physiology and pharmacology related directly to human diseases. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. Same as Physiology 271A, B and Pathology 271A, B.

298 Seminar (2) F, W, S. Presentation and discussion of current problems and methods in teaching and research in pharmacology, toxicology, and therapeutics.

299 Research (1 to 12) F, W, S

Building D, Room D340, Medical Sciences I; (949) 824-5863
Michael D. Cahalan, Department Chair

Faculty

Kenneth M. Baldwin: Developmental, hormonal, and exercise factors regulating striated muscle gene expression

Ralph A. Bradshaw: Structure and function of polypeptide growth factors and their receptors; mechanisms of protein turnover

Michael D. Cahalan: Ion channels and Ca²⁺ signaling in the immune system

Vincent J. Caiozzo: Cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating the mechanical properties of skeletal muscle

K. George Chandy: Molecular biology of ion channels and their role in immune cells

J. Jay Gargus: Molecular analysis of membrane signaling proteins

Alan L. Goldin: Molecular biology of neural channels and receptors

Harry T. Haigler: Structure, function, and topography of annexin calcium binding proteins on membranes

James E. Hall: Biophysics of membrane channels, gap junctions and water channels

Lan Huang: Developing and employing mass spectrometry-based proteomic approaches for study of signal transduction networks, identification of protein complexes and characterization of their post-translational modifications

Frances A. Jurnak: Macromolecular crystallography; biochemical and structural studies of a model G protein; EF-Tu; structure/function of plant virulence factors

Janos K. Lanyi: Transport, structure, and energy coupling in bacteriorhodopsin and halorhodopsin

Shin Lin: Cellular and molecular biophysics of proteins involved in membrane-associated cytoskeletal functions and signal transduction

John A. Longhurst: Integrative biology and sensory signaling systems important in cardiovascular regulation; central neural regulation of autonomic outflow inactivation of cardiac afferents and the influence of electroacupuncture

Kenneth J. Longmuir: Intracellular metabolism, sorting, and transport of lipid in mammalian cells; membrane fusion

Hartmut Luecke: Protein crystallography; structure and function of membrane-associated proteins

Ian Parker: Intracellular calcium and cell signaling

Thomas L. Poulos: Protein crystallography; protein engineering; heme enzyme structure and function

Irwin A. Rose: Studies on the mechanism of two enzymes: fumarase and glyoxalase III

Hamid M. Said: Cellular and molecular mechanisms and regulation of intestinal and renal vitamin transporters

Ivan Soltesz: Plasticity and modulation of inhibitory synaptic neuro-transmission

Bruce J. Tromberg: Optical spectroscopy of tissues and cells

Nosratola D. Vaziri: Vascular biology and role of nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species in regulation of blood pressure; molecular basis of lipid disorders

Larry E. Vickery: Molecular chaperones and protein folding; protein engineering

Ping H. Wang: Molecular actions of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF) in cardiac muscle; complications of diabetes

Stephen H. White: Protein folding in membranes; peptide-bilayer interactions; membrane structure

The Department of Physiology and Biophysics offers research opportunities in the molecular biophysics of membranes and proteins, ion channels and signal transduction, endocrinology, molecular and cell biology, developmental neurobiology, and exercise physiology.

The Department offers graduate study under the auspices of the School of Biological Sciences and in conjunction with the program in Molecular Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry (MBGB), which is described in a previous section. Students admitted into the combined program who select a research advisor in the Department begin following the departmental requirements for the Ph.D. at the beginning of their second year.

The faculty conducts quarterly reviews of all continuing students to ensure that they are maintaining satisfactory progress within their particular academic program. Students participate in a literature review course designed to strengthen research techniques and presentation skills, and attend the weekly Department colloquium. Students advance to candidacy during the third year; each student presents a seminar on a topic assigned by the formal candidacy committee. Following the seminar, the committee examines the student's qualifications for the successful conduct of doctoral dissertation research. Each student must submit a written dissertation on an original research project and successfully defend this dissertation in an oral examination. Interdisciplinary dissertation research involving more than one faculty member is encouraged. The normative time for completion of the Ph.D. is five years, and the maximum time permitted is seven years.

Course descriptions may be found in the School of Biological Sciences section.