biology faculty biographies

More details on some faculty can be found through a link to their name.
Several members maintain personal home pages that can be reached through the personal page link.
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	Mary Alpaugh holds a B.S. in Biology and Philosophy and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry. Her research focuses on molecular mechanisms of tumor invasion and metastasis, specifically with respect to breast cancer. Early successes include the development of an intraductal technique for breast cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. This work has led to a nipple duct orifice approach to gene therapy. She also established the first human transplantable inflammatory breast cancer xenograft (MARY-X) in scid/nude mice. Dr. Alpaugh’s research includes improving the health care for underserved and disadvantaged populations. She has participated in organized symposiums focused on identifying barriers to the access of health care and implementing mechanisms by which these barriers could be overcome. She can be reached by phone at 212.650.8456 or by email at malpaugh@sci.ccny.cuny.edu.

	Robert Anderson conducts biogeographic studies at the interface between ecology and evolution. His current research program centers on developing GIS-based methods of modeling species’ geographic ranges using occurrence records and environmental data. In addition to these techniques of general application to biogeography and conservation, his taxonomic and geographic specialty is Neotropical mammals. He received his Ph.D. at the University of Kansas and subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at the American Museum of Natural History. He can be reached by phone at 212.650.8504 or by email at anderson@sci.ccny.cuny.edu. Check out his personal page.

	Paola Bellosta was trained as a molecular biologist at NYU and as a molecular geneticist at the University of Zürich, where she started her studies on the Myc proto-oncogene and its role in growth control using Drosophila as a model system. Myc is a gene whose deregulation is prominent in cancer, and a critical regulator of growth in flies and in mammals. An intrinsic program that regulates growth and size uses signals from morphogens such as Dpp, Wingless, and Hedgehog, and hormones such as insulin, but how these signals are linked to Myc and growth is only poorly understood. In our laboratory we are trying to answer these questions biochemically, by studying how the above signaling pathways can contribute to Myc expression, and genetically, by trying to identify genes regulated by Myc that act as regulators of cell growth. She can be reached by phone at 212.650.8479 or by email pbellost@sci.ccny.cuny.edu.

	Amy Berkov is a botanist whose interests include the interactions of tropical plants and insects, chemistry of the Brazil nut family, systematics and host associations of wood boring beetles, tropical forest ecology and conservation and the evolution of pollination in the Angiosperms. She teaches a variety of botany courses with special emphasis on urban ecology. She received her Ph.D. from Lehman College of CUNY. She can be reached by phone at 212.650.8521 or by email berkov@sci.ccny.cuny.edu. Check out her personal page.

	Rochelle Buffenstein is an eco-physiologist interested in physiological responses to extreme environments. Most of her research has focussed on African small mammals (mole-rats and bats) living under hot dark and/or arid conditions. Her research has both fieldwork and laboratory components and she uses organismic, cellular, and biochemical techniques to address ecologically slanted questions in nutrition, endocrine, metabolic, thermal and regulatory physiology. She also has a human nutrition and endocrine research focus. She got her Ph.D. from the University of Cape Town, South Africa and teaches courses at City College in comparative animal physiology, human function as well as endocrines, energetics and gut function. She can be reached by phone at 212 650-8538 or by email rbuffen@sci.ccny.cuny.edu.

	Jay Edelman studies human sensorimotor systems. His research uses behavioral, psychophysical, and computational techniques to study how the brain integrates volition, vision, and memory to generate movements of the eyes. Current projects focus on how spatial memory increases the accuracy of eye movements in complex visual scenes, how cognition alters extremely rapid visuomotor reflexes, and how eye movements are influenced by visual illusions. He received his Ph.D. in 1993 from the Joint Bioengineering Program of UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco. He can be reached by phone at 212.650.8461 or by email at jedelman@ccny.cuny.edu.

	Jane Gallagher was trained as a Biological Oceanographer. Her research focuses on the population genetics and ecology of planktonic algal blooms. She is also interested in the systematics of diatoms. She is particularly interested in the relationship between variation in molecular characters, morphology and comparative physiology. She received her B.A.-A.M. in Biology at Stanford University and her Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography from the University of Rhode Island. She also serves as Chairman of the Ecology, Evolution and Behavior subprogram of the Biology Ph.D. program. She can be reached by telephone at 212.650.8507 or by email at janegall@sci.ccny.cuny.edu.

	Robert P. Goode was trained as a Developmental Biologist studying limb regeneration in adult vertebrates. He currently teaches both the first course for Biology majors and premedical students and an elective in Developmental Biology. For the past 32 years he has been advising premedical students and since 1981 has served as Director of the City College Program in Premedical Studies. He received his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1964. He can be reached by phone at 212.650.7843/4 or by email netsukedad@hotmail.com

	Shubha Govind uses standard molecular, cell biological and genetic methods to study the molecular basis of development and immunity in Drosophila melonagaster, the standard laboratory fruit fly. The Govind lab is interested in understanding how invertebrate blood cells interact with natural pathogens and mediate cellular immune reactions. The goal is to understand the nature of the molecular and cellular processes that control host blood cell formation and their functions. She is also interested in understanding the strategies that parasitic wasps of Drosophila employ in evading the immune response. She can be reached by phone at 212.650.8476 or by email at sgovind@sci.ccny.cuny.edu.

	Jerry Guyden is a molecular immunologist whose research interests enter on the function of thymic nurse cells (TNCs) - specialized epithelial cells that contain T cells completely enclosed in intra-cytoplasmic vacuoles. Recent research in his lab indicates that TNCs may house the MHC restriction process. Dr. Guyden is the Director of the RCMI (Research Centers in Minority Institutions) at City College and has been pivitol to the development of The Center for the Study of the Cellular and Molecular Basis of Development. He teaches a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses. He received his Ph.D. from Berkley in 1979. he can be reached by telephone at 212.650.8449 or by email at jerry@sci.ccny.cuny.edu

	Sally Hoskins is a developmental biologist focusing on embryonic and metamorphoic development of the nervous system in the clawed frog Xenopus laevis. The Hoskins' lab uses cellular and molecular methods to examine axon outgrowth and patterns of stem cell proliferation in the retina. Pictured is the staining pattern of an antibody made in the lab. The retinal ganglion cell layer and developing optic nerve of an embryonic eye are immunoreactive. Dr. Hoskins teaches graduate and undergraduate developmental neurobiology, as well as developmental biology and an experimental embryology lab course. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1982. She can be reached by phone at 212.650.8213 or by email at sallyh@sci.ccny.cuny.edu

	Karen Hubbard is a molecular biologist, who studies gene expression during cellular aging. Her research focuses on RNA metabolism during aging and the relationship between cell death (apoptosis) and aging. Dr. Hubbard teaches graduate and undergraduate level courses in the Biology Department and she is also the faculty advisor for the Journal of Student Research (JSR). She received her Ph.D. from Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, IL. She can be reached by phone at 212.650.8566 or by email at khubbard@sci.ccny.cuny.edu

	Anuradha Janakiraman is a molecular microbiologist whose research focuses on bacterial cell division. In the rod-shaped bacterium, Escherichia coli, division occurs by recruitment of the tubulin-like protein FtsZ to midcell, polymerization of FtsZ into a cytokinetic ring, and contraction of that ring. This process involves at least 14 associated proteins, each of which is directly or indirectly dependent on FtsZ for its localization to midcell. Using genetic, molecular biology, biochemistry, and microscopy techniques, her laboratory is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms of how division proteins are targeted to midcell, their sequence of recruitment, the positional information they recognize, and their precise role in cell division. She can be reached by phone at 212.650.8553 or by email at anuj@sci.ccny.cuny.edu

	John J. Lee is a marine microbial ecologist working mainly on symbiosis in "living sands" (giant foraminifera) and microbial and protistological problems related to mariculture. He also works with salt marsh protozoa. While most of his laboratory work takes place in New York, field work frequently takes him to well illuminated shallow tropical seas. "Tough work" for a New Yorker, but someone has to do it. He spends at least a month each year at the IOLR National Center for Mariculture in Eilat Israel. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Microbiology, Symbiosis, and Electron Microscopy. He received his PhD from NYU. He can be reached at 212.650.6801 or jjlee@sci.ccny.cuny.edu

	Jonathan B. Levitt is a neurobiologist whose research focuses on the neural basis of visual perception and the organization of mammalian cerebral cortex. He uses electrophysiological, neuroanatomical, optical imaging, and theoretical modeling techniques to study the brain regions mediating vision. He teaches undergraduate courses in physiology, as well as undergraduate and graduate courses in neuroscience. He received his Ph.D. from NYU, and can be reached by phone at 212.650.8539 or by email at jbl@sci.ccny.cuny.edu. Check his personal page.

	Christine Li is a developmental neurobiologist who examines how communication is established between cells in the nervous system, and who is using a genetic model organism to investigate genes implicated in neurodegenerative disorders. Specifically, she is interested in the function and regulation of a class of neuropeptide neurotransmitters in the genetic model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans. In addition, she is examining the role of an amyloid precursor-related protein in C. elegans; mutations in the human Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) gene have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. She received her Ph.D. from Harvard University. She can be reached by phone at 212.650.8450 or by email at cli@sci.ccny.cuny.edu.

	Mark Pezzano is a molecular biologist interested in understanding how the immune system learns to distinguish self from foreign antigens which is critical in understanding immune function and the development of auto immune diseases. The focus of his research is understanding the role that thymic stromal cells play in presenting self antigens to developing thymocytes and driving thymocyte selection. More specifically, Thymic Nurse Cells (TNCs) TNCs are composed of a cortical epithelial cell which internalizes from 20-200 immature thymocytes into specialized vacuoles in it's cytoplasm. His lab has recently demonstrated that peripheral macrophages home to TNCs and effect T cell repertoire selection. He can be reached by phone at 212.650.8559 or by email at mpezzano@sci.ccny.cuny.edu.

	Robert F. Rockwell is a population biologist and ecologist working primarily with migratory birds and saltmarsh ecosystems in the Arctic. His research makes extensive use of models of population and community dynamics. He serves as an advisor to the US and Canadian governments on both endangered and overabundant species. He teaches many of our courses involving ecology, biostatistics and mathematical biology. He received his Ph.D. from Queen's University at Kingston (Canada). He can be reached by phone at 212.769.5793 or by email at rfr@amnh.org Check his personal page.

	Gillian Small is a molecular and cellular biologist who studies the signaling pathways involved in the regulation of proteins involved in lipid metabolism. Her laboratory uses the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system to study the complex regulation of genes whose products are involved in lipid utilization or metabolism. Key among the proteins studied are peroxisomal enzymes that are highly inducible when yeast is grown on a fatty acid carbon source. Dr. Small is also Associate University Dean for Research in the CUNY Office of Academic Affairs. Information regarding the activities of this office can be found at: http://www.cuny.edu/oaa_research. Dr. Small can be reached at (212) 794-5417, or by email at Gillian.Small@mail.cuny.edu

	Ofer Tchernichovski uses the songbird to study mechanisms of vocal learning. Like early speech development in the human infant, the songbird learns to imitate complex sounds during a critical period of development. The adult bird cannot imitate any more - we do not know why. His lab studies the animal behavior and dynamics of vocal learning and sound production across different brain levels. The lab aims to uncover the specific physiological and molecular (gene expression) brain processes that underlie song learning. He can be reached by phone at 650.8540 or by email at ofer@ccny.cuny.edu.

	Tadmiri Venkatesh studies the genetics and molecular biology of nervous system development and function. His present research focus is on the signal transduction mechanisms involved in mitotic regulation during neuronal differentiation and signal cascades in learning and neuronal plasticity. He can be reached by phone at 650.8469 or by email at venky@sci.ccny.cuny.edu

	Joshua Wallman studies how the growth of the eye is modulated by the retina to achieve a good match between the focal length of the eye s optics and the physical length of the eye, so that images are sharply focused on the retina . His lab also studies how people move their eyes and pay attention to different objects in the visual field. He can be reached by telephone at 212.650.8541 or by emaail at wallman@sci.ccny.cuny.edu

	Ralph Zuzulo is a cell biologist specializing in cellular microsurgery. In addition to serving as the Department's Deputy Chair for Undergraduate Studies, he is the director of the Robert Chambers Laboratory for Microsurgery. Dr. Zuzulo can be reached by telephone at 212.650.6588 or by email at rcz@sci.ccny.cuny.edu