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UC Davis experts: Basic genetic studies in medicine

The following UC Davis faculty members are available to discuss issues related to the genetic studies in medicine.

David Amaral
Professor of psychiatry
Contact: Carole Gan at UC Davis Health System Medical Science Public Affairs, (916) 734-9047, carole.gan@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
Director of research at the MIND (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute, which has established a genomics laboratory to screen for genetic markers related to autism.

Jeff Gregg
Assistant professor of medical pathology
Contact: Carole Gan at UC Davis Health System Medical Science Public Affairs, (916) 734-9047, carole.gan@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
Uses high-throughput screening techniques and human genome data to identify genes linked to brain tumors.

Paul Gumerlock
Assistant professor of hematology and oncology
Contact: Carole Gan at UC Davis Health System Medical Science Public Affairs, (916) 734-9047, carole.gan@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
Studies how damaged genes are related to development of prostate enlargement and cancer. In large clinical trial of lung-cancer patients, testing whether patterns of gene expression are related to drug response.

Paul Hagerman
Professor of biological chemistry
(530) 754-7266
pjhagerman@ucdavis.edu
Focuses on molecular genetics of fragile-X syndrome, which causes mental retardation.

Hsing-Jien Kung
Professor of biological chemistry
(916) 734-1538
hkung@ucdavis.edu
Studies molecular genetics of cancer cells, particularly oncogenes; gene expression in cancer cells; and viruses associated with cancer. Developing methods to look at large numbers of signaling molecules simultaneously.

Kit Lam
Professor of internal medicine
Contact: Carole Gan at UC Davis Health System Medical Science Public Affairs, (916) 734-9047, carole.gan@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
A world authority on combinatorial chemistry and cancer proteomics. Has developed widely used biotechnology techniques to create new cancer drugs and diagnostic agents.

Hongzhe Li
Assistant professor of medicine and statistics
Contact: Carole Gan at UC Davis Health System Medical Science Public Affairs, (916) 734-9047, carole.gan@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
Develops new statistical methods for genetic epidemiological studies of complex genetic diseases; models for gene-mapping; models for relating gene-expression profiles to phenotypes; and statistical and computational methods for functional genomics and bioinformatics.

K.C. Kent Lloyd
Associate professor of veterinary medicine
Director, Murine Targeted Genomics Laboratory
(530) 752-5490
kclloyd@ucdavis.edu
Laboratory develops transgenic and gene-targeted mice for use in cancer and other biomedical research. Personal research focuses on gastrointestinal physiology.

Paul Luciw
Professor of medical pathology, Center for Comparative Medicine
(530) 752-3430
paluciw@ucdavis.edu
Studies transcriptional regulation of retroviruses; how viruses cause disease in animal models of AIDS; and genetic immunization for viral diseases.

Marta Marthas
Associate adjunct professor of veterinary medicine
(530) 752-6195
mlmarthas@ucdavis.edu
Studies molecular genetics of SIV, an AIDS-like disease in monkeys. Research involves defining genetic determinants of SIV virulence and evaluating influence of monkey immune-response genes to protect against viral disease.

Frederick Meyers
Professor of medical hematology and oncology
Contact: Carole Gan at UC Davis Health System Medical Science Public Affairs, (916) 734-9047, carole.gan@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
Studies cancer biology, with an eye toward gene-based prediction of metastases and selective application of treatment. Focus on urologic tumors (prostate, kidney, bladder).

Earl Sawai
Assistant adjunct professor of medical pathology
Contact: Carole Gan at UC Davis Health System Medical Science Public Affairs, (916) 734-9047, carole.gan@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
Studies interactions between human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) genes and proteins within the host cell that are important for HIV infection to progress to AIDS. Also investigates signaling pathways important for tumor metastasis.

Michael Seldin
Professor of biological chemistry and internal medicine
Contact: Carole Gan at UC Davis Health System Medical Science Public Affairs, (916) 734-9047, carole.gan@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
Research program is aimed at finding genes important in complex human genetic diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, obesity, schizophrenia and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Michael Syvanen
Professor of medical microbiology and immunology
Contact: Carole Gan at UC Davis Health System Medical Science Public Affairs, (916) 734-9047, carole.gan@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
Studies detoxification mechanisms: genetic and enzymological changes in insecticide-resistant houseflies; genetics of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Work entails studies of molecular evolution and horizontal gene transfer.

Craig Warden
Associate professor of neurobiology, physiology and behavior
(530) 752-4187
chwarden@ucdavis.edu
Studies genes that influence body weight, appetite and obesity.

Reen Wu
Professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine
Contact: Carole Gan at UC Davis Health System Medical Science Public Affairs, (916) 734-9047, carole.gan@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
Studies genetic regulation of cell differentiation in lung airways, perhaps by vitamin A, in hopes of controlling airway destruction due to hypermucus secretion.

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Last updated Jan. 6, 2005