CWRU Links
{{dept_full_name}}

Faculty


•    The Department of Physiology and Biophysics enlists more than 22 primary and 21 secondary faculty and 19 adjunct committed to academic and scientific excellence.  Our goal is to train the next generation of world leaders in the field of biomedical science.
•    We employ a highly innovative research approach, teaching, and individual mentoring of graduate students; this maximizes faculty-student interaction and emphasizes the use of state-of-the-art experimental approaches.
•    We encourage interactive and collegial sharing of ideas and techniques; in this way our faculty members provide opportunities for integrated research approaches in biomedical research.
•    Our faculty members are committed to expert, ground-breaking and interactive teaching.  The effectiveness of this is emphasized by our highly successful PhD and Master in Medical Physiology programs and an invaluable contribution to the School of Medicine's WR2 curriculum.
 

Primary Faculty 

Walter F. Boron, MD, PhD

Walter F. Boron, MD, PhD

Myers/Scarpa Professor and Chair
Boron Lab
Regulation of intracellular pH, gas channels
Robbins E524
216-368-8978 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Corey Smith, PhD

Corey Smith, PhD

Professor and Vice Chair
Smith Lab
Neurotransmitter release evoked by sympathetic activation.
Robbins E508
216-368-3487 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Erika N Allen, PhD
Robbins E511
216-368-3400 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Matthias Buck

Matthias Buck

Professor
Buck Lab
PEPCMBC
Website: http://dynamic-protein-complexes.org/
Protein-Protein and Protein-Membrane Interactions in Cell Signaling of small GTPases, Plexin and Eph receptors
Robbins E607
216-368-8651 (office) 216-368-3952 (fax)
Xinghong Dai, PhD

Xinghong Dai, PhD

Assistant Professor
Dai Lab
Structure-aided antiviral drug discovery and vaccine design.
Robbins E610
216-368-5131 (office) 216-368-3952 (fax)
Lisa Damato, PhD

Lisa Damato, PhD

Associate Professor
Damato Lab
Physiological effects of extreme environmental exposures
SOM E423B
216-368-5634 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Michael J. Decker, PhD

Michael J. Decker, PhD

Associate Professor
Decker Lab
High altitude physiology, respiratory physiology, and sleep medicine
SOM E423C
216-368-2467 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
George R. Dubyak, PhD

George R. Dubyak, PhD

Professor
Dubyak Lab
Signal transduction by extracellular nucleotides and inflammasomes in innate immunity and inflammation
Robbins E520
216-368-5523 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Jeffrey L. Garvin, PhD

Jeffrey L. Garvin, PhD

Professor
Garvin Lab
Regulation of nephron transport, salt-sensitive hypertension and cross-talk between tubules and vessels
Robbins E517
216-368-3353 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Agustin Gonzalez-Vicente, PhD
Robbins E424
216-368-6206 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Fraser J. Moss, PhD

Fraser J. Moss, PhD

Instructor
Boron Lab
Molecular mechanisms sensing and regulating physiological pH
Robbins E518
216-368-5405 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Tingwei Mu, PhD

Tingwei Mu, PhD

Associate Professor
Mu Lab
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/mu-lab/home
Proteostasis maintenance of membrane proteins in health and disease
Robbins E513
216-368-0750 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Rossana Occhipinti, PhD

Rossana Occhipinti, PhD

Instructor
Boron Lab
Mathematical modeling of acid-base physiology
Robbins E512
216-368-3631 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Patrick Osei-Owusu, PhD, FAHA

Patrick Osei-Owusu, PhD, FAHA

Associate Professor
Osei-Owusu Lab
MPPC
G protein Signaling Regulation in Health and Disease
Robbins E526
216-368-4062 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Xin Qi, PhD

Xin Qi, PhD

Jeanette M. and Joseph S. Silber Professor of Brain Sciences
Qi Lab
Mitochondrial quality control and neurodegenerative diseases
Robbins E516
216-368-4459 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Rajesh Ramachandran, PhD

Rajesh Ramachandran, PhD

Associate Professor
Ramachandran Lab
Molecular mechanisms of membrane remodeling, fission and fusion in endocytosis and mitochondrial dynamics
Robbins E521
216-368-2513 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Andrea Romani, MD, PhD

Andrea Romani, MD, PhD

Associate Professor
Romani Lab
Regulation of magnesium homeostasis and transport in mammalian cells
Robbins E528
216-368-1625 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Jeffrey R. Schelling, MD
SOM, Robbins E611
216-368-1100 (office)
Julian E. Stelzer, PhD

Julian E. Stelzer, PhD

Professor
Stelzer Lab
Cellular and molecular mechanisms of cardiac muscle contraction in health and disease
Robbins E522
216-368-8636 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Witold K. Surewicz, PhD

Witold K. Surewicz, PhD

Robert F Bennett MD Professor
Surewicz Lab
Molecular basis of prion diseases and other neurodegenerative disorders associated with protein misfolding
Robbins E605
216-368-0139 (office) 216-368-3952 (fax)
Nami Tajima

Nami Tajima

Assistant Professor
Tajima Lab
Molecular Basis of Synaptic Transmission 
Robbins E619
216-368-5519 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Jessica C. Taylor, PhD

Jessica C. Taylor, PhD

Assistant Professor
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
SOM E527
216-368-5745 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Kui Xu, MD, PhD

Kui Xu, MD, PhD

Instructor
LaManna Lab
Brain hypoxia and ischemia
Robbins E548-C
216-368-5950 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Shiwei Zhu

Shiwei Zhu

Assistant Professor
Zhu Lab
Website: http://www.shiweizhulab.org
Mechanism of cell-autonomous immunity against infection
Robbins E621
216-368-3400 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)

Emeritus Faculty 

Ulrich Hopfer, MD, PhD

Ulrich Hopfer, MD, PhD

Professor Emeritus
Bioinformatics; Structure/Regulation of Membrane and Epithelial Electrolyte Transport
Robbins E515
216-368-2878 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Stephen W. Jones, PhD

Stephen W. Jones, PhD

Professor Emeritus
Voltage-dependent ion channels
Robbins E514
216-368-5527 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Joseph C. LaManna, PhD

Joseph C. LaManna, PhD

Silber Professor
LaManna Lab
Cerebral angiogenesis, blood flow & metabolism
Robbins E611
216-368-1112 (office) 216-368-3952 (fax)
Carole M. Liedtke

Carole M. Liedtke

Professor Emeritus
Regulation of epithelial ion transporters in health and disease
BRB 824
216-368-4629 (office) 216-368-1693 (fax)
Thomas M. Nosek, PhD

Thomas M. Nosek, PhD

Professor Emeritus
Cellular basis of muscle fatigue
216-368-5586 (fax)
William P. Schilling, PhD

William P. Schilling, PhD

Professor Emeritus
Structure, function, and regulation of mammalian TRPC channels, mechanisms of Ca2+ dyshomeostasis during oxidative stress
Robbins E508
216-368-8938 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)

Secondary Faculty 

Sudha Chakrapani, PhD

Sudha Chakrapani, PhD

Joseph T. Wearn, MD University Professor in Medicine
Chakrapani Lab
PEPCMBC
Molecular Mechanisms of Fast Synaptic Transmission: Structure, Function, and Modulation of Ion Channels
Robbins E621
216-368-3875 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Anthony F. DiMarco, MD

Anthony F. DiMarco, MD

Professor
Respiratory Therapy
MetroHealth Medical Center
216-778-3612 (office)
Mark E. Dunlap, MD
MetroHealth Heart & Vascular Center
216-778-2328 (office) 216-778-3927 (fax)
Dominique Durand, PhD

Dominique Durand, PhD

Professor
Biomedical Engineering
Wickenden 112
216-368-3974 (office) 216-368-4872 (fax)
Brian D. Hoit, MD

Brian D. Hoit, MD

Professor
Cardiology
Lakeside 3071
216-844-3855 (office)
Faramarz Ismail-Beigi, MD, PhD
BRB 432
216-368-6129 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Peter MacFarlane, PhD

Peter MacFarlane, PhD

Assistant Professor
Pediatrics / Division of Neonatology
BRB 830
216-368-4628 (office)
Richard J. Martin, MD
Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital
216-844-3387 (office)
Sam Mesiano, PhD

Sam Mesiano, PhD

Professor
Reproductive Biology
Human birth timing and steroid hormone action in pregnancy and parturition
MacDonald Women’s Hospital 8009
216-844-1553 (office) 216-844-7095 (fax)
John R. Sedor, MD

John R. Sedor, MD

Professor
Nephrology
Lerner Research Insitute
Daniel I. Simon, MD

Daniel I. Simon, MD

Professor
Cardiovascular Medicine
Lakeside 3001
216-368-1145 (office) 216-844-8318 (fax)
Ben W. Strowbridge, PhD
Robbins E659
216-368-6974 (office) 216-368-4650 (fax)
Bing-Cheng Wang, PhD

Bing-Cheng Wang, PhD

Professor
Physiology & Biophysics
Rammelkamp Center for Research R421
216-778-4256 (office) 216-778-4321 (fax)
M. Michael Wolfe, MD

M. Michael Wolfe, MD

Professor
Gastroenterology
MetroHealth Medical Center
216-778-5736 (office)
Sichun Yang, PhD

Sichun Yang, PhD

Associate Professor
Nutrition
BRB 929
216-368-5793 (office) 216-368-6846 (fax)
Vivien Yee

Vivien Yee

Associate Professor
Biochemistry
216-368-1184 (office) 216-368-5586 (fax)
Xin Yu, ScD

Xin Yu, ScD

Associate Professor
Biomedical Engineering
Wickenden 430
216-368-3918 (office) 216-368-4969 (fax)

Adjunct Faculty