Wesley R. Legant's lab at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill focuses on developing advanced microscopy techniques to study biological systems at multiple scales. By combining optical innovations and computer vision, the lab aims to create intelligent microscopes that can analyze live samples in real time. Their research investigates how proteins operate within the cell nucleus, enhancing our understanding of fundamental cellular processes.

Dr. Qi Zhang's lab focuses on understanding how aging affects inflammation at the molecular level, particularly involving a protein called cGAS, which plays a crucial role in the immune response. The team investigates how changes in the acetylation of histone proteins can activate cGAS, potentially leading to chronic inflammation and age-related diseases. By bridging molecular biology and biochemistry with aging research, this lab aims to uncover new therapeutic strategies for conditions associated with aging.

Dr. Kristy M. Ainslie's lab focuses on innovative therapies for challenging medical conditions such as glioblastoma and autoimmune diseases. By using biomaterials, particularly specialized biodegradable polymers, the lab aims to improve the effectiveness of immune cell therapies and develop new strategies for inducing immune tolerance. The research integrates advanced materials with cell therapy to enhance patient outcomes and advance the field of immunotherapy.

Dr. Konstantin Popov's lab at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill focuses on developing new drug discovery methods to tackle Alzheimer's disease using artificial intelligence. The lab integrates computational techniques with experimental workflows to identify and optimize small-molecule drugs that can influence key proteins involved in the disease. By combining modern technology with traditional research methods, the lab aims to create effective therapies for neurodegenerative disorders.

Dr. Yun Li's lab at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill focuses on understanding the genetic mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease, which affects millions of elderly individuals. By using advanced computational methods to analyze a variety of genomic data, the lab aims to uncover how certain genetic variants contribute to the disease. They validate their hypotheses by conducting experiments on induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neural cells and brain organoids, leveraging innovative techniques like CRISPR to explore potential therapeutic targets.

Dr. Joan M Taylor's lab focuses on understanding the mechanisms behind atherosclerosis, which is a serious cardiovascular disease. The research investigates how smooth muscle cells contribute to plaque formation and stability in blood vessels, as well as the relationships between hypertension and vascular stiffness. By studying specific genetic factors and their effects, the lab aims to develop new treatments to combat hypertension and atherosclerosis, ultimately reducing their impact on public health.

Dr. Soumya Benhabbour's lab focuses on innovative drug delivery systems aimed at improving treatments for HIV and brain cancer. The lab develops long-acting injectable formulations and smart biomaterials that can enhance safety and efficacy, providing patients with better health outcomes and reducing the need for invasive procedures. They use advanced techniques such as ultrasound to improve cell therapy delivery and create novel systems that combine contraception with HIV prevention.

Dr. Tianlong Chen's research lab focuses on using advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to integrate different types of biomedical data, including genetics and medical imaging. This work aims to improve precision medicine by enhancing the analysis of complex diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's disease. The lab develops methods that not only combine these diverse data types but also ensure that findings are interpretable and actionable for improving patient care.

Dr. Li Wang's lab at UNC Chapel Hill focuses on developing advanced computational tools for analyzing brain imaging data, specifically to study early brain development in infants at risk of autism. The lab's goal is to create methods that can accurately segment and identify brain structures from MRI scans, potentially leading to earlier diagnosis and intervention for autism. By leveraging large-scale neuroimaging datasets, their research seeks to improve our understanding of autism development and create resources for the scientific community.

Dr. Charles M. Perou's lab at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill focuses on understanding how breast cancer cells spread to different organs in the body. By studying the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in this process, particularly in various subtypes of breast cancer, the lab aims to identify why certain tumors prefer to metastasize to certain organs. The research combines data from human samples and mouse models with advanced techniques to uncover potential new treatments for metastatic breast cancer.

Professor Joseph Mauro Calabrese's research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in gene regulation. These specialized RNA molecules, which do not code for proteins, play important roles in silencing genes that can affect health and disease, including conditions like Angelman and Rett Syndromes. The lab aims to uncover how these lncRNAs work at the molecular level and how their functions can lead to potential therapeutic discoveries.

Dr. Li Qian's lab at the University of North Carolina specializes in innovative strategies to repair heart tissue and improve heart function after injuries like heart attacks. By transforming cardiac fibroblasts into functional heart muscle cells using three specific transcription factors, the lab aims to advance therapies for heart failure, a major health issue. Their research combines cutting-edge techniques like single-cell analysis and mathematical modeling to better understand cardiac cell fate and enhance regenerative medicine approaches.

Dr. Jeremy Purvis’s lab focuses on understanding the cell cycle and its role in cancer treatment resistance, especially in breast cancer. They use innovative computational models and experimental techniques to explore how tumor cells survive and evade therapies like CDK4/6 inhibitors. The lab aims to identify the molecular mechanisms behind drug resistance and how the cell cycle adapts under different conditions, potentially leading to better cancer therapies.

Dr. Michael Emanuele's lab at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill focuses on understanding how proteins regulate the cell cycle, particularly through a process called ubiquitination, which involves tagging proteins for degradation. His research examines the specific enzymes and proteins involved in this tagging process and their effects on cell growth and division. This work is crucial for uncovering how misregulation of these processes can lead to diseases like cancer.

Dr. James E. Bear's lab at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill focuses on understanding how cells move by studying the actin cytoskeleton. The research aims to uncover how cells react to their environments and direct their movement, which is important for processes like wound healing and cancer metastasis. By using innovative techniques like conditional knockout mouse models and optogenetics, the lab seeks to unravel the complexities of cell motility at a molecular level.

Dr. Weili Lin's lab focuses on understanding how various environmental factors, particularly during prenatal and early childhood periods, affect child development. This work is part of a large scale study involving thousands of mothers and infants, aiming to track developmental changes while assessing the effects of substances such as opioids and alcohol. The findings from this research will help shape public health policies to support child health across the U.S.

Dr. Eva S. Anton's lab at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill focuses on understanding how primary cilia, tiny antenna-like structures on neurons, influence brain function and development. They study how disruptions in primary cilia signaling can lead to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and epilepsy. The lab employs advanced techniques to unravel the signaling pathways and the potential therapeutic roles of primary cilia in repairing neural circuit malfunctions.

Dr. David S. Lawrence's lab at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill focuses on developing innovative drug delivery systems to improve treatments for thromboembolism, particularly in cancer patients. The lab's groundbreaking research utilizes a bioengineering approach that combines thrombolytic enzymes with vitamin B12 to create a targeted, effective delivery platform, using the body's circulatory system as a natural reservoir. This technology aims to enhance the safety and efficacy of thrombolytic therapies, especially in high-risk populations like cancer patients and pregnant women.

Dr. Ryan Vetreno's lab at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill studies the effects of adolescent binge drinking on the brain, particularly how it influences cholinergic neurons and cognitive functions later in life. They focus on the role of inflammatory signals in causing temporary changes to the genetics of these neurons, which can lead to memory and cognitive impairments. Their research aims to uncover potential therapeutic targets to reverse these negative changes and improve brain health.

Dr. Sarah Cohen's lab at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill investigates the role of a specific protein, apolipoprotein E (APOE), in brain cells related to Alzheimer's disease. The lab focuses on how APOE affects fat metabolism in brain cells called astrocytes and microglia, and how this relates to the risk of developing Alzheimer's, particularly for individuals carrying the APOE4 gene. By understanding these mechanisms, the research aims to uncover potential new targets for treating Alzheimer's disease.