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Biological and Chemical Sciences

Biological and Chemical Sciences

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The synergy between our educational programs and our nationally recognized faculty research is the essential element in our quest to improve the quality of life through teaching and research.

Biology Faculty Research Interests

Tara Allen
Teaching Professor
allent@umkc.edu

Karen Bame
Graduate Programs Officer, Associate Professor
Expertise: Determine the number of intracellular heparanases and characterize their molecular and enzymatic properties
bamek@umkc.edu

James Benevides
Teaching Professor
benevidesj@umkc.edu

Samuel Bouyain
Associate Professor, IPhD Doctoral Faculty
Expertise: cell adhesion, cell signaling, structural biology, X-ray crystallography
bouyains@umkc.edu

Brooke Esquivel
Instructor
bdp3k9@mail.umkc.edu

Margaret Kincaid
Teaching Professor
kincaidm@umkc.edu

Loretta Klamm
Instructor
klamml@umkc.edu

Peter Koulen
Professor, IPhD Doctoral Faculty
koulenp@umkc.edu

Jared May
Assistant Professor, IPhD Doctoral Faculty
jpmay@umkc.edu

Thomas Menees
Associate Professor, IPhD Doctoral Faculty
Expertise: How eukaryotic cells support the propagation of retrovirus-like elements
meneest@umkc.edu

Anthony Persechini
CMBB Chair, Professor, IPhD Doctoral Faculty
Expertise: The cell biology and biochemistry of calmodulin
persechinia@umkc.edu

Karyn Turla
Teaching Professor
turlak@umkc.edu

Shizhen (Jeff) Wang
Assistant Professor, IPhD Doctoral Faculty
Expertise: Protein biochemistry and biophysics
wangshizhen@umkc.edu

Theodore White
Dean, Professor
Expertise: Drug resistance in pathogenic fungi
whitetc@umkc.edu

Xiaolan Yao
Associate Professor, IPhD Doctoral Faculty
Expertise: NMR spectroscopy in combination with other biochemical and biophysical tools to understand the structural and dynamic basis of lipid transfer protein functions
yaoxia@umkc.edu

Rachael Allen
Assistant Teaching Professor
Expertise: Vertebrate anatomy
allenrc@umkc.edu

Grant Bledsoe
Assistant Teaching Professor
bledsoeg@umkc.edu

Stephane Dissel
Assistant Professor, IPhD Doctoral Faculty
dissels@umkc.edu

Leonard Dobens
GDEB Chair, Professor, IPhD Doctoral Faculty
Expertise: cell-cell signaling pathways, developmental mechanisms of pattern formation, model organisms, structural biology, transcriptional control
dobensl@umkc.edu

Saul Honigberg
Professor, IPhD Doctoral Faculty
Expertise: The molecular basis of the cell-to-cell signals that organized yeast into functional communities
honigbergs@umkc.edu

Chi-Ming Huang
Associate Professor
Expertise: MEMS sensors fortified with artificial intelligence and machine learning
huangc@umkc.edu

Tamas Kapros
Teaching Professor
kaprost@umkc.edu

Lee Likins
Assistant Teaching Professor
Expertise: Evolutionary biology, ecology, marine and aquatic biology, entomology, science education, undergraduate research
likinsfl@umkc.edu

Jess Magaña
Assistant Teaching Professor
maganajl@umkc.edu

Hillary McGraw
Assistant Professor, IPhD Doctoral Faculty
Expertise: How diverse cellular behaviors are regulated during embryonic development
mcgrawh@umkc.edu

Ryan Mohan
Assistant Professor, IPhD Doctoral Faculty
mohanrd@umkc.edu

Michael O'Connor
Associate Professor, IPhD Doctoral Faculty
Expertise: t-mRNA-mediated trans-translation
oconnormi@umkc.edu

Jeffrey Price
Director of Research, Professor, IPhD Doctoral Faculty
Expertise: Molecular and cellular mechanisms of circadian rhythms
pricejl@umkc.edu

Aaron Reed
Associate Teaching Professor, Director of Course Development and Assessment
reedaw@umkc.edu

Nicole Stanton-Wilson
Instructor
stantonn@umkc.edu

Xiao-Qiang (Sean) Yu
Professor, IPhD Doctoral Faculty
Expertise: Innate immune responses modulated by plasma proteins and expression of antimicrobial peptides regulated by signal transduction pathways in a model insect, the tobacco hornworm Manduca sexta
yux@umkc.edu

Chemistry Faculty Research Interests

Many of our Chemistry Department faculty members are involved in a wide range of research topics, including organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, materials chemistry, computational chemistry, inorganic chemistry and nanoscience with both graduate and undergraduate students.

Buszek Research Group
Organic synthesis, medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry

Chen Research Group
Nanomaterials research with applications in photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, pollution removal, light-matter interaction and the clean energy sector

Dias Research Group
Organic synthesis and characterization witha  focus on bile (cholic) acids, tetracyclic triterpenoids and benzenoids

Kilway Research Group
Research includes the synthesis and study of biomaterials and twisted polycyclic aromatic and linear acenes for biomaterial and material applications

Moteki Research Group
Chemical biology and materials research in nanozymes, catalysis and drug delivery

Oyler Research Group
Solid-state NMR studies of materials and the study of cultural artifacts using hyperspectral imaging

Peng Research Group
Development of functional/multifunctional materials for electronic, optical and biomedical applications

Rafiee Research Group
Development of new synthetic and catalytic electrochemical transformations; creative use of electroanalytical techniques plays a central role in the development of these redox based reactions

Van Horn Research Group
Biological inorganic chemistry of various transition metals with biological minerals and materials