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St. Jude Family of Websites
Explore our cutting edge research, world-class patient care, career opportunities and more.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Home
- Fundraising
Developmental Neurobiology Faculty
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Suzanne J. Baker, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Deputy Director, Comprehensive Cancer Center
Co-leader, Neurobiology and Brain Tumor Program
Endowed Chair in Brain Tumor Research
Suzanne J. Baker, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Deputy Director, Comprehensive Cancer Center
Co-leader, Neurobiology and Brain Tumor Program
Endowed Chair in Brain Tumor Research
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Investigating mechanisms driving diffuse high-grade gliomas (HGGs) in children, including Grade III anaplastic astrocytomas and Grade IV glioblastomas
- Studying unique features of pediatric HGGs, such as anatomical differences and distinct oncogenic mutations compared to adult gliomas
- Identifying subgroups of pediatric HGG based on clinical features and recurrent mutations linked to chromatin regulation and developmental signaling
- Developing improved disease models to study pediatric HGG subgroups and test targeted therapies
Contact Information
Suzanne J. Baker, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 323, Room M3412
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Jay B. Bikoff, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Jay B. Bikoff, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Mechanisms through which neural circuits govern motor output
- Molecular diversity of neurons in the vertebrate motor system
- Interactions between supraspinal brain systems, spinal circuits and sensory inputs that control movement
Contact Information
Jay B. Bikoff, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 322, Room D2006C
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Xinwei Cao, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Defining mechanisms that regulate the growth of the vertebrate nervous system
- Understanding how growth-control mechanisms are coupled with patterning mechanisms to achieve the proper size, shape, and cytoarchitecture of the nervous system
- Determining the connection between growth-control mechanisms and human neurological tumors and malformations
- Identifying the genetic basis of brain size evolution
Contact Information
Xinwei Cao, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 323, Room D2025G
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Fabio Demontis, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Fabio Demontis, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Role of proteostasis and stress responses in skeletal muscle aging
- Systemic signaling via muscle-derived secreted factors (myokines) during aging and age-related diseases
Contact Information
Fabio Demontis, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology Inspiration4 Advanced Research Center
MS 322, Room M2421
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Michael A. Dyer, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Chair, Developmental Neurobiology Department
Co-Leader, Cancer Center Developmental Biology and Solid Tumor Program
Richard C. Shadyac Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cancer Research
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Michael A. Dyer, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Chair, Developmental Neurobiology Department
Co-Leader, Cancer Center Developmental Biology and Solid Tumor Program
Richard C. Shadyac Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cancer Research
Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Coordination of proliferation and differentiation during neurogenesis
- Retinal disease and stem cell based therapies
- Retinoblastoma and targeted chemotherapy
- Pediatric solid malignancies
- High throughput screening and drug discovery
- Genomics and epigenomics of pediatric solid tumors
Contact Information
Michael A. Dyer, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 324, Room D2039
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Young-Goo Han, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Young-Goo Han, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Brain development (mechanisms of neocortical growth and folding)
- Molecular mechanisms of Hedgehog signaling
- Function of primary cilia in medulloblastoma
Contact Information
Young-Goo Han, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 325, Room D2058C
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Yuuta Imoto, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Yuuta Imoto, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Membrane trafficking during synaptic vesicle recycling
- Sorting of synaptic vesicle proteins
- Emergence of bilaterian synaptic systems
- Defects in synaptic function related to epilepsy, autism, and Down syndrome
Contact Information
Yuuta Imoto, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 322
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Stephen C. Mack, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Stephen C. Mack, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Brain tumors
- Gene regulation
- Brain development
- Developmental therapeutics
Contact Information
Stephen C. Mack, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 323, Room M3405
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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James I. Morgan, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Shahdam, Edna and Albert Abdo Endowed Chair in Basic Research
James I. Morgan, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Shahdam, Edna and Albert Abdo Endowed Chair in Basic Research
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Molecular mechanisms contributing to normal and pathological neuronal death and differentiation
- Genes and signaling pathways involved in synaptic stability
- Human diseases of the nervous system
Contact Information
James I. Morgan, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 323, Room M3416
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Paul A. Northcott, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Center of Excellence in Neuro-Oncology Sciences (CENOS)
Endowed Chair, Molecular Neuro-Oncology
Co-leader, Cancer Center Neurobiology and Brain Tumor Program
Paul A. Northcott, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Center of Excellence in Neuro-Oncology Sciences (CENOS)
Endowed Chair, Molecular Neuro-Oncology
Co-leader, Cancer Center Neurobiology and Brain Tumor Program
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Embryonal central nervous system tumors
- Disrupted neurodevelopment in pediatric brain tumors
- Genetic dependencies and preclinical model development
- Liquid biopsy genetic and methylation signatures
Contact Information
Paul A. Northcott, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 325, Room M3406
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Jamy C. Peng, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Proteins and RNAs in epigenetic programming of stem cell functions
- Epigenetic mechanisms influencing gene expression changes
- Epigenetic regulation of stem cell functions
Contact Information
Jamy C. Peng, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 323, Room D2038F
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Jasmine Plummer, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Center for Spatial OMICs
Jasmine Plummer, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Center for Spatial OMICs
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Single cell systems biology
- Spatial genomics and proteomics
- Disease pathogenesis from cells of origin
- Genomic technology development
Short Biography
Jasmine Plummer, PhD, is the founding Director of the Center for Spatial Omics and an Associate Member in the Department of Developmental Neurobiology. Her postdoctoral research focused on genetic risk in neurodevelopmental disorders. Dr. Plummer specializes in using multi-omics to study genetic risk in cancers and neurodevelopmental disorders and is known for developing spatial omics platforms.
Contact Information
Jasmine Plummer, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 322
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Lindsay Schwarz, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Lindsay Schwarz, PhD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Mechanisms regulating diverse functions of neuromodulatory circuits
- Activity patterns of neuromodulatory neurons in vivo during arousal-related behaviors
- Molecular diversity of locus coeruleus neurons
- How changes in neuromodulatory circuits promote psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders
Contact Information
Lindsay Schwarz, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 323, Room D2025F
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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David J. Solecki, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating neuronal motility
- The interplay between neuronal differentiation and neuronal polarity signaling
- The centrosome as a focal point to coordinate cellular polarity
- Time-lapse microscopy as a tool to unlock the cell biology of neural development
- Cerebellar development
Contact Information
David J. Solecki, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 323, Room D2025G
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Elizabeth A. Stewart, MD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Elizabeth A. Stewart, MD
Associate Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- High-risk pediatric solid tumors
- Development of patient-derived orthotopic solid tumor xenografts
- Translational preclinical testing of novel therapeutics for pediatric solid tumors
Contact Information
Elizabeth A. Stewart, MD
Oncology
MS 324, Room D2038G
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
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Jason D. Vevea, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Jason D. Vevea, PhD
Assistant Member, St. Jude Faculty
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Molecular mechanisms of the synaptic vesicle cycle
- Presynaptic origins of neurodegenerative disease
- Organelle trafficking and polarity in neurons
- Organelle quality control in neurons
Contact Information
Jason D. Vevea, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 322
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, 38105-3678
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Stanislav S. Zakharenko, MD, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Division of Neural Circuits and Behavior
Stanislav S. Zakharenko, MD, PhD
Member, St. Jude Faculty
Director, Division of Neural Circuits and Behavior
Affiliations
Research Interests
- Learning and memory
- Synaptic transmission and plasticity
- Neuronal circuits and behavior
- Genetic models of schizophrenia, autism, and other neuropsychiatric diseases
Contact Information
Stanislav S. Zakharenko, MD, PhD
Developmental Neurobiology
MS 323, Room D2025B
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105-3678
Core leadership
- Maria Gulinello, PhD - Director; Neurobehavioral Lab
- Brittney Gordon - Manager; Xenograft Lab
- Anjana Nityanandam, PhD - Director; Neural Organoid Laboratory
- Abbas Shirinifard, PhD - Director; Neuroimage Analysis Lab
- Daniel Stabley, PhD - Director; Neuroimaging Lab
- Cody Ramirez - Sr. Bioinformatics Research Scientist
- Jackie Norrie, PhD - Scientist, Sincle Cell Laboratory
- Kim Lowe - Lead Researcher, Neurocytometry Laboratory
Administration and operations
- Lacey Banko - Administrative Manager
- Wilma Blankenship - Sr. Administrative Coordinator
- Brandy Dominguez - Administrative Coordinator
- Charlette Hill - Administrative Director
- Vetrina Njie - Manager, Grants & Research Administration
- Wilda Orisme - Manager, Research Operations
- Jennifer Parris - Director of Research Operations
- Makayla Plymouth - Administrative Coordinator
- Camille Rey, PhD – Science Research Writer
- Toya Rodgers - Sr. Administrative Coordinator