{"id":75,"date":"2023-12-06T23:47:44","date_gmt":"2023-12-06T23:47:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/biochemistry-and-molecular-medicine-program\/?page_id=75"},"modified":"2026-06-23T22:12:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T22:12:18","slug":"research-mentors","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/biochemistry-and-molecular-medicine-program\/research-mentors\/","title":{"rendered":"Research Mentors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--hero-primary horizontal-navigation\"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--hero-primary\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper has-horizontal-nav\">\n\n          <div class=\"title-wrapper\">\n\n                  <div class=\"eyebrow-container\">\n                              \n<div class=\"f--field f--eyebrow\">\n\n    \n  <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/biochemistry-and-molecular-medicine-program\/\" >MS in Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine<\/a>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                      <\/div>\n        \n                      \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title has-stripe\">\n\n    \n      <h1>Research Mentors<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        \n              <\/div>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--link eyebrow-link\">\n\n    \n    \n  \n\n<a\n  class=\"link \"\n  href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/biochemistry-and-molecular-medicine-program\/admission-requirements\/\"\n    >\n        Apply Now!\n    <\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n    \n      \n              <div class=\"horizontal-nav\">\n                      <div class=\"horizontal-menu-container\">\n              <button class=\"expand-menu\">\n                                  In This Section\n                                <svg class=\"menu\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\"\n                  y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 35 35\" xml:space=\"preserve\">\n                  <path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" fill=\"#000\" d=\"M4,23h3v3H4V23z M4,16h3v3H4V16z M10,23\n                  h21v3H10V23z M10,16h21v3H10V16z M10,9h21v3H10V9z M4,9h3v3H4V9z\"\/>\n                <\/svg>\n\n                <svg class=\"close\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\"\n                  viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 35 35\" xml:space=\"preserve\">\n                  <polygon fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" points=\"26,10.4 24.6,9 17.5,16.1 10.4,9 9,10.4 16.1,17.5\n                  9,24.6 10.4,26 17.5,18.9 24.6,26 26,24.6 18.9,17.5 \"\/>\n                <\/svg>\n              <\/button>\n\n              <nav\n  class=\"mc--menu mc--\"\n  >\n  <ul class=\"m--menu m--\">\n    \n    \n      <li class=\"has-submenu menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-home menu-item-25 menu-item-has-children\">\n      <div class=\"link-arrow-wrapper\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/biochemistry-and-molecular-medicine-program\/\" >MS in Cancer Biology and Molecular Medicine<\/a>\n\n      <button class=\"expand-children has-submenu arrow-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-haspopup=\"true\" aria-label=\"Display Submenu for MS in Cancer Biology and Molecular Medicine\">\n        <svg height=\"35\" viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" width=\"35\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n          <path d=\"m17.5 20.2142857 6.2142857-6.2142857 1.2857143 1.2857143-7.5 7.5-7.5-7.5 1.2857143-1.2857143z\" fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"\/>\n        <\/svg>\n      <\/button>\n    <\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"submenus-wrapper\">\n      <div class=\"submenus-wrapper-inner\">\n        <ul class=\"submenu\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                      <li class=\" menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-69\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/biochemistry-and-molecular-medicine-program\/about\/\" >About the Program<\/a>\n  \n  \n<\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n<\/li>\n\n    \n      <li class=\" menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-77\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/biochemistry-and-molecular-medicine-program\/research-mentors\/\" >Research Mentors<\/a>\n  \n  \n<\/li>\n\n    \n      <li class=\" menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-26\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/biochemistry-and-molecular-medicine-program\/admission-requirements\/\" >Admissions<\/a>\n  \n  \n<\/li>\n\n    \n      <li class=\"has-submenu menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-28 menu-item-has-children\">\n      <div class=\"link-arrow-wrapper\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/biochemistry-and-molecular-medicine-program\/curriculum\/\" >Program Overview<\/a>\n\n      <button class=\"expand-children has-submenu arrow-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-haspopup=\"true\" aria-label=\"Display Submenu for Program Overview\">\n        <svg height=\"35\" viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" width=\"35\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n          <path d=\"m17.5 20.2142857 6.2142857-6.2142857 1.2857143 1.2857143-7.5 7.5-7.5-7.5 1.2857143-1.2857143z\" fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"\/>\n        <\/svg>\n      <\/button>\n    <\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"submenus-wrapper\">\n      <div class=\"submenus-wrapper-inner\">\n        <ul class=\"submenu\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                      <li class=\" menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-34\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/biochemistry-and-molecular-medicine-program\/courses\/\" >Courses<\/a>\n  \n  \n<\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n<\/li>\n\n    \n      <li class=\"has-submenu menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-29 menu-item-has-children\">\n      <div class=\"link-arrow-wrapper\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/biochemistry-and-molecular-medicine-program\/featured-alumni\/\" >Alumni<\/a>\n\n      <button class=\"expand-children has-submenu arrow-toggle\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-haspopup=\"true\" aria-label=\"Display Submenu for Alumni\">\n        <svg height=\"35\" viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" width=\"35\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n          <path d=\"m17.5 20.2142857 6.2142857-6.2142857 1.2857143 1.2857143-7.5 7.5-7.5-7.5 1.2857143-1.2857143z\" fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"\/>\n        <\/svg>\n      <\/button>\n    <\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"submenus-wrapper\">\n      <div class=\"submenus-wrapper-inner\">\n        <ul class=\"submenu\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n                      <li class=\" menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-30\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/biochemistry-and-molecular-medicine-program\/publications\/\" >Alumni Publications<\/a>\n  \n  \n<\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n<\/li>\n\n    \n      <li class=\" menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-27\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/keck.usc.edu\/biochemistry-and-molecular-medicine-program\/contacts\/\" >Contact Us<\/a>\n  \n  \n<\/li>\n\n    \n      <\/ul><!-- m--menu -->\n<\/nav>\n\n            <\/div>\n                  <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text white\"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n        \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <h2>Faculty Areas of Research<\/h2>\n<p>Our faculty who provide mentored thesis research opportunities in the BMM MS program. You can find their areas of interest below.<\/p>\n<p><b>Hooman Allayee, PhD<\/b> uses integrative and systems genetics approaches in human populations and mouse models to understand complex disease traits.<\/p>\n<p><b>Frank Attenello, MD<\/b> studies the role of metabolism and chromatin state in glioma chemoresistance and brain injury using patient-derived cells.<\/p>\n<p><b>Woojin An, PhD<\/b> uses multi-disciplinary biochemical and cellular approaches to understand fundamental concepts and mechanisms of action of epigenetic histone remodeling in cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis and transformation.<\/p>\n<p><b>Oliver Bell, PhD<\/b> uses synthetic biology approaches in mouse embryonic stem cells to study the dynamic regulation of chromatin modifications and their contribution to epigenetic inheritance of gene silencing.<\/p>\n<p><b>Berenice Benayoun, PhD <\/b>studies the impact of sex differences in immunity throughout life by leveraging the power of big data.<\/p>\n<p><b>David Cobrinik, MD, PhD<\/b> studies how normal development is altered by oncogenic changes to give rise to cancer, using the development of retinoblastoma from cone photoreceptor<br \/>\nprecursors as a model.<\/p>\n<p><b>Yali Dou, PhD <\/b>leverages the biochemistry, chemical biology and epigenomics approaches to study chromatin modifying enzymes in transcription regulation and cell fate determination, with the ultimate goal of developing epigenetic therapies for cancer treatment.<\/p>\n<p><b>Peggy Farnham, PhD<\/b> studies the transcriptomic and epigenomic changes that occur during neoplastic transformation, using genome-wide technologies.<\/p>\n<p><b>Mark Frey, PhD<\/b> studies the molecular mechanisms of intestinal inflammation, repair, and tumorigenesis, with the long-term goal of finding novel targets for treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases and colitis-associated cancer.<\/p>\n<p><b>Amir Goldkorn, MD <\/b>characterizes the ability of tumor cells to shift to a drug-resistant phenotype independently of new DNA mutations, using in cellular and mouse models, along with liquid biopsies to track these phenotypic changes in patients.<\/p>\n<p><b>Joseph Hacia, PhD<\/b> develops therapies for inherited peroxisomal disorders that have profound impacts on visual, auditory, liver, and neurological functions of affected children and adults and leads bioinformatics projects aimed at accelerating the implementation of novel therapies into the clinic.<\/p>\n<p><b>Heinz-Josef Lenz, M.D.<\/b> performs translational studies aimed at developing novel colorectal cancer therapies.<\/p>\n<p><b data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">Sheng Li, PhD<\/b>\u00a0develops AI-driven multi-omics approaches to study how aging and somatic mutations drive stem-cell decline, clonal hematopoiesis, and cancer, integrating single-cell, spatial, and long-read sequencing.<\/p>\n<p><b>Yifan Liu, PhD <\/b>studies epigenetic mechanisms of transcription regulation, including RNA interference, Polycomb repression, and DNA methylation.<\/p>\n<p><b>Crystal Marconett, PhD<\/b> studies the role that long non-coding RNAs play in epithelial cancers.<\/p>\n<p><b>Ite Offringa, PhD<\/b> studies lung cancer, including small cell lung cancer immunotherapy and the peripheral lung epigenome as it relates to cancer, cancer predisposition and the effects of tobacco smoke.<\/p>\n<p><b>Sita Reddy, PhD<\/b> studies the role of the Muscleblind-like RNA binding proteins in the development of the neuromuscular disorder, Myotonic Dystrophy and is developing small molecule therapeutics for this disease.<\/p>\n<p><b>Suhn Rhie, PhD<\/b> uncovers molecular mechanisms of human diseases using molecular biology techniques coupled with next generation sequencing and bioinformatics approaches.<\/p>\n<p><b>Judd Rice, PhD<\/b> elucidates the function of histone tail modifications in development and disease.<\/p>\n<p><b>Evanthia Torres, MD, PhD <\/b>studies immune-oncology with a specific interest in breast cancer and the tumor immune suppressive microenvironment.<\/p>\n<p><b>Bodour Salhia, PhD <\/b>conducts translational research studies in the following focus areas:\u00a0 1) cell-free DNA methylation liquid biopsies, 2) epigenomic regulation in cancer, and 3) experimental therapeutic studies of brain metastasis and their cancer associated fibroblasts.<\/p>\n<p><b>Jian Xu, PhD<\/b>, focuses on how protein methylation regulates signal transduction and transcriptional reprogramming and the role of protein methylation in cardiac and craniofacial development and disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n\n  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