Investigations into fatty liver disease, treatment-resistant breast cancer, sepsis, tumor progression, immunotherapies, and metabolism were among multiple research projects highlighted during the 14^th annual New Faculty Research Forum on Sept. 11.

Ten new faculty members were selected to provide 10-minute presentations on their research during the Forum, designed to introduce faculty members, postdocs, and students to investigators who recently joined UT Southwestern.

“The research offers fascinating insight into some of the fresh discoveries being brought to campus by newly recruited faculty members,” said Dr. Byron Cryer, Associate Dean of Faculty Diversity and Development, and Professor of Internal Medicine.

The Forum is sponsored by the Office of Faculty Diversity and Development and the Office of Women’s Careers through UT Southwestern Medical School and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

“The intent of the Forum is to showcase new faculty members and their research to the entire community, to increase collaboration, and to recruit students and postdocs,” explained Dr. Helen Yin, Associate Dean in the Office of Women’s Careers and Professor of Physiology. “This is an informative and valuable experience that is well supported by chairs and center directors.”

Presenters and their areas of research were: 

Dr. Ruhma Syeda
Assistant Professor of Neuroscience
The Syeda lab uses single-molecule techniques to study mechanotransduction with the goal of understanding and developing better therapeutics for pain and related disorders. 

Dr. Prasanna Alluri
Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology
The Alluri lab investigates mechanisms of treatment resistance in breast cancer with the goal of developing novel therapeutic approaches to overcome such resistance.  

Dr. Dustin Hancks
Assistant Professor of Immunology
The Hancks lab uses genetics, genomics, and evolutionary signatures to investigate the volatile chess match between hosts and pathogens.

Dr. Sarah Huen
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Pharmacology
The Huen lab studies how metabolic adaption promotes survival during sepsis and how the kidneys contribute to systemic metabolism during inflammation. 

Dr. Michail Agathokleous
Assistant Professor of Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern and Pediatrics
The Agathokleous lab studies the metabolism of normal stem cells and progenitor cells and how it influences the initiation of cancer.

Dr. Todd Aguilera
Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology
The Aguilera research group investigates the immune microenvironment and engineers approaches to target cells and molecules that contribute to immune privilege. 

Dr. Matthew Mitsche
Assistant Professor with the Center for Human Nutrition and Molecular Genetics
The Mitsche lab develops ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometry approaches using stable isotopes to understand the mechanisms underlying the development and progression of fatty liver disease. 

Dr. Matthew Sieber
Assistant Professor of Physiology
The Sieber lab studies how dynamic changes in mitochondrial metabolism drive development and disease progression.

Dr. Satwik Rajaram
Assistant Professor of Bioinformatics and Pathology
The Rajaram lab is developing machine learning frameworks to unravel the spatial organization of tumors and ultimately to provide better predictions of tumor progression and drug response.

Dr. Bo Li
Assistant Professor of Bioinformatics and Immunology
The Li lab develops cutting-edge bioinformatics tools to study the complicated interactions that take place between a tumor and the host immune system with the goal of identifying novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers for cancer immunotherapies as well as early disease detection and prevention.