2026 UT Southwestern Medical School
New Faculty Research Forum

Helen H. Hobbs, M.D.

Professor of Internal Medicine and Molecular Genetics and member of the Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development

Helen Hobbs is a physician-scientist who has shown how differences in our genes affect the way the body processes cholesterol and fats. Her discoveries have helped explain why some people develop high cholesterol or liver disease while others do not. One of her major achievements was establishing, together with Ronald Victor and Jonathan Cohen, the Dallas Heart Study, a multiethnic, population-based cohort which she used to identify key genes in pathways important for health and disease, some of which have become therapeutic targets for the prevention and treatment of heart and liver disease.

Leo Buckley, Pharm.D.

Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Cardiology
Joined UT Southwestern in September 2025

Topic: Decoding Drug Responses to Prevent Heart Failure

Dr. Buckley explores the biological pathways that drive heart failure and related cardiometabolic diseases. Using strategies in clinical trials, epidemiology, and advanced multiomics, his work seeks to determine how the immune system and metabolism influence the structure and function of cardiac tissues. He aims to use these tools to develop precision therapies for the prevention and treatment of heart failure.

Nils Burger, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and a member of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center
Virginia Murchison Linthicum Scholar in Medical Research
Joined UTSW in October 2025

Topic: Proteome-Wide Strategies to Uncover Cysteine-Based Regulation of Metabolism and Mitochondrial Function

Dr. Burger examines how redox biology and metabolic signaling shape the function of mitochondria. Using innovative proteome-wide approaches to map modifications, his work uncovers regulatory networks that influence cellular function and disease processes, with the goal of discovering insights that could lead to the development of novel therapies.

Xinyun “Sherry” Cao, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Microbiology
Southwestern Medical Foundation Scholar in Biomedical Research
Joined UT Southwestern in January 2024

Topic: How Bacteria Control Gene Expression: Lessons from Genome-Scale Transcription

Dr. Cao’s laboratory investigates variations of RNA polymerases across diverse bacterial species. By defining polymerase activities and regulation, she hopes to identify species-specific vulnerabilities that can be targeted by new antibiotics.

Shixuan Liu, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Neuroscience and in the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute and a member of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center
W.W. Caruth, Jr. Scholar in Biomedical Research
Joined UT Southwestern in September 2025

Topic: Mechanisms of Seasonal Rhythms

Dr. Liu’s research focuses on the seasonal clock and its roles in human health. Her lab uses an interdisciplinary approach of molecular biology, genetics, omics, and machine learning to study pathophysiology that influences neurodegeneration, immunology, and metabolism.

Anupam Mondal, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
Joined UT Southwestern in July 2025

Topic: Identifying the Mechanisms and Modifiers of Retinal Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases

Dr. Mondal’s lab investigates how genetics and environmental factors influence vision health. Using computational genomics, his research evaluates the impact of factors such as biological sex, diet, and lifestyle on retinal aging and vision alongside known inherited conditions. Through these studies, he aims to better understand the mechanisms and timing that drive vision loss across the lifespan.

George Mountoufaris, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Physiology and Neuroscience
Louise W. Kahn Scholar in Biomedical Research
Joined UT Southwestern in November 2025

Topic: Neural Dynamics in Control: Insights into Persistent Affective States

Dr. Mountoufaris investigates how disruptions in neural circuits alter brain function and contribute to neurodevelopmental, neurological, and neuropsychiatric disorders. By uncovering the mechanisms that govern neural connectivity and communication, his research seeks to advance our understanding of conditions including autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and mood disorders.

Tran N.H. Nguyen, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and a member of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center
Joined UT Southwestern in September 2025

Topic: Beyond Biological Snapshots: Integrated Biosensing and Microphysiological Platforms for Precision Health

Dr. Nguyen’s laboratory develops tools to enable researchers to move beyond snapshot measurements and into continuous monitoring of disease-related changes in the body. Her work combines multiplexed electrochemical sensors with liquid biopsy, skin-interfaces, and vascularized tissue platforms to build integrated biosensing and microfluidic platforms that capture molecular and functional changes over time. Tools like these have the potential to advance early cancer detection, hormone monitoring, and patient-relevant studies of tumor progression and therapeutic resistance.

Megan Routzong, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Obstetrics and Gynecology
Joined UT Southwestern in November 2025

Topic: Pregnancy-Induced Remodeling of Pelvic Floor Skeletal Muscles

Dr. Routzong’s lab uses computational modeling and physical experiments at multiple biological scales to perform translational biomechanics and mechanobiology research. Her current work aims to characterize pregnancy-induced remodeling of pelvic floor muscles to understand the mechanisms of vaginal birth injury, which significantly increases one’s risk of developing pelvic floor disorders years to decades later.

Keunwoo Ryu, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Cell Biology
Southwestern Medical Foundation Scholar in Biomedical Research
Joined UT Southwestern in October 2025

Topic: Compartmentalization of Metabolic Pathways as a Regulator of Cellular Metabolism

The Ryu Lab studies how cells organize metabolic activity across space and time. By examining metabolic compartmentalization at multiple scales, from individual enzymes to entire organelles, Dr. Ryu and his team uncover fundamental mechanisms that govern metabolic activity and cell behavior.

Vladimir Seplyarskiy, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor in the Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development and the Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics
Eugene McDermott Scholar in Biomedical Research
Joined UT Southwestern September 2025

Topic: From the Origins of Mutations to Their Effects

Dr. Seplyarskiy studies how mutations arise and how natural selection shapes their fate. Using large-scale genomic datasets and population-genetic models, the Seplyarskiy Lab discovers and characterizes the mechanisms of genetic changes and works toward accurately predicting the probability of mutations in every part of the human genome. By comparing these predictions with the variants observed in human populations, he aims to reveal the genetic sites where mutations are depleted by natural selection and identify which regions are most important in developing disease-causing variants.

Mason Sweat, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Molecular Biology
Joined UT Southwestern in September 2025

Topic: Molecular Mechanisms of Atrial Arrhythmias

Dr. Sweat investigates genes that allow the body to maintain normal atrial rhythm homeostasis. His lab uses cutting-edge molecular approaches to characterize transcriptomic changes that correlate with spontaneous atrial fibrillation and determine genes critical to the atrial gene regulatory network. Ultimately, his work could determine the molecular mechanisms by which genes that promote rhythm homeostasis are regulated in the heart. 

Chengyi Tu, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Biomedical Engineering
Joined UT Southwestern in October 2025

Topic: Stem Cell Models of Inherited and Acquired Human Heart Disease

Dr. Tu’s laboratory integrates stem cell biology and tissue engineering to develop in vitro models of human heart disease. Using patient-derived human induced pluripotent stem cells to generate cardiomyocytes, his team studies how genetic variation contributes to cardiac dysfunction. Using three-dimensional engineered heart tissues, his work closely models the structural and functional environment of the human myocardium, providing a powerful platform for understanding human heart disease.

Cecile Verbaarschot, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery, Biomedical Engineering, and in the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute
Joined UT Southwestern in April 2025

Topic: From Mind to Motion: Creating Intuitive Brain-Machine Interfaces to Restore Sensation and Movement in People with Severe Paralysis

With a background in artificial intelligence and cognitive neuroscience, Dr. Verbaarschot translates her scientific findings into brain-machine interfaces that can assist or restore the sensory and movement capabilities of people living with paralysis in their upper limbs. To do so, she uses implanted microelectrode arrays that can both record from and stimulate the brain, creating an interface that feels and moves as an intuitive part of one’s own body.

Binbin Ying, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Internal Medicine in the Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases
Member of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center
Joined UT Southwestern in October 2025

Topic: Sticky and Squishy Biointerfaces for Extreme Health

Dr. Ying’s research focuses on the development and clinical translation of medical devices that can withstand the conditions within the body. Dynamic internal organs remain difficult to monitor and treat because medical devices struggle to maintain stable connection with soft tissues. By engineering bioadhesives, biorobotics, and bioelectronics, the Ying Lab develops next-generation biointerfaces that enable improved prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.

Tao Zou, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Immunology
Member of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center
Joined UT Southwestern in August 2025

Topic: Harnessing Antiviral Immunity to Target Cancer

Dr. Zou and his team are working to develop new therapies for lung cancer by harnessing the immune system. The Zou Lab focuses on understanding immune mechanisms that distinguish between self and nonself, with the goal of co-opting or redirecting these mechanisms to target specific subtypes of cancer.