The Division of Experimental Pathology seeks to elucidate molecular mechanisms of complex processes, to understand biological processes in normal and disease states, and to utilize insights into mechanisms for the rational development of therapies. The Division consists of faculty, staff, fellows and students who are engaged in basic and/or translational research, teaching, and related scholarly activities. The Division is located on the second floor of the Research Tower on the Piscataway (Busch) campus of Rutgers University.
Individual interests, efforts and projects are as follows:
Joseph Kramer, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor): His research, conducted under grant support of Dr. Ruth Steward (Waksman), is focused on the role of RNA modification in the control of gene expression in the context of the Drosophila and Zebrafish model systems. Dr. Kramer also directs a course entitled Cellular Structure and Function and is a Program Director of the Masters in Biomedical Sciences in the School of Graduate Studies.
Frederick Silver, Ph.D. (Professor with tenure): Dr. Silver has had a longstanding interest in collagen fibrillogenesis and crosslinking supported by various grants and productive of many publications. Dr. Silver teaches courses to Master’s students in biomaterials and is developing a rapid skin cancer screening test that can be used in community health centers.
Martha Soto, Ph.D. (Associate Professor with tenure): Dr. Soto utilizes the C. elegans nematode model to gain insights in actin-dependent cell movements and cell polarity during embryogenesis. The efforts of her lab are supported by an NIH R01 grant. In addition, she is the PI and Co-Director of the NIH-supported INSPIRE Postdoctoral Career Development Program, the largest postdoctoral training grant at Rutgers.
William Wadsworth, Ph.D. (Professor with tenure): Dr. Wadsworth uses the C. elegans model organism to study how extracellular molecules guide cell and axon migrations. He is the director of the qualifying exam and tutoring programs for the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. He serves on the University’s Appointment and Promotion committee.
Donald Winkelmann, Ph.D. (Professor with tenure). Dr. Winkelmann's research, funded by NIH and other agencies, has focused on the structure and function of motor proteins. His research is the study of macromolecular structure and assembly with our efforts concentrated on the analysis of the protein myosin and its interaction with actin. Actin and myosin are highly conserved proteins that participate in determination of cell shape, cellular motility, cytokinesis and contractility. His research uses the techniques of protein biochemistry, molecular genetics, immunochemistry, electron microscopy and crystallography to analyze myosin structure, assembly and function.
Peter Yurchenco, M.D., Ph.D. (Professor with tenure). Dr. Yurchenco’s research has focused on the mechanisms of basement membrane assembly, structure and functions, funded by grants from the NIH and other agencies. Current interests are ones of elucidating the structure of the laminin polymer node and the development of gene therapy for LAMA2-muscular dystrophy using laminin-binding linker proteins. Dr. Yurchenco is the Medical Director of Electron Microscopy and Chief of the Division of Experimental Pathology.
