Here's a sampling of stories about our researchers in the basic sciences. See the full list of basic science faculty.

Debbie Andrew, Cell Biology
The students and postdocs in this cell biologist's lab are racking up research grants
 

Joel Bader, Biomedical Engineering
Deconstructs the numbers game of computational biology
 

Jay Baraban, Neuroscience
On learning how drug abuse rewires the brain
 

James Barrow, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences
On the challenges and rewards of developing new treatments for psychiatric illnesses
 

James Berger, Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Director of the Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences
On learning how tiny proteins do mechanical work
 

Dwight Bergles, Neuroscience
On shifting his focus from marine life to brain cells

 

Seth Blackshaw, Neuroscience
On mapping genes in order to find treatments for hereditary blindness

 

Namandje Bumpus, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences
On chemistry, sports and community service
 

Mike Caterina, Biological Chemistry and the Center for Sensory Biology
On skin and the senses
 

Patrick Cahan, Biomedical Engineering
On the algorithms behind tomorrow's stem cell therapies

Janice Clements, Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology
On how HIV infects the brain
On joining the NIH's Council of Councils

Nancy Craig, Molecular Biology and Genetics
On being "entranced" by the phenomenon of DNA that moves itself around in the genome
 

Kathleen Cullen, Biomedical Engineering
On the electric appeal of the brain
 

Peter Devreotes, Director of Cell Biology
On cell movement

 

Angelika Doetzlhofer, Neuroscience and Center for Sensory Biology
On auditory hair cells
 

Gul Dolen, Neuroscience
On how philosophy and neuroscience converge in the study of autism

 

Xinzhong Dong, Neuroscience
On the molecules behind the itch

 

Jennifer Elisseeff, Biomedical Engineering and the Translational Tissue Engineering Center
On her work engineering tissues
On developing an artificial cornea

Peter Espenshade, Cell Biology
On how the body senses cholesterol, research surprises, and the future of medical research
 

Andy Ewald, Cell Biology and the Center for Cell Dynamics
On having the right tools to watch an epithelial tissue remodel its architecture
 

Andrew Feinberg, Medicine and the Center for Epigenetics
On charm school, London and complex diseases
 

Ryuya Fukunaga, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences
On small silencing RNAs

Sandra Gabelli, Art as Applied to Medicine and Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry
On protein structures and pasta
 

Kathleen Gabrielson, Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology
On the toxic effects of stress
 

Wade Gibson, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences
On virus assembly and doing what you love
 

Loyal Goff, Neuroscience
On his winding path to academia
 

Erin Goley, Biological Chemistry
How bacterial science is undergoing a renaissance

 

Stephen Gould, Biological Chemistry
On a promising new direction for HIV research
 

David Graham, Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology
On pioneering viral proteomics
 

Warren Grayson, Biomedical Engineering
On regenerating our own body parts

 

Jordan Green, Biomedical Engineering
On LEGOS and nanoparticles
 

Rachel Green, Molecular Biology and Genetics
Fascinated by the ribosome
 

Carol Greider, Molecular Biology and Genetics
On the importance of sharing results ‘ASAP’
"Telomere" expert shares 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Bill Guggino, Physiology
On Hopkins' oldest basic science department
Contemplating fish, physiology, and his love of the sea
 

Takjip Ha, Biomedical Engineering
On discovering molecules' personalities
 

Andrew Holland, Molecular Biology and Genetics
On creating a better model for human cancers

 

Rick Huganir, Neuroscience
Looks to the future of neuroscience
On erasing the emotional trauma from disturbing experiences in mice
 

Takanari Inoue, Cell Biology and the Center for Cell Dynamics
On the leading edge of migrating cells

Alex Kolodkin, Neuroscience
On the importance of establishing connections
 

Rong Li, Cell Biology
On cell dynamics and cellular evolution
 

David Linden, Neuroscience
On the formation of memory, the fun of lab work and his recent book The Compass of Pleasure
 

Jun Liu, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences
On teaching an old dog new tricks -- using known drugs to treat new diseases

Svetlana Lutsenko, Physiology
On the importance of copper metabolism
 

Feilim Mac Gabhann, Biomedical Engineering
On mathematical models as versatile tools
 

Joseph Mankowski, Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology
On investigating HIV and the journey from veterinarian to researcher
 

Seth Margolis, Biological Chemistry
On never underestimating the learning potential of a failed experiment

Erika Matunis, Cell Biology
On how a profound scientific question can be fodder for a life's work
 

Mollie Meffert, Biological Chemistry and Neuroscience
On memory and NFkappaB
 

Kelly Metcalf Pate, Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology
On being both a vet and a biomedical researcher
 

Caren Meyers, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences
A passion for chemistry's puzzles and an intimate view of cancer's harsh realities led her into to the field of medicinal chemistry
 

Susan Michaelis, Cell Biology
On good lamin going bad
 

Jeremy Nathans, Molecular Biology and Genetics
Mulls over tech transfer and retinal research
 

Kristina Nielsen, Neuroscience
On how the brain turns pixels into objects

Tamara O'Connor, Biological Chemistry
On Legionella bacteria using nature's Trojan horse
 

Jennifer Pluznick, Physiology
On zooming in on the small details to understand an organism
 

Joel Pomerantz, Biological Chemistry
On his collaboration with Robert Siliciano in eliminating HIV
On the machinery that helps immune cells make decisions

Chris Potter, Neuroscience
On the fruit fly being an excellent tool for genetic research of neuronal function
 

Karen Reddy, Biological Chemistry
On what's missing in a two-dimensional view of a gene
 

Randall Reed, Molecular Biology and Genetics and the Center for Sensory Biology
On the sense of smell and why you should never drink wine with a straw

Roger Reeves, Physiology and McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine
On developing treatments for Down syndrome

Sergi Regot, Molecular Biology and Genetics
On seeing cells as individuals
 

Doug Robinson, Cell Biology
On the shape of amoebas

 

Sridevi Sarma, Biomedical Engineering and the Institute for Computational Medicine
On how a sick relative influenced the course of her research

Ronald Schnaar, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences
On axon regeneration
 

Reza Shadmehr, Biomedical Engineering
On motor learning
 

Robert and Janet Siliciano, Medicine
On the prospects of a cure for HIV infection
 

Solomon Snyder, Neuroscience
On his love of research and quest for a Huntington's disease treatment
 

Jungsan Sohn, Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry
On how any organism, whether large or microscopic, must have a way to deal with stress
 

James Stivers, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences
Before turning his attention to enzymes and nucleotides, James Stivers dealt in sharps and flats
 

Sean Taverna, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences and the Center for Epigenetics
On potential cancer treatments
 

Nitish Thakor, Biomedical Engineering
On developing a new prosthetic arm and inspiring other innovations
 

Natalia Trayanova, Biomedical Engineering
On developing computer simulations of the heart as tools for physicians
 

Leslie Tung, Biomedical Engineering
On studying the beating of heart cells in a dish

 

René Vidal, Biomedical Engineering
On developing programs that give computers and robots an ability akin to human vision
 

Rai Winslow, Biomedical Engineering
On the value of computer modeling

Michael Wolfgang, Biological Chemistry and the Center for Metabolism and Obesity Research
On how going to school for pig farming leads to a career as a biological chemist
 

Jie Xiao, Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry
On using a single-molecule method to see how genes are regulated

 

King Wai Yau, Neuroscience
On night vision that’s not “on the brain”
On why black and white TVs are not that bad

Kathy Wilson, Cell Biology
On the structure of nuclei
 

Kenneth Witwer, Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology
On microRNA and cellular bubbles
 

Cynthia Wolberger, Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry
On ubiquitin and Candid Camera
 

Natasha Zachara, Biological Chemistry
On women in science
 

Heng Zhu, Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences and the HiT Center
On creating proteomics' primo tool