Faculty

Gene Alexander, PhD, specializes in the study of brain-behavior relationships in the context of aging and neurodegenerative diseases. His research integrates univariate and multivariate network analysis techniques across various neuroimaging methods to explore the neural underpinnings of cognitive aging. Dr. Alexander also examines how neuropsychological function, health status, and genetic risk interact to shape cognitive outcomes over time. His work aims to advance our understanding of the complex factors that contribute to healthy and pathological brain aging.

John Allen, PhD, focuses on the etiology and treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, with a particular emphasis on identifying risk factors for depression through measures of central and autonomic nervous system function, including EEG, resting-state fMRI connectivity, and cardiac vagal control. His research explores innovative, neurally-informed treatments, such as Transcranial Ultrasound, EEG biofeedback, and Transcranial Direct and Alternating Current Stimulation. Dr.

Dr. Chiang is interested in several translational and clinical aspects of breast imaging research.  In collaboration with other members of the Medical Imaging and Biomedical Engineering departments, Dr. Chiang is actively investigating novel imaging techniques for early detection of cancer.  Additionally, he is also interested in breast density as a biomarker for breast cancer risk and is investigating new methods for breast density assessment.  With respect to breast imaging modalities, Dr.

Dr. Katalin Gothard is a professor in the Departments of Physiology and Neuroscience. Her research focuses on uncovering the neural basis of emotion and social behavior, using rhesus monkeys as a model due to their shared social behaviors and hierarchical societal structures with humans. Dr. Gothard's work emphasizes brain activity during natural or semi-natural behaviors, such as monitoring neural responses in the amygdala and somatosensory cortex during social grooming and non-social tactile interactions.

Dr. Meredith Hay is a Professor of Physiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and Founder and CEO of ProNeurogen, Inc.  Dr. Hay is Past-President of the American Physiological Society and the former Executive Vice President and Provost of The University of Arizona. Prior to Arizona, Dr. Hay served as Vice President for Research at the University of Iowa.

Dr. Huggins’s research focuses on using functional and structural MRI to identify brain-based biomarkers for PTSD. Her research examines complex links between psychiatric symptoms, behavioral and emotional processes, cognition, and hormones to better understand risk and resilience in post-trauma outcomes across the lifespan. 

Aneta Kielar, PhD, is the director of the Language and Neuroimaging Research Laboratory. Her research focuses on the neural correlates of language processing, utilizing cognitive assessments along with structural and functional neuroimaging techniques, including fMRI, EEG/ERPs, and MEG. Dr. Kielar studies how stroke, neurodegenerative disorders, and aging impact neural dynamics and language function, with a particular focus on recovery and rehabilitation.

Dr. Chiyoung Lee is an Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona College of Nursing and an early-career researcher with expertise in data analytics, epidemiology, geriatrics, and pain management.

Dr. Liechty's laboratory, which has been continuously funded for the last 18 years, is the source of many patents and two companies. The Laboratory for Fetal and Regenerative Biology research is focused primarily in the field of healing, the response to injury, and regenerative medicine, with an emphasis on elucidating the mechanisms involved in the regenerative response to injury in the fetus, the role of stem cells in tissue repair, and the correction of abnormal healing in the adult.

Dr. Morrison specializes in ischemic stroke and microglial physiology in acquired brain injury and diseases. Her research integrates neuroimaging techniques, including MRI, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and PET/MRI, to investigate acute and chronic stroke injury mechanisms and assessment. Much of her work focuses on understanding the role of microglial responses in brain injury and leveraging multimodal imaging approaches (e.g. microscale/optical and macroscale/MRI imaging) to enhance diagnostic capabilities and assessment of stroke-related outcomes.

Mary-Frances O'Connor, PhD, researches grief, loss, and social stress, utilizing methods such as psychoneuroimmunology, neuroimaging, autonomic physiology, and virtual reality. Her work explores how the brain and body respond to bereavement, with a focus on the health impacts of grief. Dr. O'Connor has a particular interest in collective grief within Black and Latinx communities, examining bereavement as a health disparity. Through her research, she aims to better understand the biological and social dimensions of grief and develop approaches to address its impact on well-being.

Dr. Park specializes in chronic pain and nonpharmacological pain management for older adults with chronic conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), and osteoarthritis. Her research incorporates brain stimulation including transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and complementary therapies, such as online chair yoga, to improve pain management and quality of life for older adults.

Maria Romero-Ortega is the head of the Biomedical Engineering Department at the University of Arizona. He served as Cullen Endowed Professor and Director of undergraduate program in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and joint faculty in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the Tilman Fertitta J. Family College of Medicine at the University of Houston.

A renowned expert in the field of cardiovascular and pulmonary imaging, Dr. Geoffrey D. Rubin is originally from Los Angeles. Prior to joining the College of Medicine – Tucson, he spent more than two decades at Stanford University, earning the rank of full professor with university tenure in 2005, subsequently serving as chair of the Department of Radiology at the Duke University School of Medicine and the George B. Geller Distinguished Professor of Research in Cardiovascular Diseases.

Travis Sawyer is an Assistant Professor of Optical Sciences and Health Sciences. His laboratory focuses on research to develop new imaging techniques and technologies for the early detection of cancers including ovarian, skin, esophageal, and stomach cancers. He also has extensive experience in image processing, having started an independent company prior to joining the faculty in Optical Sciences. Travis supports science outreach to encourage younger generations to pursue careers in STEM.

Craig Weinkauf, MD, PhD, is an associate professor with the Department of Surgery Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson. Dr. Weinkauf's clinical practice focuses on caring for patients with vascular disease. This includes the broad set of conditions encompassing arterial, venous, or lymphatic pathologies.