Faculty-Led Research in the Molecular and Cellular Biology Disciplines

Research in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) at Kennesaw State University is categorized into five different subdisciplines: Developmental Biology, Cell Structure and Function, Genetics, Genomics and Bioinformatics, Microbial Sciences and Neuroscience.

Read more about each specific subdiscipline listed below, as well as find links to faculty websites, who specialize in those areas.

  • Developmental Biology studies the genetic and molecular control of how organisms form. By studying simple model systems such as fruit flies, nematodes, and mice, we can infer how similar genes work in humans, which allows us to better understand the causes of human genetic disorders.

    Featured Faculty Research

    Name
    Position

    • Associate Professor of Developmental Biology

      abryants@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-4919
      Kennesaw Campus, 105 Science Laboratory Building, Room 4004

      Visit Website

    • Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology

      bcarpe18@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-4998
      Kennesaw Campus, 105 Science Laboratory Building, Room 4003

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    • Assistant Professor of Cell Biology

      egigante@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-6158

      Visit Website

    • Professor of Biology

      mhudso28@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-7558
      Kennesaw Campus, 105 Science Laboratory Building, Room 4002

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    • Associate Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology

      djia@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-6158
      Kennesaw Campus, 370 Science, Room 522

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    • Professor of Biology

      snowak@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-7777
      Kennesaw Campus, 105 Science Laboratory Building, Room 4006

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    • Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology

      jwardwel@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-6158
      Kennesaw Campus, 370 Science, Room 525

      Website

  • Neuroscience is a broad discipline that seeks to understand how the nervous system forms and functions throughout the life of an organism. Again, studies in simple systems allow us to understand how the brain works in humans, and to shed light on the underlying defects behind autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, and neurodegenerative diseases.

    Featured Faculty Research

    Name
    Position

    • Assistant Professor of Cell Biology

      egigante@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-6158

      Website

    • Professor of Biology

      mhudso28@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-7558
      Kennesaw Campus, 105 Science Laboratory Building, Room 4002

      Visit Website

    • Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Research and Professor of Biology

      vsuppira@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-6155
      Kennesaw Campus, 105 Science Laboratory Building, Room 5002

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  • Microbial Sciences is the study of bacteria, viruses, and single-celled eukaryotes such as yeast. This includes the genetics of bacterial pathogenesis, microbial communities in the gut and other systems.

    Featured Faculty Research

    Name
    Position

    • Associate Professor of Biology

      pachar@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-3524
      Kennesaw Campus, 370 Science, Room 526

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    • Assistant Chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Associate Professor of Biology

      mbeach2@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-4212
      Kennesaw Campus, 370 Science, Room 537

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    • Associate Professor of Biology

      mgriff40@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-6654
      Kennesaw Campus, 105 Science Laboratory Building, Room 5006

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    • Assistant Professor of Microbiology

      ahaddow@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-2653
      Kennesaw Campus, 105 Science Laboratory Building, Room 4008

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    • Associate Professor of Biology

      zlu2@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-6230
      Kennesaw Campus, 370 Science, Room 536

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    • Professor of Chemistry

      jmcmurr1@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-3238
      Kennesaw Campus, 105 Science Laboratory Building, Room 3014

    • Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology

      slee295@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-2794
      Kennesaw Campus, 105 Science Laboratory Building, Room 3004

      Visit Website

  • Cell Structure and Function delves into the inner workings of single cells, to understand the molecular basis of how cells form and function. The discipline of cell biology was founded, in part, by our desire to understand and find cures for cancer.

    Featured Faculty Research

    Name
    Position

    • Associate Professor of Biology

      ealbrec1@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-6774
      Kennesaw Campus, 370 Science, Room 521

      Visit Website

    • Associate Professor of Developmental Biology

      abryants@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-4919
      Kennesaw Campus, 105 Science Laboratory Building, Room 4004

      Visit Website

    • Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology

      bcarpe18@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-4998
      Kennesaw Campus, 105 Science Laboratory Building, Room 4003

      Visit Website

    • Assistant Professor of Cell Biology

      egigante@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-6158

      Visit Website

    • Associate Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology

      djia@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-6158
      Kennesaw Campus, 370 Science, Room 522

      Visit Website

    • Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology

      slee295@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-2794
      Kennesaw Campus, 105 Science Laboratory Building, Room 3004

      Visit Website

    • Professor of Chemistry

      jmcmurr1@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-3238
      Kennesaw Campus, 105 Science Laboratory Building, Room 3014

    • Professor of Biology

      snowak@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-7777
      Kennesaw Campus, 105 Science Laboratory Building, Room 4006

      Visit Website

    • Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology

      jwardwel@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-6158
      Kennesaw Campus, 370 Science, Room 525

      Website

  • Genetics, Genomics, and Bioinformatics are multidisciplinary threads that link many of the MCB subdisciplines. We use genetic approaches to study muscle development and nervous system function; genomic approaches to understand how cells change through time; and bioinformatic tools to show how gene expression changes under defined conditions.

    Featured Faculty Research

    Name
    Position

    • Assistant Chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Associate Professor of Biology

      mbeach2@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-4212
      Kennesaw Campus, 370 Science, Room 537

      Visit Website

    • Associate Professor of Developmental Biology

      abryants@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-4919
      Kennesaw Campus, 105 Science Laboratory Building, Room 4004

      Visit Website

    • Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology

      bcarpe18@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-4998
      Kennesaw Campus, 105 Science Laboratory Building, Room 4003

      Visit Website

    • Associate Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology

      djia@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-6158
      Kennesaw Campus, 370 Science, Room 522

      Visit Website

    • Part-Time Assistant Professor of Biology

      echen1@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-6158
      Kennesaw Campus, 105 Science Laboratory Building, Room 3003

      Visit Website

    • Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology

      jwardwel@kennesaw.edu
      (470) 578-6158
      Kennesaw Campus, 370 Science, Room 525

      Visit Website

Publications

 

Research Interest Groups (RIGs)

The College of Science and Mathematics (CSM) offers collaborative research opportunities in the following interest areas. Click on the research interest groups for more information, as well as the faculty associated.