Biomedical Sciences Administration
Brandt L. Schneider, Ph.D., Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Dr. Schneider received his B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Washington in 1986. He subsequently earned his Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Arizona in 1993. Dr. Schneider was a post-doctoral fellow at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory from 1993-1998 and joined the Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center as an Assistant Professor in 1999. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2006. For the past 5 years, Dr. Schneider has been the Graduate Research Advisor for both the Cell and Molecular Biology Track and the Pre-Medical Masters Track, and in 2013 he became Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Schneider's laboratory studies the molecular genetics of growth control and mechanisms that modulate aging to determine cellular lifespan. Recent studies from the Schneider lab have demonstrated a strong link between the rate of growth and the lifespan of cells. In so doing, they have found that large cells grow and proliferate rapidly but also age and die quickly. These results may someday help better understand the relationship between metabolism and longevity. Dr. Schneider was awarded the President's Young Investigator Research Award in 2005 and the Dean's Basic Sciences Teaching Award in 2011. His laboratory has been continuously funded since 1999 by grants that include awards from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the American Heart Association, the Ted Nash Long Life Foundation, the CH Foundation and others. Dr. Schneider is an avid golfer and enjoys playing Texas Tech's Rawls championship golf course. He also relishes spending time and taking vacations with his family. To learn more about Dr. Schneider, visit www.ttuhsc.edu/som/cbb/faculty/schneider.aspx.
Thomas Abbruscato, Ph.D. is Associate Dean for the Graduate School
of Biomedical Sciences and Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.Dr. Abbruscato received both a B.S. (Molecular and Cellular Biology) and Ph.D. (Pharmacology and Toxicology) from the University of Arizona.Dr. Abbruscato continued his education as a NRSA research fellow in the University of Arizona, College of Medicine studying the effects of stroke on the cerebrovasculature. Currently he serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and Life Sciences. He also maintains a regular membership on the Brain Injury Neurovascular Pathologies (BINP) NIH Study Section. His research is funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke investigating the combined effects of tobacco smoke chemicals and brain ischemia on neuronal recovery to potentially identify therapeutic targets for novel stroke treatments targeting edema and brain ion homeostasis.To learn more about Dr. Abbruscato, visit www.ttuhsc.edu/sop/directory/Details.aspx?id=811.
Michael P. Blanton, Ph.D., is Associate Dean for the Graduate School and Professor and Graduate Advisor in the Department of Pharmacology Neuroscience.Dr. Blanton received his B.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC).Dr. Blanton has had a long-standing research interest in the structure-function relationships of membrane proteins as well as understanding the underlying molecular interactions involved at the lipid-protein interface. His research has focused on several Biomedically important membrane proteins: members of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) superfamily of ligand-gated ion channels (LGIC); P-type ion-motive ATPases; and most recently connexins. To learn more about Dr. Blanton's research visit http://www.ttuhsc.edu/som/pharmacology/faculty/blanton.aspx
Jon Weidanz, M.P.H., Ph.D. is Associate Dean for the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Director for the Master of Science Program in Biotechnology, Associate 
Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and the founding and active Director for the Center for Immunotherapeutic Research. He is also the founder and Chief Scientist at Receptor Logic, Inc. Prior to his academic appointment and Receptor Logic, he co-founded and served as Principal Scientist at Sunol Molecular Corp. (now Altor Biosciences, Inc.). Dr. Weidanz received a B.S. in Biology from West Virginia University, an MPH in Epidemiology and a Ph.D. in Molecular/Cellular Biology and Immunology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Weidanz has over 20 years of experience in biotechnology research with emphasis in immunology, immunotherapy and immunodiagnostic product development, especially as these disciplines relate to oncology and the development of products to diagnose and treat cancer. Dr. Weidanz worked for Baxter Diagnostics as a Research Scientist primarily responsible for the establishment of several protein expression systems involving bacteria, insect cells and mammalian cells. He has extensive experience in the development of biopharmaceutical protein platforms and was the inventor of recombinant methods for TCR production. He has applied this knowledge to conceive and develop the TCRm antibody platform, which are antibodies that recognize specific peptide/HLA complexes on diseased cells and offers significant opportunities to develop immunotherapeutics and diagnostics for detecting and treating human diseases. Dr. Weidanz has published extensively on this novel class of monoclonal antibodies as well as has several novel applications that are protected by over 15 pending patent applications.
To learn more about Dr. Weidanz, please visit: http://www.ttuhsc.edu/sop/directory/Details.aspx?id=2082
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Pam Johnson
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Jackie Chavez
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Terri Lloyd
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Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Administration Organizational Chart