Biomedical Sciences Administration
Douglas M. Stocco, Ph.D., serves as Dean for the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Executive Vice President for Research.
Dr. Stocco received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from the University of Windsor, a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto and performed two years of postdoctoral research at UCLA. In 1974, he joined the faculty in the Department of Biochemistry at TTUHSC and is a professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry. Dr. Stocco has also served as vice dean for Research for the School of Medicine. He earned a Grover E. Murray Distinguished Professorship in 1997, was awarded a University Medical Center Endowed Chair and was named the Robert A. Welch Endowed Chair in Biochemistry in 1998. In 2003, he was named a University Distinguished Professor.
Dr. Stocco’s research career has focused on the mechanisms involved in steroid hormone synthesis. During the course of this research, his laboratory identified and characterized a novel protein, named the Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory or StAR protein. Dr. Stocco has published over 200 peer-reviewed original scientific articles, book chapters and review articles. In recognition of his work, Dr. Stocco was given the Research Award by the Society for the Study of Reproduction in 1997, the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Distinguished Scientist Award for 1997 and was also presented with the Transatlantic Medal Award by the British Endocrine Society in 1999. In 2001, he was awarded a Raine Distinguished Professorship at the University of Western Australia. In 2005, Dr. Stocco received the Dean’s Research Award, the President’s Research Award, the Chancellor’s Council Distinguished Research Award and was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2009, Dr. Stocco received the Distinguished Scientist of the Year Award from the Society for Reproduction and Fertility in the United Kingdom.
To learn more about Dr. Stocco, visit http://www.ttuhsc.edu/research/EVPR.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 S
cience 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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Amy Boren
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Jackie Chavez
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Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Administration Organizational Chart