Bratton, Shawn B., Ph.D.
Associate Professor
PHR 5.218C
512-471-1735
sbbratton@mail.utexas.edu

Madhavi Malladi, Ph.D.
Research Associate
College of Pharmacy

Email: madhavi-challa@mail.utexas.edu
Phone: 512-471-2183

Caspases are activated in response to various cell death stimuli and inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) proteins can bind and inhibit caspases. My research is primarily focused on understanding the mechanisms by which IAPs and their antagonists regulate caspase activation using Drosophila as a model system.

Education:
B.S.: Agricultural Sciences (A. N. G. R Agricultural university, Hyderabad, India)
M.S.: Plant Sciences (Texas A&M - Kingsville, Dr. Robert Morgan)
M.S.: Biology (Texas A&M - Kingsville, Dr. Rafael Perez-Ballestero)
Ph.D.: Cell and Molecular Biology (The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX)

Srinivas Malladi
Graduate Student
Cell and Molecular Biology

Email: srinivas-malladi@mail.utexas.edu
Phone: 512-471-2183

During stress-induced apoptosis, mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization results in the release of cytochrome-c into the cytosol, leading to the formation of a large caspaseactivating complex, termed the "apoptosome". My project is focused on understanding the mechanisms of caspase-9 processing and activation within the apoptosome.

Education:
B.S.: Agricultural Sciences (A. N. G. R Agricultural university, Hyderabad, India)
M.S.: Agri-Business Management (Texas A&M - Kingsville, Dr. Donald Nixon)
M.S.: Biochemistry (Texas A&M - Kingsville, Dr. Gonzalez-Garcia)

Ting-Chun Yeh
Graduate Student
Cell and Molecular Biology

Email: tcyeh@mail.utexas.edu
Phone: 512-471-2183

Grim is an endogenous inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) antagonist in Drosophila, which induces rapid cell death upon expression. Although Grim displaces fly caspases from the fly IAP, DIAP1, recent studies indicate that Grim's IAP binding motif (IBM) is not essential for cell death. Therefore, my project is focused on understanding how Grim induces IBM-independent apoptosis.

Education:
B.S.: Pharmacy (National Taiwan University, Taiwan)
M.S.: Pharmaceutical Sciences (National Taiwan University, Taiwan)

Indra Mahajan
Graduate Student
College of Pharmacy

Email: indymahajan@mail.utexas.edu
Phone: 512-471-2183

Heat shock, also referred to as hyperthermia, is currently under consideration as an adjunct to cancer therapy, but the basic mechanisms involved in heat shock-induced apoptosis are unclear and hotly debated. In my project, I am investigating the molecular players that regulate heat shock-induced apoptosis using cells derived from various knock-out mice, as well as cancer cell lines.

Education:
B.S: Biology (University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil)
M.Sc.: Molecular Biology (University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Brazil)

Daric Wible
Graduate Student
Cell and Molecular Biology

Email: daric.wible@gmail.com
Phone: 512-471-2183

My project is related to autophagy and the molecular mechanism(s) that regulate the formation and maturation of autophagosomes, with a particular emphasis on the role that p38 MAPKs play in this process.

Education:
B.S.: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and Biochemistry (University of Colorado, Boulder, CO)

Jaekyoung Son
Graduate Student
College of Pharmacy

Email: jkson@mail.utexas.edu
Phone: 512-471-2183

My project is focused on TRAIL, a member of the TNF receptor superfamily. I am investigating the intracellular mechanisms responsible for TRAIL resistance in human prostate cancer cells, with a particular focus on the role of p38 MAPKs in this process.

Education:
B.S.: Biology (Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, South Korea)
M.S.: Molecular Biology (Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, South Korea)