Faculty

Department Head and Associate Department Head 

Lusetti.png
Department Head
575-646-5877
Office: 128

Dr. Lusetti is a biochemist interested in bacterial DNA repair mechanisms. She joined the faculty in 2006 and served as Associate Department Head from 2017 to 2019. She has also served as director of the RISE program and is the current director of NM-INBRE.
Kevin_Houston_Chem_BioChem_081419-1-205x300.jpg

Kevin D. Houston

Associate Department Head

khouston@nmsu.edu

575-646-3918

Office: W371

Dr. Houston's research is aimed at defining the molecular mechanisms associated with anti-estrogen resistance in breast cancer. He joined the faculty in 2011 and has been Associate Department Head since 2019. In this role, he is involved in outreach activities and undergraduate recruitment. Dr. Houston is also the departmental contact for alumni and donors.

Faculty

Faculty Table
Jeff_Arderburn_030320-3-222x300.jpg

Jeffrey B. Arterburn

Regents Professor

Organic Chemistry

jarterbu@nmsu.edu

575-646-2738

Office: W294

Our research harnesses the power of synthetic chemistry for cancer drug discovery and the design of novel biological probes. Current projects focus on new therapies for breast cancer and lipid labeling with fluorescent dyes for live cell and super-resolution microscopy.
Amanda_Ashley_Headshot-final-223x300.jpg

Amanda K. Ashley

Associate Professor

Biochemistry/Toxicology

ashleyak@nmsu.edu

575-646-2084

Office: W372

DNA repair systems protect cells from damage and regulate cellular response to replication stress. Our research focuses on perturbations in DNA replication and repair in cancer biology to provide novel targets for therapeutic intervention.
Baker1-2-240x300.jpg

Christopher Baker

Associate Professor

Analytical Chemistry

cabaker@nmsu.edu

575-646-1015

Office: W373

The Baker Bioanalysis Lab leverages expertise in analytical chemistry, separation science, and microfluidics to develop new technologies that solve measurement challenges in chemical neuroscience and other areas of chemical biology. Current projects include developing novel brain-on-chip technologies with applications to Alzheimer's disease, and strategies for improving structural resolution in capillary electrophoresis separations.
Eiceman23.jpg

Gary A. Eiceman

Professor

Analytical Chemistry

geiceman@nmsu.edu The core research interest in the Eiceman Group is the exploration of gas phase ion-molecule at ambient pressure and the use of such reactions for chemical measurements with instrumentation designed around ion mobility spectrometry and atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry.  Specific interests include technology development of tandem stage embodiments of mobility spectrometers and the chemical transformations of gas ions in strong electric fields for additional specificity in measurements and to approach identification of substances using field induced fragmentation spectra.  The stability of protonated monomers of volatile organic compounds and of halide adduct of explosives are being explored under thermal conditions and in strong electric fields at ambient pressure.  Efforts have been given to applications of these principles and technology in spacecraft, environmental and agricultural venues, industrial processes and security societies. Another research interest is chemical separations with chromatographic methods and with emerging concepts based on chemical principles.
Kevin_Houston_Chem_BioChem_081419-1-205x300.jpg

Kevin D. Houston

Professor

Biochemistry

khouston@nmsu.edu

575-646-3918

Office: W371

Tamoxifen treatment is a common therapy for women with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Our laboratory discovered a new mechanism of tamoxifen action and we currently investigate the role of this mechanism in the development of chemoresistance.
Lusetti.png

Shelley L. Lusetti

Professor

NM-INBRE Director

Biochemistry

slusetti@nmsu.edu

575-646-6016

Office: W370

The Lusetti lab is interested in the biochemical roles of novel enzymes involved in DNA damage response pathways through the reconstitution of recombinational DNA repair pathways. We employ comparative biochemistry to explain the differential DNA damage tolerance of multiple bacterial organisms.
Barbara_Lyons_Chem_BioChem_081419-1-224x300.jpg

Barbara A. Lyons

Professor

BRAiN and BRIDGES Director

Physical Chemistry

blyons@nmsu.edu

575-646-3473

Office: W296

My research seeks to identify the active functional form of the signaling molecules Grb7 and DNAJB1-PKAc, and to define the mechanistic details of how these molecules work in the establishment of primary tumors and metastases in breast and liver cancer.
William_Maio_Chem_BioChem_081419-1-216x300.jpg

William A. Maio

Professor

Organic Chemistry

wmaio@nmsu.edu

575-646-4017

Office: W287

Marine organisms continue to be a source of novel natural products with interesting structural features and unique biological activity. Our laboratory is currently focused on the development of new synthetic methods useful in total synthesis.
Marat_Talipov_Chem_BioChem_081419-1-202x300.jpg

 

Marat R. Talipov

Associate Professor

Physical Chemistry

 

talipovm@nmsu.edu

575-646-5210

Office: W362A

Our research focuses on harnessing the power of supercomputers for discovery of novel small molecules and machine-learning design of photovoltaic materials and drugs.
Rodolfo_Tello_Aburto_100721-3.jpg

Rodolfo Tello-Aburto

Associate Professor

Organic

rtelloab@nmsu.edu

575-646-3627

Office: W288A

Dr. Tello-Aburto’s research group is interested in the synthesis of bioactive natural products and their derivatives, as well as the study of their structure-activity relationships. Another interest is the development of novel synthetic methodologies to allow rapid access to these biologically relevant molecules and their analogues.
ptrainor.jpg

Patrick Trainor

Assistant Professor

Biochemistry

ptrainor@nmsu.edu

575-646-2822

Office: W377

 

Dr. Trainor co-leads the Systems Bioscience Research Group, which focuses on the development and application of bioinformatic methodologies for the analysis of metabolomics, lipidomics, and proteomics data generated using mass spectrometry; high-throughput molecular biology and biochemistry approaches with human patient samples to understand heart attacks and thrombotic events at the molecular level; and use of epidemiological and biostatistical approaches to understand the genetic, clinical, physiological, and environmental factors that underly cardiovascular disease event risk using population-based cohort studies.
unnamed.jpg

Paulette Vincent-Ruz

Assistant Professor

Chemistry Education

 pvr@nmsu.edu

575-646-2505

Office: 218

Dr. Vincent-Ruz's research seeks to build an understanding of the systemic disadvantages that hinder the success of marginalized students and their effect on student's chemistry attitudes, opportunities, and learning by using equity centered theories and methodologies. Her unique combination of Chemistry disciplinary knowledge and educational theory earned her the American Chemical Society's recognition as a Future Leader in Chemistry in 2019, the first time this was awarded to a chemistry education researcher.
Unknown.jpeg

Cory Windorff

Assistant Professor

Inorganic Chemistry

windorff@nmsu.edu

575-646-3703

Office: W292

The Windorff group is a synthetic inorganic group that focuses on the redox chemistry of the lanthanides, actinides, and transition metals. We focus on the fundamental synthesis, spectroscopy, and reactivity of these elements as it relates to problems in energy generation, separations, and the environment. The Windorff group primarily uses air and water free techniques (Schlenk line/Glovebox) and spectroscopic methods including paramagnetic multi-nuclear NMR, UV-vis-NIR, IR, electrochemistry, single crystal X-ray diffraction, and more.

Erik_Tyukl_Chem_BioChem_081419-1-219x300.jpg

Erik T. Yukl

Associate Professor

Biochemistry

etyukl@nmsu.edu

575-646-3176

Office: W376

Our lab studies bacterial proteins that mediate zinc import and nitric oxide / oxidative stress sensing. These processes are essential for virulence among pathogenic bacteria. We use various biophysical and spectroscopic techniques including structure determination by X-ray crystallography.

Teaching & Research Faculty

Nick-Beltran-Fall-2022-picture.JPG

Nicholas Beltran

College Assistant Professor

 

beltrann@nmsu.edu

575-646-2505

 Office: 202

Ramesh_Chinnasamy_Chem_BioChem_081419-1-209x300.jpg

Ramesh Chinnasamy

College Associate Professor

ramesh@nmsu.edu

575-646-1812

Office: W293

Dede_Dunlavy_030320-215381-239x300.jpg

Deanna C. Dunlavy

College Professor

ddunlavy@nmsu.edu

575-646-4823

Office: 216

Image Placeholder

Gyoungil Lee

Research Assistant Professor

glee@nmsu.edu
Image Placeholder

David Wade

Visiting Asst Professor

dwade123@nmsu.edu

575-646-1584

Office: W379

Lee_Uranga_Chem_BioChem_081419-1-222x300.jpg

Lee Uranga

Research Assistant Professor

luranga@nmsu.edu

Emeritus Faculty 

Name Title  Email 
M. Dale Alexander Emeritus dalexand@nmsu.edu
Amudhu Gopalan Emeritus agopalan@nmsu.edu
James Herndon Emeritus jherndon@nmsu.edu
Robert Hoffman Emeritus rhoffman@nmsu.edu
Michael Johnson Emeritus  Regents Professor johnson@nmsu.edu
Glenn D. Kuehn Emeritus, Regents Professor gkuehn@nmsu.edu
Antonio Lara Emeritus alara@nmsu.edu
Gary D. Rayson Emeritus gdrayson@nmsu.edu
William Quintana Emeritus wquintan@nmsu.edu
John Simons
Emeritus
Sergei Smirnov
Emeritus snsm@nmsu.edu