The Frueh Laboratory uses nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to study how protein dynamics can be modulated and how active enzymatic systems can be conformed. Non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS) are large enzymatic systems that biosynthesize secondary metabolites, many of which are used by pharmaceutical scientists to produce drugs such as antibiotics or anticancer agents. Dr. Frueh's laboratory uses NMR to study inter- and intra-domain modifications that occur during the catalytic steps of NRPS. Dr. Frueh and his team are constantly developing new NMR techniques to study these complicated enzymatic systems.

The Arking Lab studies the genomics of complex human disease, with the primary goal of identifying and characterizing genetics variants that modify risk for human disease. The group has pioneered the use of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), which allow for an unbiased screen of virtually all common genetic variants in the genome. The lab is currently developing improved GWAS methodology, as well as exploring the integration of additional genome level data (RNA expression, DNA methylation, protein expression) to improve the power to identify specific genetic influences of disease. The Arking Lab is actively involved in researching: • autism, a childhood neuropsychiatric disorder • cardiovascular genomics, with a focus on electrophysiology and sudden cardiac death (SCD) • electrophysiology is the study of the flow of ions in biological tissues Dan E. Arking, PhD, is an associate professor at the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine and Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University.

The Ashish Nimgoankar Lab is interested in translational technology development and image-guided therapies. Dr. Nimgoankar and his collaborative team of biomedical engineers specializes in developing innovative ideas and translating these into commercial products.

The Advanced Optics Lab uses innovative optical tools, including laser-based nanotechnologies, to understand cell motility and the regulation of cell shape. We pioneered laser-based nanotechnologies, including optical tweezers, nanotracking, and laser-tracking microrheology. Applications range from physics, pharmaceutical delivery by phagocytosis (cell and tissue engineering), bacterial pathogens important in human disease and cell division. Other projects in the lab are related to microscopy, specifically combining fluorescence and electron microscopy to view images of the subcellular structure around proteins.

The Jonathan Walsh Lab is currently researching longitudinal trends of diagnostic and procedural utilization in pediatric patients with head and neck complaints.

The Johns Hopkins Brain Health Program is a multi-specialty team of experts from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Whiting School of Engineering, and the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The Laboratory for Integrated NanoDiagnostics (LIND) is developing innovative technologies for accurate, fast, compact, portable, manufacturable, low-cost diagnostics for a wide variety of applications. Our current focus is a large-scale collaboration with imec, a leading microelectronics company in Leuven, Belgium, where our silicon is designed and manufactured. With major funding from miDiagnostics we are inventing solutions that are opening new avenues.

The mission and interest of the neuroengineering and Biomedical Instrumentation Lab is to develop novel instrumentation and technologies to study the brain at several levels--from single cell to the whole brain--with the goal of translating the work into practical research and clinical applications. Our personnel include diverse, independent-minded and entrepreneurial students, post docs, and research faculty who base their research on modern microfabrication, stem cell biology, electrophysiology, signal processing, image processing, and integrated circuit design technologies.

The Weiss Lab, which features a multi-disciplinary team at Johns Hopkins as well as at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, is dedicated to identifying the most important clinical, genetic, structural, contractile and metabolic causes of sudden cardiac death as well as the means to reverse the underlying pathology and lower risk. Current projects include research into energy metabolism in human heart failure and creatine kinase metabolism in animal models of heart failure. Robert G. Weiss, MD, is professor of medicine, Radiology and Radiological Science, at the Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Amir Kashani and his team are developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic methods to diagnose and treat retinal diseases using advanced imaging methods. These methods can detect the earliest changes in retinal capillaries before they are noticeable to the patient or doctor.