Our Researchers (Alphabetical Order)
Dr. Kameswara Rao Badri is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. He also served as the Laboratory Director for 91md传媒鈥檚 Clinical Analytical Chemistry and COVID-19 Testing Laboratories. Dr. Badri earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry with a specialized focus on Diabetes Mellitus and Natural Products from Sri Venkateswara University in India. He completed his postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Delaware and Wayne State University before holding faculty appointments at Wayne State, the University of Chicago, and Savannah State University. Dr. Badri鈥檚 expertise supports a robust research portfolio that prominently features natural products and drug discovery. His laboratory elucidates the molecular mechanisms of adipogenic and myogenic regulation, targeting obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular, and lung diseases. He has consistently secured federal and non-federal grants to advance these biomedical frontiers. Dr. Badri is the current President of the Association of Scientists of Indian Origin in America (ASIOA) and previously served on the Steering Committee for the American Physiological Society. His numerous accolades include the Dr. Sarfraz Ahmad Outstanding Midcareer Scientist Award and designation as an American Lung Association Interstitial Lung Disease Scholar.
Dr. Cimona V.Hinton is the Director, Cannabinoid Research and Development Unit at Natural products Research Center. Her primary interest is understanding how cannabinoid receptors and cannabinoid substances inhibit prostate cancer progression. We investigate the biochemical pathways involved in the formation of G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) heterodimers specifically between cannabinoid receptors and chemokine receptors whose formation interrupts chemokine receptor signaling that would otherwise promote tumor cell motility. These dimer pairs reveal important mechanisms by which cannabinoid receptors receive and process signals, disrupting intermediate messenger cascades to inhibit tumor function and physiological responses. Ongoing work examines cannabinoid and receptor impacts across the lifespan, including their role in managing persistent tumor-driven pain and their potential in cancer prevention.
Dr. Johnson is a Professor in the Departments of Microbiology, Biochemistry & Immunology and OB/GYN at 91md传媒 of Medicine. Her research focuses on immune regulation at the maternal-fetal interface, placental biology, and improving maternal and infant health outcomes through translational science. Her work has advanced understanding of innate immune protection against mother-to-child transmission of infectious diseases, including HIV, HCMV, SARS-CoV-2, and Zika virus, as well as the role of inflammation and oxidative stress in placental dysfunction. Dr. Johnson鈥檚 natural products research includes investigating how CBD and other cannabinoids modulate HIV infection, placental inflammation, and immune regulation during pregnancy, as well as examining therapeutic phytochemicals as novel strategies to reduce oxidative stress, inflammation, and pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction.
Folashade Omole, MD, FAAP
Email Address: fomole@msm.edu
Dr. Folashade Omole is a board-certified family physician, licensed medical acupuncturist, and Professor and Sarah & William Hambrecht Chair of Family Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine. An accomplished academic leader and global health strategist, she integrates natural products, food-as-medicine, and evidence-based complementary therapies into primary care to improve outcomes and reduce health disparities. With clinical and academic experience in the United States and West Africa, she leads initiatives in health system strengthening, workforce development, and equitable access to care. Through The H.E.L.P. Team, she has supported clinical capacity-building at Obafemi Awolowo Teaching Hospitals Complex in Nigeria, statewide health initiatives in Osun State, and a maternal health clinic in Doumga Lao, Senegal. She is also developing integrated conventional and traditional medicine hospitals in Senegal and The Gambia including research centers, botanical gardens, and community-based care models.
Dr. Rooke is an Associate Professor in the Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine at 91md传媒 of Medicine. She is board certified in Preventive Medicine and Occupational Medicine and holds certifications in Lifestyle Medicine and Plant-Based Nutrition. In 2016, Dr. Rooke founded and currently directs the Optimal Health and Wellness Clinic at Morehouse Medicine. The clinic uses evidence-based lifestyle behavior modification strategies to address the underlying causes of chronic diseases. Treatment centers around whole food plant-based dietary patterns alone or as an adjunct to medications. Adherent patients have seen significant health improvements and disease reversal. Dr. Rooke鈥檚 research interest is cytotoxic dietary cholesterol oxides (oxysterols) that cause oxidative stress and inflammation - the key drivers of conditions such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, arthritis, and chronic kidney disease. Plant-based dietary patterns reduce exposure to oxysterols and increase antioxidant intake. She hopes to broaden the scope of Natural Products Research to include plant-based dietary patterns that prevent and reverse chronic diseases.
Dr. Rajesh Singh is a Professor at 91md传媒 of Medicine, Atlanta, GA. He received his B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. Dr. Singh's research interests in cancer immunobiology, drug discovery, precision oncology, health disparity, nanotechnology, and chemokines, in silico, in vitro, and in vivo models, contribute to multiple disciplines, including oncology, vaccine development, and chemoprevention. Dr. Singh has authored over 270 scientific communications, including patent applications, meeting abstracts, and peer-reviewed publications cited > 17000 times. Dr. Singh's work has been nationally and internationally recognized, as indicated by appointments on editorial boards and scientific reviews for the NIH, NCI, Department of Defense, National Science Foundation, and NHLBI study sections. He has also been appointed to the editorial boards of many journals and a peer reviewer for several journals. He has received and managed over $8 million in peer-reviewed Funding. Dr. Singh's laboratory is focused on developing therapeutic and chemo preventive strategies for cancer using targeted delivery of natural and synthetic agents. His long-term goal is to improve cancer patients' therapeutic outcomes and overall survival.
Dr. Shailesh Singh, is Professor of Immunology in the Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Immunology. Dr. Singh completed his B.Sc. degree in Zoology and M.Sc. degree in reproductive physiology and endocrinology from Banaras Hindu University, India. He received his Ph.D. in 鈥淥ncology鈥� from the Center for Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Department of Surgery, Institute of Medical Science, Banaras Hindu University. His research bridges tumor immunobiology and social and behavioral immune oncology, with a particular focus on understanding and addressing cancer disparity. For more than two decades, his laboratory has investigated the molecular and immunological mechanisms underlying cancer initiation, progression, and disparity in cancer outcomes while developing prevention and treatment strategies that integrate social and behavioral intervention and naturally derived bioactive compounds. His research spans breast, prostate, ovarian, colon, and lung cancers. Dr. Singh鈥檚 research over two decades has been continuously funded by NCI and DOD. He has authored over 75 peer-reviewed publications and is an inventor on more than 50 patents.
Dr. Santosh Kumar Singh is an Instructor at 91md传媒 of Medicine whose work bridges natural product discovery and advanced drug delivery to combat breast cancer. His research focuses on anti-cancer therapeutics, nanoparticle-based targeting, and drug delivery across both in vitro and in vivo cancer models, with the long-term goal of identifying molecular targets to improve breast cancer survival. To address the limitations of conventional chemotherapies, Dr. Singh investigates novel molecular targets and develops combination strategies that pair naturally derived compounds with chemotherapy agents to enhance efficacy while reducing toxicity. Leveraging nanotechnology, he designs delivery systems that improve tumor targeting and controlled drug release, advancing safer, more effective treatment options and better outcomes for patients.
Dr. Maisha N. Standifer is the Associate Director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at 91md传媒 of Medicine. In this role, she conducts studies and administers evidence-based prevention initiatives that employ targeted strategies to reduce negative health outcomes among under-resourced, racially and ethnically vulnerable populations. She leads research addressing the structural barriers within Black communities, particularly in the Southern United States, with a focus on medical cannabis perceptions, knowledge, and behaviors, advancing inclusive education, implementation strategies, and policies in disease management. An Assistant Professor and Principal Investigator on multiple federally funded studies, Dr. Standifer's research portfolio spans implementation and health services research, as well as community-based participatory research that creates culturally tailored interventions empowering disenfranchised populations to make healthy, informed decisions.
Dr. Luis Villacorta Perez is an Associate Professor of Physiology and Associate Director for Biomedical Research at the Cardiovascular Research Institute at 91md传媒 of Medicine. His research focuses on the discovery and mechanistic characterization of bioactive lipid natural products, particularly electrophilic nitro鈥慺atty acids generated endogenously during inflammation and metabolic stress. Dr. Villacorta鈥檚 work has defined fundamental signaling pathways through which these naturally occurring lipid mediators regulate redox signaling, innate immunity, vascular function, and tissue remodeling, with direct implications for cardiometabolic and inflammatory diseases. Leveraging translational and reverse鈥憈ranslational approaches, his laboratory integrates human genetics, lipidomics, and preclinical models to advance natural product-inspired therapeutic strategies. His discoveries have contributed to R&D development efforts and clinical translation of nitro鈥慺atty acid-based therapeutics.
Emeritus and Adjunct Members
Dr. Vincent Bond, Professor of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Immunology at the Morehouse School of Medicine, earned his PhD in viral genetics from The Pennsylvania State University and completed postdoctoral training at Caltech. His research integrates virology, cancer biology, and microbial pathogenesis within the field of natural products鈥搃nspired therapeutics. He was the first director for NPRC at 91md传媒 of Medicine until 2025. Dr. Bond鈥檚 group identified the HIV Nef secretion modification region, engineered into a bioactive peptide that functions as a Short Linear Motif targeting host chaperones and extracellular vesicle pathways. This SMR-derived peptide reveals conserved mechanisms linking viral modulation, tumorigenesis, and bacterial biofilm formation, including demonstrated disruption of E. coli and MRSA biofilms. These findings suggest the SMR exploits evolutionarily conserved cellular processes, positioning it as a novel natural product鈥搇ike scaffold with broad therapeutic potential.
Dr. Floyd received her undergraduate education at Spelman College in Atlanta and Sophia University in Tokyo, and her MD degree from Howard University College of Medicine. She completed her residency training in internal medicine and received a Master of Public Health from Emory University. She has been elected to membership in Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society and the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. She has spent decades working in global health and developed an interest in natural products research when she was selected as one of 50 W.K. Kellogg Foundation National Leadership Fellows. During this three-year fellowship she obtained hands on experience within indigenous cultures and traditional medicine throughout West Africa, the Caribbean, North and Central America. She continued working with indigenous people in the areas of traditional medicine and indigenous science through work with the Association for the Promotion of Traditional Medicine (PROMETRA) based in Africa and as a Director at the Ford Foundation. At 91md传媒 she is currently an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine (CHPM) and is a member of the Natural Products Research Center work group.
