Fellow, Eugene McDermott Distinguished Professor
The McDermott Professorships were established in August 2017, funded by an anonymous gift, with the goal of providing early career support and recognition to faculty members who have established extraordinary records of research productivity, teaching excellence, and university service, and who show promise of being leaders of the UT Dallas faculty in the future.
Dr. Michael Burton
- Associate Professor of Neuroscience
“The objective of our studies is to understand the impact of lifestyle choices, advanced aging and inflammation on pain development, reproduction and metabolic function. The mechanisms that underlie these maladaptive processes are highly sought after because current therapeutics fail to offer relief to a large percentage of patients. I am honored to receive this support to help my lab’s translational research goals and to continue my efforts in building diversity in science.”
Dr. Shuang (Cynthia) Cui
- Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering
“Buildings and industrial processes are among the world’s largest energy consumers. Through advanced materials and intelligent systems, we aim to boost energy efficiency where it matters most. The McDermott Professorship empowers us to create lasting solutions for a more sustainable future.”
Dr. Nicole De Nisco
- Associate Professor of Biological Sciences
“The interdisciplinary research environment carefully cultivated by UT Dallas empowers my group to develop innovative, evidence-based solutions for women’s health at the intersection of microbiology, chemistry, biomedical engineering and clinical practice. I am grateful for UT Dallas’ continued support in my lifelong mission to advance the frontier of women’s health and alleviate the suffering of the millions of individuals with recurrent and chronic infections.”
Dr. Kendra Seaman
- Associate Professor of Psychology
“My research program seeks to understand what motivates people, how this impacts their choices and how these things change across the adult lifespan. This understanding is important because the oldest section of the population commands significant economic and social leverage. I am immensely proud of the research lab we’ve built during my first six years at UT Dallas, and I am honored to receive this support to help continue our work.”
Dr. Adrianna Shembel
- Associate Professor of Speech, Language, and Hearing
“My passion has been understanding laryngeal biology and physiology as it relates to voice use, vocal health and voice disorders. At The University of Texas at Dallas, I’m fortunate to work alongside brilliant colleagues and mentor students who are just as driven to explore these questions. My career has spanned clinical voice care, basic science and translational research — each step fueled by the desire to improve outcomes for individuals with voice disorders. UTD provides a unique environment that bridges innovation and collaboration, and I’m proud to be part of a community that values both.”
Dr. Catherine Thorn
- Associate Professor of Neuroscience
“The reason that I got into this field was to help people, to discover things that were clinically translatable. It’s exciting to see that I can make a real impact.”
Dr. Xiaojia Zhang
- Associate Professor of Physics
“By decoding space weather through in situ observations and data-driven modeling, we expand our society’s capacity to understand and forecast the dynamic interaction between the sun and Earth. Each piece we uncover brings us closer to pushing the boundary between space and humanity.”