INDIANAPOLIS — The School of Science at IUPUI continues to strengthen its neuroscience program with the recent addition of an assistant professor and researcher who specializes in protein interactions in brain development and aging disorders.
Anthony “A.J.” Baucum II joins the Department of Biology this fall as an assistant professor. He worked for the past two years as a research instructor at Vanderbilt University.
Baucum said he was drawn to the School of Science because of its dual focus of research and teaching as well as the diversity of its faculty.
“I’m very excited to both teach at the undergraduate level and the graduate level as well as mentor students in the laboratory,” he said. “By interacting with faculty in multiple disciplines, departments and schools, IUPUI will be a great place to practice cutting-edge science.”
Baucum has expertise in cellular and molecular neuroscience, aging, Parkinson’s disease and the effects of drugs of abuse. His experience will enhance the neuroscience program at IUPUI, which focuses on a cross-disciplinary approach to research and learning and utilizes resources in the School of Science, the Indiana University School of Medicine and several prominent research facilities in Indianapolis.
“A.J. brings new energy and perspective to our teaching and research in cellular and molecular neuroscience and his arrival will be a terrific boost for the program,” said Simon Atkinson, chair of the Department of Biology.
Baucum earned his Ph.D. from the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Utah. He also has an undergraduate degree in biology from Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles.
He is a member of several professional research organizations, such as the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, Society for Neuroscience and the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. He also has a lengthy record of peer-reviewed publications in a host of prominent scholarly journals.
About the School of Science at IUPUI
The School of Science is committed to excellence in teaching, research and service in the biological, physical, behavioral and mathematical sciences. The School is dedicated to being a leading resource for interdisciplinary research and science education in support of Indiana’s effort to expand and diversify its economy.