Top Researchers
Top Medicine Researchers at University of Missouri for 2026
The University of Missouri continues to show broad activity across medicine, with recent work spanning clinical care, surgery, physiology, and translational research. This snapshot highlights researchers whose recent publications reflect the range of questions being explored across the institution.
Below, you’ll find a closer look at recent themes shaping the university’s medical scholarship, from stroke care and orthopedic outcomes to oncology, sleep biology, and microbiome-linked disease mechanisms.
Featured Researchers
Adnan I. Qureshi
Adnan I. Qureshi’s recent work at the University of Missouri centers on stroke care, blood pressure management, and outcomes after endovascular and thrombolytic treatment, with strong ties to epidemiology, pulmonary and respiratory medicine, and neurology.
Activity over the last year: 69 indexed journal articles.
Top publications:
- Intra-arterial tenecteplase after successful endovascular recanalisation in patients with acute posterior circulation arterial occlusion (ATTENTION-IA): multicentre randomised controlled trial (Jan 2025)
- Early Tirofiban Infusion after Intravenous Thrombolysis for Stroke (Jul 2025)
- Optimal Magnitude of Blood Pressure Reduction and Hematoma Growth and Functional Outcomes in Intracerebral Hemorrhage (Feb 2025)
Steven F. DeFroda
Steven F. DeFroda is focused on orthopedic surgery and sports medicine, especially systematic reviews of reconstruction outcomes, graft choices, and return-to-sport results.
Activity over the last year: 28 indexed journal articles.
Top publications:
- Substantial Variability Exists in Reporting Clinically Significant Outcome Measure Thresholds for Arthroscopic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review (Jan 2025)
- Allografts and Autografts in Primary Hip Labral Reconstruction Result in Improved Postoperative Outcomes, With Autografts Showing Lower Revision and Complication Rates: A Systematic Review (May 2025)
- Biceps Tenodesis and SLAP Repair Show Similar Outcomes in Overhead Throwing Athletes With Baseball Pitchers Exhibiting Worse Rates of Return to Sport: A Systematic Review (Feb 2025)
Yujiang Fang
Yujiang Fang’s recent publications connect oncology, immunology, and surgery through work on osteosarcoma, transplant-related immune compatibility, and postoperative care.
Activity over the last year: 17 indexed journal articles.
Top publications:
- Osteosarcoma: current insights and advances (Jun 2025)
- Donor MHC-specific thymus vaccination allows for immunocompatible allotransplantation (Jan 2025)
- Causes and Effects of Postoperative Sleep Disorders and Treatment Strategies for Preoperative, Intraoperative, and Postoperative Settings—A Narrative Review (Jun 2025)
James L. Cook
James L. Cook is publishing across rheumatology, surgery, and small-animal research, with recent studies on acetabular labral reconstruction, meniscal transplantation, and fracture complications.
Activity over the last year: 23 indexed journal articles.
Top publications:
- Cellular responses in acetabular labral reconstruction: effects of strain level on labral, tibialis tendon, and meniscal cells in vitro (Jun 2025)
- Fresh Meniscal Allograft Transplantation Is Associated With Superior Functional Outcomes for Acetabular Labral Reconstruction in a Preclinical Canine Model (Apr 2025)
- Atypical Femur Fracture in a Teenager on Chronic Imatinib Therapy (Jan 2025)
Mohammad Badran
Mohammad Badran is examining the physiology of sleep fragmentation and intermittent hypoxia, linking these models to cardiovascular aging, cognition, and neuroinflammatory markers.
Activity over the last year: 17 indexed journal articles.
Top publications:
- The cardiovascular consequences of chronic sleep fragmentation: Evidence from experimental models of obstructive sleep apnea (May 2025)
- Cognitive Function, Sleep, and Neuroinflammatory Markers in Mice Exposed to Very Long-Term Intermittent Hypoxia (Feb 2025)
- Prolonged intermittent hypoxia accelerates cardiovascular aging and mortality: insights from a murine model of OSA (Nov 2025)
Mark R. Wakefield
Mark R. Wakefield’s recent work spans oncology, immunology, and surgery, with attention to osteosarcoma treatment and other challenging cancer types.
Activity over the last year: 21 indexed journal articles.
Top publications:
Aaron C. Ericsson
Aaron C. Ericsson’s research ties molecular biology, infectious diseases, and physiology together through studies of gut microbiota transfer, colitis, seizures, and diet-related host responses.
Activity over the last year: 16 indexed journal articles.
Top publications:
- Failure of colonization following gut microbiota transfer exacerbates DSS-induced colitis (Jan 2025)
- Intestinal dysbiosis alters acute seizure burden and antiseizure medicine activity in Theiler's virus model of encephalitis (Mar 2025)
- Ketogenic Diet Modulates Gut Microbiota–Brain Metabolite Axis in a Sex‐ and Genotype‐Specific Manner in APOE4 Mice (Sep 2025)
Michael J. Davis
Michael J. Davis is exploring lymphatic biology through oncology-, molecular biology-, and physiology-linked studies on CSF drainage, valve development, and endothelial cell function.
Activity over the last year: 14 indexed journal articles.
Top publications:
- Increased CSF drainage by non-invasive manipulation of cervical lymphatics (Jun 2025)
- S1PR1 regulates lymphatic valve development and tertiary lymphoid organ formation in the ileum (Jun 2025)
- Hierarchical Requirement for Endothelial Cell Connexins Cx37, Cx47, Cx43, and Cx45 in Lymphatic Valve Function (Jan 2025)
What University of Missouri's Medicine Community Is Working On
Across the University of Missouri’s recent medicine research, surgery appears most frequently, reflecting sustained attention to operative technique, reconstruction outcomes, and postoperative recovery. Oncology and physiology also stand out, suggesting active work on cancer treatment questions and the biological systems that shape health and disease. Immunology and molecular biology add another layer, pointing to research that moves between mechanisms and clinical application. Taken together, these subfields show a community focused on both improving patient care and understanding the processes behind it.- Surgery - seen across 4 of the featured researchers
- Oncology - seen across 3 of the featured researchers
- Physiology - seen across 3 of the featured researchers
- Immunology - seen across 2 of the featured researchers
- Molecular Biology - seen across 2 of the featured researchers
These recent contributions show a medical research community working across both patient-facing and mechanistic questions, with clear strengths in surgery, oncology, and physiology. Explore the featured researchers below to see how these lines of inquiry connect, and consider using Resub to streamline your own citation discovery, manuscript formatting, and submission preparation.
Top researchers use tools to scale their productivity and impact. Try Livewrite for free today.