Dr. Julia Cooper is professor and chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at the University of Colorado Anschutz. Her laboratory investigates how chromosome ends are protected, how they help orchestrate the cell cycle, and how fundamental discoveries about their behavior can reshape our understanding of human health and disease.

After earning her undergraduate degree at Emory University, Dr. Cooper came to Colorado for her PhD, where she began exploring the elegant structures DNA forms as cells copy and repair their genetic material. Her scientific journey then took her to the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda and on to postdoctoral positions with Nobel laureates Tom Cech in Boulder and Paul Nurse in London. It was during this time that she found her enduring scientific passion: the mysterious ends of chromosomes known as telomeres – structures that sit at the crossroads of aging, cancer, fertility and genome stability.

Dr. Cooper led research programs in the United Kingdom and the United States, at Cancer Research UK and the National Cancer Institute, before returning to Colorado in 2020 to chair her department. Her work has been recognized with a Pew Scholarship and election to the European Molecular Biology Organization and the American Academy of Microbiology. She is deeply committed to advancing discovery research and mentoring the next generation of scientists, driven by the conviction that today’s curiosity-driven insights become tomorrow’s medical breakthroughs.

As a highly recognized academic physician scientist at CU Anschutz, Dr. Michael Holers is the Smyth Professor of Rheumatology and director of faculty ventures at CU Anschutz Innovations, where he serves as a contact and liaison for faculty and trainees to advance innovative ideas. In addition to his many academic roles, he has over two decades of experience in technology transfer and commercialization, and he has co-founded four companies, including two therapeutics programs that have reached human clinical trials. 

Previously, Dr. Holers was the division head of rheumatology at CU Anschutz. His research is focused on the role of the complement system, a key component of innate immunity, in the immune response and as a causal role in tissue damage in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. In addition, he co-founded in 2002 SERA (Studies of the Etiologies of Rheumatoid Arthritis), a collaborative group of scientists focused on determining why individuals develop RA and identifying novel pathways for treatment and disease prevention. From these two areas of research, a number of new therapeutic approaches have been developed. 

In recognition of his work, Dr. Holers has given many named lectureships, is a member of ASCI and AAP, and was given the singular 2008 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Basic Research Award.

Dr. Karin Payne is an associate professor of orthopedics at CU Anschutz and director of education for the Colorado Program for Musculoskeletal Research. She leads a translational research program dedicated to developing innovative regenerative medicine solutions for injuries to the growth plate and articular cartilage—tissues essential for children’s skeletal development and for maintaining healthy, pain‑free movement across the lifespan. 

Dr. Payne’s team investigates the molecular and cellular mechanisms that drive injury, degeneration and repair, with the goal of engineering next‑generation therapeutics that harness stem cells, biologics and biomaterials to restore tissue function. A major focus of her work is the study of advanced biomaterial scaffolds—enhanced with biological cues, or stem cells—to promote healthy cartilage regeneration following injury. This includes the creation of a 3D‑printed pediatric growth plate mimetic composite, designed to restore normal skeletal growth in children with physeal injuries. 

Her work also extends to articular cartilage repair and osteoarthritis, including a multi-institutional federally funded project using multimodal biomaterials and novel biologics to reverse joint degeneration. Dr. Payne’s research has been supported by the NIH, NSF, ARPA‑H, and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, among other agencies.

Dr. Joseph Schacht is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine and co-director of the Division of Addiction Science, Prevention, and Treatment, where he directs the Translational Addiction Imaging Laboratory. 

As a clinical psychologist and neuroscientist, Dr. Schacht’s research uses genetics, functional neuroimaging and experimental pharmacology to evaluate novel medications for the treatment of alcohol and substance use disorders. His lab is currently conducting multiple randomized controlled trials of novel medications for the treatment of alcohol, nicotine and cannabis use disorders. His research is supported by both the National Institutes of Health and industry funding.

Dr. Schacht has published over 50 peer-reviewed scientific papers and served as principal investigator on over $15 million of NIH-funded grants.

Dr. Lori Sussel is the associate vice chancellor for basic science research at CU Anschutz | Denver and research director at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes. She received her PhD at Columbia University Medical School and did her postdoc training at the University of California, San Francisco. After rising through the ranks as faculty at University of Colorado (1999 -2006) and Columbia University (2006- 2016), she joined the Barbara Davis Center as the director of the Basic and Translational Research Division in 2016. 

The main focus of the Sussel lab is to understand the complex transcriptional networks that regulate development, differentiation and function of the pancreas. Dr. Sussel studies why and how pancreatic insulin-producing beta cells fail in diabetes and to develop therapies focused on protecting the beta cell from destruction during the course of disease.

She also serves as principal investigator for the NIH P30 Diabetes Research Center (DRC) grant and was the inaugural recipient of the Sissel and Findlow Family Endowed Chair.