Assistant Professor

Pharmaceutical Sciences
Gatton College of Pharmacy

Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 2008,

Molecular & Medical Pharmacology

B.S., Tulane University, 2001, Mathematics, Cell & Molecular Biology

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, TN 37614

wallsz@etsu.edu

423-439-6236

Office: Pharmacy 319

Lab: Stanton-Gerber A125

Research Training in the Pharmacological Sciences Fellow, 2002-2005
Bioinformatics Integrated Graduate Education and Research Trainee, 2002
Mathematical Biology REU Fellow, 2000

Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Michigan, 2008-2011

We are interested in building tools for the delivery of genes into mammalian cells. In order for a foreign gene to have a therapeutic effect, it must overcome a number of barriers posed by the cell. Various microorganisms have evolved mechanisms for overcoming these barriers in order to deliver their own genetic material and replicate within host cells. Our goal is to adapt these mechanisms and combine them into a single delivery vehicle that can successfully deliver therapeutic genes to diseased cells.

Walls ZF, Goodell S, Andrews CD, Mathis J, Lee KD. “Mutant of listeriolysin O for enhanced liposomal drug delivery of macromolecules.” J Biotechnol. 164(4):500-502, 2013.

Sun J, Dahan A, Walls ZF, Lai L, Lee KD, Amidon GL. “Specificity of a prodrug-activating enzyme hVACVase: the leaving group effect.” Mol Pharm. 7(6):2362-8, 2010.

Walls ZF, Puttaraju M, Temple GF, Gambhir SS. “A Generalizable Strategy for Imaging pre-mRNA Levels in Living Subjects Using Spliceosome-Mediated RNA Trans-splicing.” J Nucl Med. 49(7):1146-1154, 2008.

Walls ZF, Gambhir SS. “BRET-based method for detection of specific RNA species.” Bioconjug Chem. 19(1):178-84, 2008.

Gambhir SS, Deroose C, Walls Z. “Cell Biology Fundamentals.” Nuclear Medicine in Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment, 3rd Ed. Eds. Ell PJ, Gambhir SS. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone, 2004. 1687-1713.

Bhaumik S, Walls Z, Puttaraju M, Mitchel LG, Gambhir SS. “Molecular imaging of gene expression in living subjects by spliceosome-mediated RNA trans-splicing.” PNAS. 101 (23):8693-8, 2004.

Chauvet E, Paullet JE, Previte JP, Walls Z. “A Lotka-Volterra Three-species Food Chain” Mathematics Magazine. 75(4):243-255, 2002.

Current Lab Members:

Laura Cyphers

Elle Harrison

Brent Henderson

Ryan Pritchard
Matt Schwengels

Dana Suich

Former Lab Members:

Stephen Lance