New faculty join UMMC academic ranks
Medical Center leadership is proud to announce the following additions to its faculty and leadership staff.
Dr. Aswin Natarajan
Dr. Aswin Natarajan has joined UMMC as an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, bringing expertise in structural immunology and cancer immunotherapy.
A biochemist by training, he earned his PhD from the City University of New York and completed postdoctoral research at New York University Grossman School of Medicine, where he advanced to instructor in the Perlmutter Cancer Center. His research focuses on understanding T cell receptor signaling at the molecular and structural level, with the goal of designing more effective immunotherapies for cancer.
Natarajan has led and contributed to multiple NIH-funded projects, including serving as principal investigator on grants exploring T cell receptor (TCR)-CD3 signaling mechanisms and their therapeutic applications. His work integrates biophysical, computational and molecular approaches such as NMR spectroscopy, crosslinking, FRET and modeling; and in vitro and in vivo studies to uncover how immune cells recognize and respond to cancer.
He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals and engaged in mentoring graduate and masters’ students, and trainees.
In his role, Natarajan will explore new immunotherapy strategies against cancer using gamma cells.
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Dr. Michael “Mike” McBride
Dr. Michael “Mike” McBride has joined the Medical Center as a professor in the School of Dentistry’s Department of Care Planning and Restorative Sciences. He earned his DDS from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Dentistry and completed a prosthodontics certificate at the VA Medical Center in Memphis.
Prior to his specialty training, McBride practiced general dentistry for 10 years in private practice. After completing his residency, he continued in private practice with a focus on prosthodontics while also teaching part-time at the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry.
McBride brings extensive experience in dental education and clinical leadership. His previous roles include professor and vice dean for academic and clinical education at Lincoln Memorial University College of Dental Medicine, and most recently associate professor and attending prosthodontist at Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry, where he also directed the Center for Research and Education in Technology.
He spent a significant portion of his career at the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry, holding several leadership positions, including director of clinical education, director of clinical floor operations and director of patient intake and quality assurance. During his time there, he was awarded tenure status.
McBride has broad expertise in prosthodontics and clinical education, including directing both predoctoral and advanced prosthodontics courses and participating in regional dental board examinations.