Rodrigo Franco Cruz

Rodrigo Franco Cruz serves as a Professor in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he leads research on cellular signaling mechanisms linking metabolism, redox balance, and disease pathogenesis.

His academic credentials include:

• Postdoctoral Fellow (2004-2009) at the Laboratory of Signal Transduction, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH
• PhD in Sciences (Biomedical sciences, 2000-2004) from the Cell Physiology Institute, National University of Mexico (UNAM)
• B.S. in Biology (1996-2000) from the School of Sciences, National University of Mexico (UNAM)

The Franco lab investigates how mitochondrial dysfunction and disrupted protein quality control trigger cell death pathways (apoptosis, necrosis, autophagy) in neurological disorders and cancer. Research specifically targets neurotoxicity from environmental exposures, neurodegenerative processes, brain ischemia, and oncological mechanisms through molecular signaling studies.

Rodrigo Franco Cruz directs the Franco lab, which operates from VBS 210 at UNL, focusing on identifying therapeutic targets for diseases involving energy failure and oxidative stress.