Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology

Program affiliation
Neurosciences
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology

Research summary
Our research program integrates protein engineering and systems neuroscience to address previously inaccessible questions about brain function, particularly in the area of social behavior.

Key words
Social Behavior, Protein engineering, Optics, Neural dynamics, Genetically encoded optical tools

Program affiliation
Cancer Biology
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Neurosciences

Research summary
Precision medicine through metabolism-based imaging and therapy: from laboratory to clinical translation

Key words
cancer, metabolism, imaging, sex differences, body composition

Program affiliation
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Neurosciences

Research summary
Protein folding and misfolding, and the engineering and application of protein disaggregases to reverse misfolding

Key words
protein folding and misfolding; intrinsically disordered proteins, phase separation, and neurodegenerative disease; protein chaperones; protein engineering; amyloid; yeast models of protein misfolding

Program affiliation
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Cancer Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis

Research summary
The rational structure-based drug design and synthesis for cancer and infectious disease

Key words
protease, kinase, cancer, infection, lectin, chemistry, synthesis, drug discovery, peptidomimetic, inhibitor

Program affiliation
Molecular Cell Biology
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology

Research summary
we study the molecular mechanisms that regulate the architecture, dimensions and dynamics of actin filament networks, and tune them to support essential cellular functions including cell migration, intracellular trafficking and cytokinesis.

Key words
actin cytoskeleton, microtubule, single molecule, live cell imaging, protein transport, Golgi, confocal microscopy

Program affiliation
Plant and Microbial Biosciences
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology

Research summary
Exploring regulatory networks in metabolism - structural biology and biochemistry of plants and microbes

Key words
biochemistry, enzymology, plant biology, protein engineering, protein structure, structural biology

Program affiliation
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology

Research summary
Developing geometric algorithms for interpreting protein structures from low-resolution density maps produced by cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography

Key words
molecular imaging, geometric algorithms, anatomical modeling, computer graphics, biomedicine

Program affiliation
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Immunology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics

Research summary

Key words

Program affiliation
Cancer Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Immunology
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology

Research summary
A major component of my research program is to (1) develop strategies for improving the therapeutic ratio of radiation therapy by increasing tumor sensitivity to radiation and limiting normal tissue toxicity and (2) understand the biological mechanisms of treatment resistance.

Key words
Cancer targeting, antibodies, Translational research, Radiation, Lung Cancer, Glioblastoma, Signaling mechanisms

Program affiliation
Molecular Cell Biology
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology

Research summary
Understand fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive the biogenesis and dynamics of intracellular membrane compartments

Key words
cytoskeleton, membranes, intracellular trafficking, organelle biogenesis, fluorescence, crystallography