Research Interest: Structural Biology

PHD PROGRAM
Biochemistry & Biophysics

RESEARCH INTEREST
Biochemistry, Biophysics, Evolutionary Biology, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Structural Biology, Virology

Our lab studies molecular interactions between bacteria and the viruses that infect them, called phage. For billions of years, phage and bacteria have been locked in a ‘molecular arms race’. To survive, bacteria have evolved many immune systems to protect against infection and, in response, phage have counter-adapted to evade these defenses. Our lab is interested in 1) understanding how these systems work biochemically and structurally and 2) discovering new factors involved in this ‘molecular arms race’. We are particularly interested in systems that share homology with human immune factors.

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Structural Biology

“I am most interested in studying molecular mechanisms through the lens of protein biochemistry. I find proteins particularly interesting because they are responsible for many biological processes and are the targets for many therapeutic drugs. I want to study proteins to better understand issues relating to human health and disease at the biochemical scale.”

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Pharmacology, Structural Biology

“My primary research interest is in how protein quality control pathways such as the ubiquitin-proteasome system mediate misfolding and aggregation of proteins that lead to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. I also have a broad interest in various structural biology techniques.”

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Biophysics, Computational Biology, Structural Biology

“I’m interested in the intersections of structural and computational biology. Initially, I will aim to study the nuances of protein design by learning about proteins from a broader more abstract perspective.

For example a rotation with Dr. Neher, would afford the opportunity to study enzymes, their unique properties and methods for purification and characterization.

Studying with Dr. Burlow, I hope to grapple with the complexity of disordered proteins. Rotating in Dr. Kuhlman’s lab could enlighten me on the computational methods to make sense of complexity in biological molecules.

Lastly, working in Dr. Baker’s lab, I would hope to focus the majority of my effort toward membrane interacting proteins, especially those with clinical relevance such as proteins involved in antigen presentation and signal transduction of immune cells.”

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Biochemistry, Biophysics, Structural Biology

“I’m interested in protein structure and function, relating to protein-protein interactions. I’m also interested in unstructured regions and intrinsically disordered regions to understand their probable function and how it relates to other PPIs and possible condensate formation. I would love to word either in a purified protein setting or in a cellular setting experimentally.”

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Biophysics, Cell Biology, Structural Biology

“I am interested in understanding the role of membranes throughout the cell, both the plasma membrane and organelle membranes. I find trafficking, endo/exocytosis, and membrane/cytoskeleton interactions particularly intriguing. I hope to explore these questions using both structural biology, such as cryoEM, and cell biology.”

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Drug Discovery, Pharmacology, Structural Biology

“In graduate school, I hope to pursue research related to drug discovery or pharmacology. Specifically, I hope to integrate structural biology and medicinal chemistry to explore research in structure based drug design. I also hope to explore research into the mechanisms of disease-related signaling pathways or pathologies to help identify potential new drug targets. I hope to pursue this research in the chromatin and epigenetics field while also exploring disease areas from neurodegeneration to cancer.”

PHD PROGRAM
Cell Biology & Physiology

RESEARCH INTEREST
Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Developmental Disorders, Disease, Metabolism, Microscopy/Imaging, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Physiology, Structural Biology

The human placenta is the first organ to develop after fertilization and is the least studied! We hope to change this by using a multidisciplinary approach. From iPSC-derived trophoblasts in culture to mouse models and human placenta tissue, the Placental Cell Biology Group at NIEHS answers fundamental questions about placenta cell and developmental biology. Our lab uses a range of microscopy (cryo-EM, fluorescence), recombinant protein production, and -omics techniques. The goal of our research is to understand how autophagy controls placenta development, differentiation, and function.

PHD PROGRAM
Chemistry

RESEARCH INTEREST
Biophysics, Chemical Biology, Structural Biology

We take inspiration from Nature to build new proteins that guide our understanding of how natural proteins function: we can distill complex natural proteins into simple model proteins where we have exact control over the physicochemical properties of the entire system. Our group combines protein design strategies with biochemistry, biophysics, and structural biology to 1) test mechanistic hypotheses of membrane protein structure and function, and 2) define novel protein-protein interactions in immunology for engineering protein-based therapeutics.

PHD PROGRAM
Biochemistry & Biophysics, Pathobiology & Translational Science

RESEARCH INTEREST
Cancer Signaling & Biochemistry, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Structural Biology

Our lab is interested in understanding the structural basis for activation of cell surface receptors. Using a combination of biochemistry, structural biology and cell biology, we seek to understand how the membrane environment and receptor:ligand interactions are modulated to generate the wide diversity of signaling regulated by these receptors, and how these interactions are modified in disease.