Core Faculty

Regulation of Ras G-protein signaling.

Structural and biophysical studies of calcineurin regulation

Signal transduction pathways and cellular processes that regulate aging and lifespan.

Mechanism of membrane fusion promoted by viral fusion proteins

Molecular mechanism of transcription regulation through studies on chromatin structure.

The assembly of protein-DNA and protein-protein complexes that mediate DNA repair, transcription and blood clotting

Functional cross-talk between endocytic and signaling cellular machineries and how this applies to cancer development.

Regulation of PHLPP and its role in tumorigenesis

Glucan phosphatases link neurodegenerative disease with biofuels research

Neuropeptidases - their role in Alzheimer's disease and diabetes.

Hedgehog signaling and its role in cancer.

Structural biology of ESX secretion system from pathogenic mycobacteria.

Relationship of protein misfolding to disease

Roles of Wnt/beta-catenin and JAK/STAT signaling in development, oncogenesis and stem cell self-renewal.

Cell division

Developing computational methods in the areas of metabolomics, systems biochemistry, and structural biology.

Alzheimer's Disease Molecular Biology

Integrin signaling in carcinoma cell motility and invasion

Glucose regulation of transport, metabolism and gene expression in diabetes

Structural enzymology, protein engineering, and drug design

Protein sumoylation, gene bookmarking, and their roles in human disease

Structure of damaged DNA and its role in carcinogenesis; function of post-translational modification in signal transduction

Mechanism of alternative splicing; Signal transduction pathways regulating alternative splicing; Alternative (mis)splicing and disease

Glycobiology, Molecular Parasitology and Pathogenesis

Cell Signaling & Tumor Angiogenesis

Mechanism of transbilayer movement of polar lipids in the rough endoplasmic reticulum; regulation of protein N-glycosylation

Molecular mechanism of mammalian autophagy and its relevance to human diseases; neurodegeneration/cancer/aging; proteomics.

Development of new synthetic methods, the synthesis of natural products and the development of photoactive analogs of natural products for elucidating receptor binding; and the synthesis of various drugs and natural products for studying interesting biological problems in collaboration with colleagues.

Molecular mechanisms of exocytosis

Mechanisms of cancer cell metastasis.

Proteomics of Metal Ion Homeostasis and Neurodegenerative Disease