Department:
Biomolecular Chemistry
Education:
Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences, University of California-San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
Postdoctoral in Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, La Jolla, CA, USA
Research Description:
The major focus of my laboratory is to define the regulatory mechanisms that control organelle dynamics and membrane trafficking in eukaryotic cells. I have a strong background in the study of membrane transport, including specific training in genetics, biochemistry, and imaging. During my graduate studies, I carried out a series of genetic screens to identify new components of the secretory pathway in yeast. As a postdoctoral fellow, I applied my expertise in membrane biology to the study of ER structure and function during early C. elegans development. In parallel, I developed several live cell microscopy-based assays to study membrane dynamics during germline proliferation and embryogenesis. Over the last thirteen years, I have established my own research group and identified new, conserved components of the early secretory pathway, which play critical roles in protein secretion in yeast, C. elegans, and human cells. Additionally, my lab has combined in vivo and in vitro assays to define regulatory mechanisms that control membrane trafficking to and from the cell surface via endosomal intermediates. We take advantage of numerous interdisciplinary approaches, including biochemistry, structural biology, biophysics, genetics, molecular biology and high resolution fluorescence and electron microscopy. Additionally, we use a variety of experimental systems, ranging from simple animal models (e.g. Caenorhabditis elegans and rodents) to human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).
Key Words:
Membrane Trafficking, Neurodegeneration, Organelle Dynamics, Regulatory Mechanisms