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Faculty
Abagyan, Ruben
develops methodologies for structure prediction, binding pocket prediction, protein docking, molecular modeling and design, chemical ligand optimization, and virtual ligand screening.
Asturias, Francisco
studies the structures of macromolecular assemblies involved in eukaryotic gene expression and its control, such as complexes formed by RNA polymerase II and general transcription factors, using the technique of cryoelectron microscopy.
Balch, William E.
is interested in the biochemical and molecular basis for vesicular trafficking from the endoplasmic reticulum to the cell surface, particularly in the structures, functions, and mechanisms of control exerted by small GTP-binding proteins.
Baldwin, Kristin
studies the sense of smell by genetically visualizing the neural circuits of the mouse olfactory system and uses mouse cloning and stem cell technology to investigate the molecular mechanisms that govern neural circuit formation and function throughout the nervous system.
Baran, Phil
explores new avenues for the efficient and practical construction of organic molecules, both naturally occurring and man-made, by pursuing longstanding synthetic challenges and by designing methods of broad utility.
Barbas III, Carlos
designs zinc finger protein-based transcription factors for the directed regulation of gene expression and gene discovery; programs complex reaction mechanisms into antibodies and uses them to treat cancer; develops new approaches to catalytic asymmetric synthesis; and uses phage display methods to evolve antibodies with the potential to become new immunotherapeutic and gene therapeutic approaches to diseases like breast and ovarian cancer, melanoma, and AIDS.
Beutler, Ernest
examines the basic pathophysiology, population dynamics, and the factors modifying the clinical expression of a broad array of genetic disorders caused by mutations of single genes. Included are mutations of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and other enzymes that result in hemolytic anemia; mutations of glucocerebrosidase, which cause Gaucher disease, a lipid storage disorder; and mutations of genes that cause hemochromatosis, an iron storage disease.
Beutler, Bruce
searches for genes that are required for normal immune function through germline mutagenesis and positional cloning.
Boddy, Michael
studies proteins that repair DNA and maintain the integrity of the genome and asks how these repair mechanisms are relevant to cancer and other human diseases.
Boger, Dale
works on the total synthesis of biologically active natural products using the tools of organic synthesis to identify, imitate, understand, exploit, and sometimes surpass what nature provides.
Bokoch, Gary
studies the control and integration of cellular activities initiated by GTP-binding proteins, seeking to determine how GTP-binding proteins function, how they are regulated at the molecular level, and how this regulation may be abnormal in various disease states.
Burton, Dennis
focuses his research primarily on human antibody responses to HIV and the design of an HIV vaccine. He has also worked on the interaction of antibodies and other pathogens, including respiratory syncytial virus, Ebola virus and prion proteins.
Buxbaum, Joel
utilizes genetic epidemiology, transgenic animals, cell culture, and molecular biologic techniques to study the etiology and pathogenesis of age-related human diseases of protein conformation.
Carragher, Bridget
is developing, testing, and applying technology for specimen handling, automated acquisition, automated processing, and information handling in electron microscopy; one of the goals is to completely automate cryo-electron microscopy in order to solve macromolecular structures.
Chang, Geoffrey
is interested in the structural basis of the transport of substrate across the cell membrane by ion channels and transporters; he determines the structures of such integral membrane proteins through high-resolution x-ray crystallography.
Chun, Jerold
is interested in the study of lysophospholipid signaling in neural and systems biology, chromosomal aneuploidy in the nervous system, and disease related studies with a Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience approach.
Cravatt, Benjamin
studies the action and regulation of chemical messengers, particularly the fatty acid amides, which mediate physiological phenomena like pain sensation, sleep, and thermoregulation; he designs and uses chemical probes for "active site proteomics," the global analysis of protein function.
Crossin, Kathryn
focuses on understanding the signaling capabilities of various cell adhesion molecules on the cell's plasma membrane, particularly the neural cell adhesion molecule, N-CAM, and its ability to signal hippocampal neural precursor cells to become neurons rather that astroglia and to activate the transcription factor NFkB in astrocytes.
Cunningham, Bruce
studies the detailed properties of cell surface glycoproteins that play critical roles in neural development, particularly cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), which bind cells together and generate signals that determine a cell's developmental destiny.
Danuser Andres, Gaudenz
develops image processing software for advanced fluorescence light microscopy and computational models of cytoskeleton mechanics to study the molecular regulation of cell migration and chromosome segregation.
Dawson, Philip
interrogates the molecular basis of protein function by using novel chemical ligation techniques to introduce unusual amino acids, fluorophores, and cross-linking agents into biologically important proteins and enzymes.
Deniz, Ashok
develops and uses single-molecule fluorescence methods to study the dynamics and interactions of biological molecules during such processes as protein/RNA folding and assembly of the 30S subunit of the bacterial ribosome.
Dickerson, Tobin
develops biochemical technologies for predicting and treating evolving disease such as influenza, hepatitis C, and cancer, high-throughput screening paradigms for protein-ligand agonists/antagonists, combating filarial parasites, and the modulation of botulinum neurotoxin.
Ding, Sheng
is applying arrayed large-scale chemical, cDNA, and siRNA libraries and novel high throughput cellular screens to identify and characterize small molecules and genes that can control stem cell fate in various embryonic and adult stem cell systems and modulate specific signaling pathways in development and regeneration.
Dyson, Helen Jane
uses NMR to study the protein-folding process and to study the nature and behavior of unfolded and partly folded forms of proteins, including prion proteins and several newly-discovered, intrinsically unstructured proteins.
Edelman, Gerald
examines several areas related to nervous system development and neural function, including cell-cell interactions during embyronic development, the role of cell adhesion molecules in neural plasticity, the molecular genetics of connectional defects in the nervous system, and transcriptional regulation and translational control in eukaryotic cells.
Elder, John
focuses on the molecular and biological characterization of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), which causes an AIDS-like disease in the domestic cat and is similar to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); his goal is to develop drug treatments and vaccines that may be employed to treat viral infections in both humans and cats.
Fedor, Martha
investigates RNA enzymes using enzymological and biochemical methods to learn how RNAs assemble into functional structures and catalyze biological transformations.
Feeney, Ann
studies the epigenetic and genetic mechanisms that control the accessibility of antibody V, D, and J genes to undergo V(D)J recombination, determining why individual V genes rearrange with very different frequencies, and determining how the generation of the antibody repertoire and B cell tolerance mechanisms are misregulated in murine models of autoimmune disease.
Felding-Habermann, Brunhilde
establishes unique models of brain metastasis from circulating tumor cells of breast cancer patients and analyzes their properties in vitro and in vivo, investigates genes and functional pathways that control metastatic activity.
Finn, M.G.
develops organometallic chemistry for organic synthesis, analysis, and catalysis; he also uses viruses as chemical building blocks for new catalysts, materials, pharmaceuticals, and diagnostic agents.
Fokin, Valery
develops preactical catalytic transformations for organic synthesis, combinatorial chemistry, chemical biology, and materials research; searches for novel antiviral agents, nicotinic receptor ligands, and protease inhibitors.
Fowler, Velia
studies the role of actin dynamics in regulating assembly and function of cytoskeletal structures that contribute to cell and tissue morphogenesis during embryonic development in mouse models. Systems of interest include morphogenesis of epithelia, erythrocytes, the eye lens, and looping of the heart tube.
Frazer, Kelly
focuses on the functional annotation of genetic variants statistically associated with cardiovascular, cancer, and neurologic diseases through whole genome association studies.
Friedlander, Martin
examines the mechanisms whereby proteins are asymmetrically integrated into cell membranes and studies the basic mechanisms of ocular angiogenesis and potential therapeutic applications for treating degenerative retinal and neovascular eye diseases.
Friedman, Jeffrey
uses mouse and cell culture models with mutations that affect resistance to oxidative stress to study how oxidants affect blood cell development, immune function, and aging.
Gascoigne, Nicholas
examines the basis of ligand recognition by T cells during thymocyte development and the immune response by using using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to image T cell receptor interactions in real time.
Gerace, Larry
seeks to understand the mechanisms of nuclear-cytoplasmic transport through nuclear pore complexes, and the regulation of signaling and cell differentiation by the nuclear envelope.
Getzoff, Elizabeth
aims to characterize functionally important protein conformational states by coupling crystallography, spectroscopy, molecular biology and computational analyses, and to apply that knowledge to protein and inhibitor design for key biological processes, including photoactivity, electron transfer, and enzyme catalysis.
Ghadiri, M.Reza
develops novel methods for the rational design and construction of functional and interesting bioorganic molecules, such as novel antimicrobial agents, catalytic peptides, biosensors, self-replicating systems, and molecular logic gates.
Goodin, David
is focused on the rational engineering of metalloenzyme catalysts in order to better understand the chemical diversity of natural enzymes and to generate novel catalysts of potential utility.
Gottesfeld, Joel
is concerned with protein-DNA interactions involved in the transcriptional regulation in animal cells and the development of small molecule inhibitors and activators of gene expression.
Gruol, Donna
examines the pathways and mechanisms involved in neuronal signaling in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), developmental expression of signaling pathways, and the neuroadaptive mechanisms through which CNS disease and drugs alter neuronal signaling and viability.
Havran, Wendy
studies a unique subset of T lymphocytes, called "gamma-delta" T cells, which reside in epithelial tissues, are derived from fetal precursors, express a tissue-specific, invariant antigen receptor, and are involved in tissue repair as well as epithelial inflammatory diseases such as asthma and ulcerative colitis.
Janda, Kim
Investigates biological catalysts, development of methods for the detection of and protection against chemical/biological warfare agents, combinatorial chemical libraries, synthesis and evaluation of enzyme inhibitors, solid-phase organic synthesis, quorum sensing within bacterial systems, lead discovery and detection strategies for tropical diseases, antibody/peptide phage display libraries, cell-penetrating peptides as therapeutic delivery vehicles, and the application of immunopharmacotherapy in the treatment of drug addiction, cancer and obesity.
Jegla, Timothy
aims to define the molecular pathways through which potassium channels regulate neuronal signaling.
Johnson Jr., John
uses a variety of cellular and molecular biology methods to develop and test atomic resolution models of particle-related events in the virus life cycle; he also uses viruses as a paradigm for developing methods to determine atomic resolution models of cellular mega-structures.
Joyce, Gerald
studies the test-tube evolution of RNA and DNA enzymes, both to explore their potential biomedical applications and to examine their possible role in the early history of life on Earth.
Kaye, Jonathan
studies the regulation of T cell development in the thymus, particularly focusing on understanding the molecular control of cell fate decisions during thymocyte development.
Kelly, Jeffery
examines the bioorganic and biophysical chemistry of aberrant conformational changes in proteins associated with misfolding diseases, seeking to develop new approaches for preventing these diseases with purposefully designed small molecules.
Kono, Dwight
is investigating the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus and mercury-induced autoimmunity as well as seeking to identify new potential therapeutic targets through novel approaches; his main interest is to define both predisposing genes and genes critical for disease development.
Kralli, Anastasia
focuses on the mechanism of action of nuclear receptor coactivators that modulate transcriptional responses to small lipophilic hormones and confer specificity to hormone signaling.
Kuhn, Peter
is developing novel approaches to biophysical characterization of biological systems; applications of these approaches focus on structural proteomics and translational medicine.
Jameson, Julie
is examining the mechanisms involved in the dysregulation of skin γδ T cells in nonhealing wounds.
Manchester, Marianne
looks at how immunosuppressive viruses can infect bone marrow cells and suppress hematopoiesis; she also investigates the use of cowpea mosaic virus as a nanoparticle platform for developing antivirals, vaccines, and tumor-targeting agents.
Maximov, Anton
Mayfield, Stephen
studies the regulation of mRNA translation in green plants, especially how light activates the interaction of proteins, mRNAs, and the ribosome.
Mc Gowan, Clare
examines the molecular mechanisms and players that regulate the human cell cycle, focusing on DNA damage checkpoints and DNA repair enzymes like Mus81, which resolves strands of duplex DNA that become crossed during replication.
McHeyzer-Williams, Michael G.
studies the cellular and molecular regulation of antigen-specific immune memory in vivo with emphasis on the innate/adaptive interface and helper T cell regulated B cell responses to optimize vaccines.
McKay, Dianne
explores the intracellular signaling events and pathways that lead to the tolerance or rejection of transplanted organs by T cells.
Millar, David
uses single-molecule fluorescence and time-resolved laser spectroscopy to study the dynamics of enzyme-DNA interactions and the folding of catalytic RNA molecules.
Milligan, Ronald
uses cryo-electron microscopy and image analysis to study the structure and mechanism of action of large molecular machines such as actomyosin, kinesin-microtubules, MAPs-microtubles, VCP/p97 and dynein AAA ATPases, various membrane channels and transporters, and bacterial toxins.
Morris, Kevin
is interested in RNA interference, specifically siRNA and antisense mediated Transcriptional modulation of gene expression, as well as lentiviral vector delivery systems aimed at treating HIV-1 (b and c) infections in Human cells.
Mowen, Kerri
investigates the molecular events which control T helper cell and mast cell function, specifically studying a role for the posttranslational modification of arginine methylation by isolating novel substrates, determining the effects of arginine methylation on substrate function, and creating mice deficient in the enzymes that regulate arginine methylation.
Mueller, Ulrich
focuses on the genes and the gene mutations that contribute to the pathology of Usher syndrome, other human diseases related to mechanosensory perception, and central nervous system diseases
Nemazee, David
studies "receptor editing," a novel immunological tolerance mechanism in which developing B lymphocytes that carry autoreactive cell surface antibody are stimulated to "reprogram" their immunoglobulin genes by further rounds of DNA recombination.
Nemerow, Glen
investigates the interaction of adenovirus with host cells, looking at the basic mechanisms involved in virus attachment, internalization, membrane penetration, and nuclear localization, and seeking to design novel adenoviral vectors with increased capacity to deliver therapeutic genes to specific cell types.
Nicolaou, K.C.
works on the total synthesis of biologically active natural and designed molecules, including anticancer and antibiotic compounds; the development of new synthetic methods; and the design and synthesis of combinatorial compound libraries for biological screening.
Noodleman, Louis
uses quantum chemistry and protein electrostatics to investigate the electronic structures and active site mechanisms of redox metalloproteins, such as respiratory iron-sulfur proteins, the nitrogen fixing nitrogenase enzyme, and the iron-oxo dimer enzymes methane monooxygenase and ribonucleotide reductase.
Oldstone, Michael
studies the interaction of viruses and the immune system, how viruses persist and the resultant disease, how a non-lytic virus alters the differentiation function of the infected cell, investigates infectious protein folding disease and uses transgenic mouse models to understand human diseases. Included are molecular explorations for how viruses suppress the immune system or on the other side of the coin, induce autoimmunity.
Olson, Arthur
develops and applies computational and graphical techniques to the study of biomolecular interactions, focusing on protein-protein recognition and binding in oligomer formation, antibody-antigen complexes, and protein-substrate interactions in drug design.
Otomo, Takanori
studies structure and function of proteins involved in the autophagic pathway.
Patapoutian, Ardem
studies the molecular basis of the sense of touch by using genomics, imaging, and transgenic technologies to identify and characterize ion channel proteins involved in the perception of distinct thermal, mechanical, and chemical stimuli.
Paulson, James
studies carbohydrate recognition and the molecular biology of carbohydrate binding proteins, like CD22, which mediate key aspects of cell signaling in the immune system.
Powers, Evan
is interested in the energetics and mechanisms of protein folding and aggregation.
Quigley, James
is examining the differential expression of specific proteolytic enzymes, including the matrix metalloproteases and the serine proteases, asking how these enzymes might mediate angiogenesis and tumor cell migration and invasion; he also studies the mechanism of human tumor metastasis using in vivo models.
Rebek Jr., Julius
studies basic questions of molecular recognition, self-assembly, catalysis, and complementarity by designing novel organic molecular nanocapsules and synthetic receptors.
Reed, Steven
focuses on the regulation of cell cycle progression through cyclin-dependent kinases and related proteins, particularly the role of regulated proteolysis in cell cycle control and how defects in the proteolytic machinery can promote carcinogenesis.
Romesberg, Floyd
seeks to understand and evolve novel protein function by expanding the genetic code, to understand the molecular basis of DNA damage, repair, and mutagenesis, and to use femtosecond laser pulses to probe protein dynamics.
Rosen, Hugh
uses chemical and biological approaches to define and manipulate the molecular gatekeepers regulating cell trafficking in the immune system, including sphingosine 1-phosphate receptors; this work defines links between innate and adaptive immunity and develops novel approaches to immunosuppression that may be therapeutically useful.
Russell, Paul
studies DNA damage response mechanisms that are relevant to the prevention and treatment of cancer; investigates how cells tolerate exposure to environmental toxins.
Saez, Enrique
is interested in two broad themes related to the regulation of energy balance in mammals.
Salomon, Daniel
investigates how the structural elements comprising tissue compartments (e.g., integrins and matrix proteins) are important determinants of tissue function; how the loss of these structures leads to disordered tissue function and disease; and how treatments for such diseases might be approached through cell transplantation and gene therapy.
Ollmann Saphire, Erica
combines x-ray crystallography, biochemistry, and immunology to analyse proteins that play key roles in the pathogenesis of Ebola and other viral hemorrhagic fevers; structures of these proteins provide templates for vaccine design and enable rapid responses to newly emerging forms of the viruses.
Sauer, Karsten
We combine broad functional genomics approaches with traditional, hypothesis-driven research to identify and functionally characterize novel genes with important roles in lymphocyte development and function. A particular focus of the lab are signal transduction mechanisms downstream of the T cell receptor.
Schimmel, Paul
is examining the nature, origins, and boundaries of the genetic code, probing the molecular basis of tRNA specificity and the manipulative potential of tRNAs and their enzymes as tools for developing new proteins, cellular functions, and potential therapeutics.
Schmid, Sandra
is defining the molecular mechanisms of receptor-mediated endocytosis, which involves the concentration of receptor-ligand complexes into clathrin coated pits, their internalization via coated vesicles, and the regulation of these events by GTPases and kinases.
Schork, Nicholas
focuses on the development and implementation of analysis methods for understanding the genetic determinants of complex human traits and diseases such as cancer, neuropsychiatric disease, and cardiovascular disease. These methods focus on both the design, integration, and interpretation of studies making use of contemporary high throughput genomic technologies.
Schultz, Peter
aims to combine the tools and principles of chemistry with the molecules and processes of living cells to create molecules with new properties and functions found neither in nature nor in the test tube; by studying the structure and function of the resulting molecules, new insights can be gained into the molecular mechanisms of complex biological and chemical systems.
Sharpless, K. Barry
discovers new and useful transformations for organic synthesis, particularly employing inorganic catalysts and olefin-derived compounds of high reactivity; he also applies "in situ" click chemistry, which makes enzymes into reaction vessels and templates for the formation of their own inhibitors.
Sherman, Linda
looks at the immune system's basic strategy of discriminating between "self" and "non-self" through T lymphocytes, seeking to augment their ability to respond to certain self-antigens on tumor cells and to diminish their aberrant destruction of self-tissue in autoimmune diseases.
Stevens, Raymond
uses crystallography and biochemistry to probe the structure and function of molecules involved in neurotransmission and neurochemistry, seeking to understand how neuronal cells communicate at the molecular level and to create new molecules that affect neuronal signal transduction and recognition.
Stout, C. David
determines crystal structures of a variety of biological macromolecules, primarily integral membrane associated enzymes and proton pumps, cytochrome P450s, and iron-sulfur enzymes, and including HIV protease mutants, self-assembling peptides, and RNA-protein complexes, in order to understand structure-function relationships and establish mechanism.
Stowers, Lisa
studies the ligands, neurons, and brain nuclei that initiate social behavior using molecular genetics and genomics; her work is determining the rules that generate the information coding of neuronal networks.
Sun, Peiqing
seeks to delineate the signal transduction pathways mediating cellular responses to oncogenic mutations, and to systematically search for genetic alterations that contribute to specific cancer-associated phenotypes by screening cDNA expression libraries and siRNA libraries.
Surh, Charles
studies how naive and memory T cells develop and survive under normal physiological conditions.
Tainer, John
is developing and implementing advanced technologies that bridge the gaps from molecular structure to cell biology and therapeutics by providing insights on the structure and function of macromolecular machines, by designing novel drugs and proteins, and by creating a molecular-based understanding of human diseases and potential interventions.
Teyton, Luc
crystallizes and solves the structures of TCR/pMHC complexes in order to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which the ligation of the T cell receptor to its ligand, an MHC-peptide complex, activates T cells.
Theofilopoulos, Argyrios
works on the identification of predisposing and effector genes in systemic autoimmunity, as exemplified in spontaneous mouse models of lupus. Both forward (phenotype → genes) and reverse (gene → phenotype) approaches are used and several genes that promote (type I and II IFNs) or suppress (coronin 1A) this disease have thus far been identified.
Topol, Eric
studies the genome of patients who have particular medical conditions or who have been healthy beyond the 8th decade to determine variants associated with the phenotype. His research moves this information forward in medicine to provide individualization of medical care in the future.
Torbett, Bruce
studies transcriptional regulation of myeloid development and function, develops and tests novel techniques for delivering genes to cells to provide protection against HIV or cancer; he also investigates how the structural changes in HIV protease contribute to biochemical functions that confer protease inhibitor resistance.
Vogt, Peter
examines mechanisms of oncogenic transformation by transcriptional regulators like Jun, Maf, Qin, FKHR, LEF/TCF, Myc, and Max; studies growth regulatory signals of the Wnt and PI 3-kinase pathways; and screens for anticancer compounds using in vitro and cell-based assays.
Wentworth Jr., Paul
investigates the chemistry and biology of reactive oxygen species, particularly of trioxygen species such as ozone, which have recently been shown to be generated by antibodies during bacterial killing and in inflammation; studies the therapeutic potential of designer biocatalysts; and designs novel protein glycoconjugates to generate new strategies for sepsis treatment.
Whitton, J.
studies antiviral immunity mediated by the recognition of viral peptides by host cells, the basis of immunization with plasmid DNA vaccines, and the role of the immune system in viral pathogenesis during coxsackievirus infections.
Williamson, Jamie
studies the structure and dynamics of RNA molecules and RNA-protein complexes involved in the regulation of gene expression by employing NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography for solving high-resolution three-dimensional structures and examining the mechanism of assembly of multiprotein-RNA complexes.
Wilson, Ian
has a broad structural biology program to determine crystal structures in a number of systems relevant to immune recognition, disease, drug design, and vesicle trafficking, including antibodies, aldolases, and other enzymes, T-cell receptor complexes with MHC class I and class II molecules, the NK family of receptors, CD1 molecules, IL-2 receptor with IL-2, and the folate-dependent enzymes of the de novo purine biosynthesis pathway.
Winzeler, Elizabeth
develops new genome analysis technologies and applies them to study agents of infectious disease, such as the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum; her goal is to use genome sequence information, microarrays, and proteomics as a substitute for traditional forward and reverse genetic approaches for elucidation of gene function.
Wittenberg, Curt
studies the role of cell cycle regulated transcription and proteolysis in cell cycle regulation via cyclin dependent protein kinases.
Wong, Chi-Huey
directs his research towards the development of new chemical-enzymatic strategies for the synthesis of biologically active compounds and chiral intermediates; the design and synthesis of mechanism-based inhibitors of enzymes or receptors; the study of carbohydrate-based biological recognition and its intervention; and the investigation of reaction mechanisms.
Wright, Peter
uses high-resolution, multi-dimensional, hetero-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to study protein dynamics, folding, and recognition, particularly of structures of protein-DNA and protein-protein complexes involved in the regulation of transcription.
Wuthrich, Kurt
develops advanced techniques in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and applies them in protein structural biology and structural genomics projects.
Yates III, John
develops and applies proteomics tools for analyzing extremely complex protein mixtures, studying host-pathogen interactions in diseases such as malaria, and finding post-translational modifications to the proteins within these same complex mixtures.
Yu, Jin-Quan
Discovers regioselective and enantioselective reactions based on C-H activations and applies these reactions to drug discovery and natural product synthesis.
Zwick, Michael
dissects the molecular requirements of neutralization of HIV by antibodies, particularly those against the envelope glycoprotein, gp41; develops strategies for selecting HIV neutralizing antibodies and HIV envelope glycoprotein variants, to inform vaccine design.
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