Proteins must fold properly in order to function. When protein misfolding occurs, severe problems can arise. Indeed, protein misfolding underpins many devastating neurodegenerative disorders including: Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We are interested in understanding how protein misfolding occurs, how it can lead to disease, and how protein-remodeling factors can reverse misfolding. We are particularly interested in protein disaggregases. Protein disaggregases are capable of solubilizing proteins from highly stable species such as amyloid and disordered aggregates, and restoring the protein to its native fold. We are interested in better understanding how protein disaggregases solubilize such highly stable species. We are also interested in employing protein engineering techniques to tune the properties of disaggregases.
Are you looking to join the lab?
We are looking for graduate and undergraduate students to join the lab, and are interested in hiring technicians and postdoctoral researchers! Please see this page for more information.