Meet our Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Researchers

A major emphasis of the department is research in the areas of cancer, enzymology, epigenetics and neurodegeneration. Visit the labs below to learn more about their research.

RESEARCH FOCUS

De Benedetti Lab -
Altered protein synthesis in solid tumors; gene expression; radioresistance by the protein kinase Tousled

Ding Lab - 
Cellular and molecular neuroscience; regulation of nucleocytoplasmic transport; modeling neurological diseases using patient-derived neurons; pathogenesis of movement disorders such as dystonia and ALS

Franco Lab - 
Understanding tumor microenvironment mediators of cancer progression to develop translational research tools. Emphasis on lipid reprograming, stromal remodeling and racial disparities.

First Lab -
Aminoacylation of tRNA; expansion of the genetic code; Charcot-Marie-Tooth disorder; enzyme catalysis; protein engineering

Gross Lab -
Regulation of gene expression; chromosome conformation of genes and their 3D nuclear organization; transcriptonal response to heat shock.

Huang Lab -
mTOR signaling in tumorigensis and metastasis; neuronal apoptosis

Nathan Lab - 
​​​​​​​From bench to bedside novel treatments for head/neck, thyroid and skin cancers

Tatchell Lab -
Type 1 protein phosphatase (PP1) in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Witt Lab -
Alpha-synuclein as a regulator of vesicle trafficking in melanoma and Parkinson’s disease; sorting nexins; accelerators and inhibitors of alpha-synuclein fibrillization