PhD
Professor, Pharmacology, Biochemistry & Biophysics
UNC-Chapel Hill
Molecular Therapeutics
Area of Interest
Our laboratory studies signal transduction systems controlled by heterotrimeric G proteins as well as Ras-related GTPases. The superfamily of GTPases control numerous signaling cascades based upon the regulated binding, hydrolysis, and exchange of guanine nucleotides; GTPases bound to GTP are active in downstream signaling while those bound to GDP are inactive. Mutant GTPases with abnormal GDP/GTP cycling are implicated in numerous human diseases, including cancer. It is our desire to better understand the regulation of heterotrimeric G proteins and Ras-related GTPases at the molecular level with the ultimate goal of using this information to design therapies to correct abnormal signaling mediated by these proteins and thereby treat associated pathologies.
