PhD
Assistant Professor, Cell Biology and Physiology
UNC-Chapel Hill
Cancer Cell Biology
Area of Interest
My lab investigates how protein lipidation, an essential post-translation modification (PTM) in which lipid molecules are covalently attached to proteins, affects cell physiology and function. Protein lipid modifications are found on many proteins and are required for protein function, localization, protein-protein interactions, intracellular trafficking, and cell signaling. Proteins can be modified with diverse types of lipids, including palmitate (palmitoylation), myristate (myristoylation), isoprenoids (prenylation), and cholesterol. In our studies, we aim to 1) identify the cohort of proteins that require protein lipidation for their function, 2) determine how changes in protein lipidation affect fundamental cellular processes, and 3) investigate how physiological and pathological changes in cellular metabolism affect protein lipidation.
