Research
The Laboratory of Proteostasis and Molecular Therapeutics (LPMT) studies how cells control protein fate – and how this control can be rewired for therapeutic benefit. We are broadly interested in how small molecules can modulate protein recognition and interaction, reshaping functional outcomes at the cellular level.
Our research operates across two closely connected areas:
Protein Degradation: Small-molecule degraders are emerging as a powerful new approach to eliminate disease-relevant proteins by engaging the cell’s own quality-control machinery. We study the molecular logic that determines when proteins are degraded, with the aim of understanding how endogenous degradation pathways and proteostasis factors operate, and how these processes can be perturbed, rewired, or mimicked by small molecules, including molecular glue degraders.
Protein Recognition and Rewiring: We investigate how protein–protein interactions and recognition interfaces regulate stability, function, and localization, and how these interactions are tuned by post-translational modifications, mutations, and small molecules. We explore how chemical interventions can reshape these recognition grammars to alter protein behavior.
Across both areas, we integrate chemical biology, biochemistry, structural biology, and functional genomics to study protein fate at the molecular level. Our long-term goal is to uncover new ways to modulate protein behavior – including, but not limited to, degradation – and to translate these insights into therapeutic strategies.
