Structural cell biology of malaria parasites
Malaria remains a tremendous global health problem with 200 million cases annually. There is growing drug resistance to current antimalarials and no effective vaccine.
We study the structural cell biology of malaria and related parasites, specifically membrane remodeling processes necessary for parasite propagation and human infection. Discovering the molecular mechanisms and structural basis of cellular processes in the parasite will inform the development of new therapeutics to fight malaria.
Membrane remodeling in human cells
Membrane remodeling enables fundamental cellular processes including endocytosis and the maintenance of organelle architecture. Mutations or dysregulation of the membrane remodeling machinery is associated with neuropathies, myopathies, blindness, and cancer.
We investigate the mechanisms of membrane remodeling using multidisciplinary approaches from structural biology, biochemistry/biophysics and cell biology.