Research Summary
I graduated from Carleton College majoring in chemistry and physics, and earned a PhD from the Scripps Research Institute with Ian Wilson, in structural biology. In my thesis, we characterized a cocaine degrading enzyme, now in preclinical trials as a biologic antidote for toxic cocaine overdose (1, 2). Subsequently, I moved to Harvard to work with Stephen Harrison to study the kinetochore / mitotic spindle checkpoint (3, 4, 5), and to pursue eclectic interests in collaboration with Christopher Walsh and Graham Walker – including antibiotic, enterobactin (6), and vitamin B12 biosynthesis (7). I have discovered firsthand that while crystallography is an incredibly powerful technique for studying enzyme mechanism and function, static snapshots reveal little about the intricately choreographed interactions of proteins in complex systems; orthogonal experimental approaches are required to fully understand their function. Therefore, I crossed the quad to Marc Kirschner’s Laboratory in 2006.
The goal is to integrate the inherently reductionistic approach of the crystallographer with a broader systems approach used in Marc’s laboratory to understand cellular checkpoints and circuits. My current efforts are directed towards identifying new substrates of the Anaphase Promoting Complex (APC) and purifying APC for structural and biochemical studies.