Education:

• BA, Saint Olaf College
• PhD, University of Minnesota
• NIH postdoctoral associate, California Institute of Technology
• Assistant Professor, UC Santa Cruz
• Associate/Full Professor, University of Utah

Department: Chemistry
Research Interests:

Environmental Toxicology, Molecular, Cellular, and Biochemical Toxicology, DNA repair

Research Summary:

We use a variety of approaches to study the process of DNA repair, and how this alters the potential detrimental consequences of DNA damage. Damage to DNA causes problems to biological organisms and is associated with cancer and aging; fortunately, most DNA damage is repaired by DNA repair enzymes. Our laboratory focuses on the repair of damaged DNA bases which is mediated by the process of base excision repair. The key enzymes in this pathway are the damage-specific DNA glycosylases that search through the vast amount of normal DNA to find subtle potentially mutagenic base modifications. Our goals are to understand the molecular details associated with the recognition and repair of DNA damage, and how these features impact mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. As chemical biologists interested in DNA repair, we use a variety of approaches, including enzymology, synthesis of modified substrates, spectroscopy, and cell biology. Importantly, putting these approaches together in unique ways allows connections to be made between the molecular insight derived from our in vitro studies, and how these features impact repair in cells. Ultimately this will reveal the critical features of the DNA repair process that prevents deleterious mutations leading to cancer, and how these processes may be manipulated for beneficial therapeutic purposes.

Courses/Teaching:

• Che 130A: Pharmaceutical Chemistry I
• Che 135: Advanced Bioorganic Laboratory

Lab Members:

Postdocs: Xiaoyan Ma, Graduate Students: Ameila Manlove, Phil Yuen, Patrick Rogers, Jongchan Yeo, Nicole Chaffee, Brittany Anderson, Doug Banda

Lab Rotation Availability: Yes
Funding Sources: NIH
PubMed listing