Principal Investigator
Heidi Hamm
Professor, Pharmacology Aileen M. Lange and Annie Mary Lyle Chair, Cardiovascular Research Professor, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Professor, Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation
Heidi E. Hamm, Ph.D. is the Aileen M. Lange and Annie Mary Lyle Chair in Cardiovascular Research, and Professor of Pharmacology, Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and Orthopedics at Vanderbilt University. This is one of the top Pharmacology departments in the country, judged by reputation, citation analysis, and NIH funding. She oversaw an increase of the size of the Department, as well as a quintupling of its NIH funding, in her 14 years as Chair. The Department’s strengths lie in GPCR signal transduction and neuroscience, and she has expanded it in the areas of drug discovery and structural biology of membrane proteins. Her research focuses on the structure and function of GTP binding proteins and the molecular mechanisms of signal transduction. G protein-mediated signaling cascades are key regulators of many physiological processes, including processes of development, differentiation, and regulation of cell division. In the brain, many key neurotransmitters and neuromodulators mediate a myriad of functions by activation of such G protein cascades. Her laboratory has been involved in studying G protein coupled signal transduction for many years. Current areas of interest include Protease Activated Receptor signaling in the cardiovascular system and regulation of vesicular exocytosis mediated by Gi/o-coupled presynaptic receptors by Gbg subunit binding to SNAREs.
Dr. Hamm obtained her Ph.D. in 1980 from the Department of Zoology at the University of Texas-Austin and did postdoctoral training in the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1980-1983. Her initial research centered around circadian clocks and melatonin synthesis in the avian retina; her postdoctoral work investigated the role of the G protein transducin in visual transduction using blocking monoclonal antibodies. She held faculty appointments at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Medicine and Northwestern University before moving to Vanderbilt in 2000.
Education:
Postdoc Fellow, University of Wisconsin – Madison
Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin
B.A., Atlantic Union College
Current Members
Jackson B Cassada
Research Assistant, Pharmacology
Education:
2016 East Tennessee State University, B.S. (Microbiology)
2020 Tennessee State University, M.S. (Biochemistry)
Anna Eitel
PhD Candidate, Biochemistry
Education:
2017 Eastern Michigan University, B.S. (Biochemistry)
Bio/Research Interests:
I transferred to the department of Biochemistry at Vanderbilt from the University of Arizona in 2020. My thesis work is focused on characterizing the structural basis for Gβγ-SNARE mediated inhibition using cryo-EM. I also use a range of biochemical techniques to investigate Gβγ-SNARE protein-protein interactions. My broad research interests include structural biology and biophysics of G-protein-effector complexes. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time in nature with my dog and crocheting.
Publications:
Moutoussamy, E.E., Waheed, Q., Binford, G.J., Khan, H.M., Moran, S.M., Eitel, A.R., Cordes, M.H.J., and Reuter, N. (2021) Specificity of Loxosceles clade phospholipase D enzymes for choline-containing lipids: role of a conserved aromatic cage. bioRxiv. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.07.16.452673
Chawla, U., Perera, S.D.M.C., Fried, S.D.E., Eitel, A.R., Weerasinghe, N., Mertz, B., Pitman, M.C., Struts, A.V., Brown, M.F. (2020) Activation of the G-Protein–Coupled Receptor Rhodopsin by Water. Angew. Chem. 60: 2288-2295. DOI: 10.1002/ange.202003342
Evans, H.G., Guthrie, J.W., Jujjavarapu, M., Hendrickson, N., Eitel, A., Park, Y., Garvey, J., Newman, R., Esckilsen, D., and Heyl, D.L. (2017) D-Amino Acid Analogues of the Antimicrobial Peptide CDT Exhibit Anti- Cancer Properties in A549, a Human Lung Adenocarcinoma Cell Line. Protein Pept. Lett. 24: 590-598. DOI: 10.2174/0.929866524666170621093647.
David Reyes
Research Assistant, Pharmacology
Education:
2023 Middle Tennessee State University, B.S. (Biology)
Emma Webb
PhD Candidate, Pharmacology
Education:
2020 The College of New Jersey, B.S.
Bio/Research Interests:
I grew up in New Jersey, where I attended TCNJ as an undergraduate and earned a BS in Chemistry. I entered Vanderbilt’s graduate school through the Quantitative Chemical Biology PhD program, where I then chose Pharmacology as my official PhD program. As a member in Heidi Hamm’s lab, I am investigating the binding pocket of Protease-activated receptor 4 (PAR4) and potential inhibitors. PAR4 plays an important role in platelet activation and clot formation, and there seems to be an upregulation of PAR4 in many different indications such as acute kidney injury, Alzheimer’s, and other inflammatory diseases. Inhibition of this GPCR may be a potential therapeutic for these diseases.
Montana Young
PhD Candidate, Pharmacology
Education:
2019 University of South Florida, B.S. (Biomedical Science)
2019 University of South Florida, B.A. (History)
Bio/Research Interests:
I grew up in central Florida and frequently found myself exploring nature and looking for the various reptiles native (and invasive) to the state throughout my childhood. After graduation I moved to Tampa and attended the University of South Florida where I received my B.S. in Biomedical Sciences and my B.A. in History. Afterwards, I conducted research studying the role of antioxidants in UV induced melanoma at Moffitt Cancer Center. I am now pursuing a multi-faceted project in Heidi Hamm’s laboratory focusing on the exocytotic machinery found in neuronal terminals, specifically within the innervation of adipose tissue. I aspire to contribute to the ever-growing body of research surrounding type II diabetes during my time here at Vanderbilt – and of course enjoy exploring the vast natural preserves of Tennessee.