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Principal Investigator
Hassane S. Mchaourab
Louise B. McGavock Chair, Department of of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Professor, Department of Physics Professor, Department Chemistry Professor, Center for Structural Biology ,
Research Staff
Richard Stein
Research Associate Professor, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
My interests are in using the tools or EPR spectroscopy to investigate protein dynamics. My expertise are in data analysis. Specifically, I develop and apply methods for fitting of DEER data.
Post-Doctoral Fellows
Jinhee Park
Post-doctoral Researcher, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
Investigating the role of small heat shock proteins in stress using the zebrafish model.
Kevin L. Jagessar
Post-doctoral Researcher, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
Mechanism of transport and biochemistry of multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) family of transporters.
Qingyu Tang
Post-doctoral Researcher, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
Investigating the structures and structural dynamics of ABC transporters to illuminate mechanistic principles for families of ABC transporters, which are implicated in the phenomenon of drug resistance and basic bacterial defense strategies that can be exploited to develop therapeutics.
Rahul M.Nair
Post-doctoral Researcher, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
My interest lies in understanding the structure, function and dynamics of MFS transporters with a particular focus on substrate and drug binding
Ruojing Zhang
Post-doctoral Researcher, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
My research project will be the mechanism and dynamics investigation of P-glycoprotein and the molecular dynamic studies of MsbA
Research Assistants
Michael J Mohan
Research Assistant, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
Working on membrane protein expression and purification, making and maintaining lab’s communal stocks and assisting in lab’s general maintenance
Graduate Students
Diego del Alamo
Graduate Student, Chemical and Physical Biology Program
Spectroscopic characterization and computational modeling of transporter proteins (co-advised with Dr. Jens Meiler)
Alexandra Schwartz
Graduate Student, Chemical and Physical Biology Program
In this lab, I plan to study protein dynamics using molecular dynamic simulations and pulse EPR technique, double electron-electron resonance (DEER). In my initial studies, I am evaluating the structure of Leu-T, a bacterial homolog to many transporters of interest. In particular, I hope to elucidate mechanisms of the serotonin and dopamine transporters that could be targeted for novel drugs in the treatment of autism, depression, and Parkinson’s.
Sarah Zelle
Graduate Student, Chemical and Physical Biology Program
Proteome analysis of zebrafish models of cataractogenesis to determine proteostatic mechanisms in the ocular lens. Co-advised with Dr. Kevin Schey.
Collaborators
Derek P. Claxton
Assistant Professor, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
Role of membrane protein structure and dynamics in facilitating ion-coupled transport of substrates critical for multidrug resistance, and modulation of protein dynamics via lipid and drug interactions.
I graduated from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2004 with a BS in Chemistry and focus in biochemistry and biophysics. I completed my PhD in the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics under the guidance of Dr. Mchaourab in 2010 applying methods in EPR spectroscopy to study the structural dynamics of the leucine transporter, a prokaryotic homolog of neurotransmitter transporters. Following a postdoctoral fellowship in the Gouaux laboratory at the Vollum Institute (Portland, OR) studying the structure and function of eukaryotic ion channels, I returned to the Mchaourab laboratory to pursue studies of ion-coupled substrate transporters involved in sugar metabolism and multidrug resistance.
Currently, I am a tenure track assistant professor in the department of molecular physiology and biophysics. Please visit my lab page
Eric Gouaux
Senior Scientist, Vollum Institute (Portland, OR), Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Jennifer and Bernard Lacroute Term Chair in Neuroscience Research, Oregon Health and Science University
https://www.ohsu.edu/xd/research/centers-institutes/vollum/faculty/gouauxlab.cfm
Jens Meiler
Professor, Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University