Oxidative and nitrosative regulation of protein function
Biological mass spectrometry and quantitative proteomics
Biomarkers for early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases
Neuropeptide and G-protein coupled receptor function

Proteomics and bioinformatics research

Recent advances in genome sequencing have provided novel opportunities for biomedical research. Functional genomics is the next logical step to translate the vast nucleic acid sequence database into understanding of biological phenomena. Bioinformatics and proteomics are becoming essential components of functional genomics. Advances in mass spectrometry have provided unprecedented opportunities for the analysis of proteins, such as peptide internal sequencing, post-translational modification, noncovalent interaction, and protein folding.

One of the goals of my laboratory is to develop and optimize mass spectrometry technologies to study the role of protein expression and post-translational modifications in gene regulation, with emphasis on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases. To that end, we are focusing on developing novel mass spectrometric methods to study proteomic changes in animal models for multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. Current projects include: 1) quantitative analysis of protein nitrosylation and redox regulation; 2) quantitative analysis of regulated proteolysis including calpain and caspase systems; 3) metabolomic analysis of cell models for mitochondrial diseases.