Much of our lab’s previous work has focused on the study of individual events: single calcium channels or single vesicles being released or endocytosed, single proteins crossing or integrating into membranes, single nuclear pores r single phage crossing membranes or single viruses assembling. We have predominantly used biophysical techniques to take a new look at a variety of biology activities such as the nuclear pore. We have learned that many things are lost if one looks at averages, but are revealed when one studies single events.
We are now focused on studying a single well-defined cancer. We are examining it at many levels simultaneously: Identifying the driver and studying how it affects cells; Developing diagnostics and therapeutics; Preparing for clinical trials. We focus almost exclusively on a fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLC), a usually lethal liver cancer that affects adolescents and young adults.
Current Lab Projects:
- Fibrolamellar – A childhood, adolescent young adult cancer
- How does the nuclear pore function?
- How do cell-to-cell interactions in human tissue affect cellular development and activity?
- How do molecular machines work?
- Developing new technologies
