Katelyn Baumer, PhD Student
Chemistry and Biochemistry
Advisor: Dr. Bryan F. Shaw
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease) affects many thousands of people in the United States every year; approximately 2% of these cases are caused by mutations to Cu, Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1). There are approximately 180 known mutations and the vast majority of affected people are heterozygous for a mutation, meaning they express both mutant and wild type SOD1. The role of wild type SOD1 in promoting the pathogenesis of ALS is unclear. The focus of my research is to better understand the role of wild type SOD1 in promoting ALS. We are working towards this understanding through studying the mechanisms of self-assembly of SOD1 into amyloid-like aggregates, investigating new ways to view SOD1 as a drug target, and observing the interactions between wild type and mutant SOD1.
Tuesday, 26 January 2021, 3:30-4:30