Mizuno lab

Dr. Lee’s laboratory integrates a variety of biophysical and biochemical techniques to understand the molecular mechanisms of amyloid formation. Aggregation of proteins into amyloid structures is a hallmark of human diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Hungtington’s. Interestingly, amyloid fibrils can also serve essential biological roles in organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. Moreover, many polypeptides with widely varying amino acid sequences and folded states can form amyloid in vitro, implying common formation pathways.

Dr. Lee focuses her research efforts on studying changes in protein conformation and dynamics important for the mechanisms by which amyloid structures assemble under normal and pathological conditions. A central question under investigation is: what are the distinguishing features between functional and pathological amyloids? For example, do functional amyloids aggregate such that specific pathogenic conformations are avoided? Or is the formation and degradation of amyloids regulated more efficiently in healthy cells?

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