Research Projects Supported by the Kellen Women’s Entrepreneurship Fund
Below are some of the projects currently supported by the Kellen Women’s Entrepreneurship Fund.
Agata Smogorzewska
Head of the Laboratory of Genome Maintenance
Helicases as therapeutic targets in medulloblastoma and other cancers: This project focuses on BRCA2, a protein that is essential for cellular DNA repair. Mutations in the gene that produces BRCA2 can lead to breast, ovarian, prostate, and pancreatic cancers, as well as pediatric brain tumors called medulloblastomas.
Head of the Laboratory of Genome Maintenance
Helicases as therapeutic targets in medulloblastoma and other cancers: This project focuses on BRCA2, a protein that is essential for cellular DNA repair. Mutations in the gene that produces BRCA2 can lead to breast, ovarian, prostate, and pancreatic cancers, as well as pediatric brain tumors called medulloblastomas.
Mascha Koenen
Postdoctoral Fellow
Laboratory of Molecular Metabolism
Dissecting the role of thermogenic adipocytes on bone remodeling: This project seeks to identify the regulatory mediators of thermogenic fat-to-bone communication, in order to find signaling molecules that can improve bone formation. A long-term goal would be to create a novel therapeutic to treat osteoporosis.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Laboratory of Molecular Metabolism
Dissecting the role of thermogenic adipocytes on bone remodeling: This project seeks to identify the regulatory mediators of thermogenic fat-to-bone communication, in order to find signaling molecules that can improve bone formation. A long-term goal would be to create a novel therapeutic to treat osteoporosis.
Natalie Jones
Graduate Fellow
Laboratory of Chemical and Cell Biology
Small molecule activators of VCP to treat inclusion body myopathy: This project builds on preliminary data regarding the role of protein aggregation in inclusion body myopathy—a neurodegenerative muscle-weakening condition that begins in young adulthood. In a pilot screen of over 10,000 compounds, the Kapoor lab has identified 10 that increase the activity of the protein VCP, which plays a vital part in regulating other proteins in the body. Further study of these and other compounds will focus on the development of novel small-molecule therapeutics to treat a wide array of proteinopathies, diseases characterized by the harmful accumulation of specific proteins. These degenerative conditions include Paget’s disease of the bone, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Graduate Fellow
Laboratory of Chemical and Cell Biology
Small molecule activators of VCP to treat inclusion body myopathy: This project builds on preliminary data regarding the role of protein aggregation in inclusion body myopathy—a neurodegenerative muscle-weakening condition that begins in young adulthood. In a pilot screen of over 10,000 compounds, the Kapoor lab has identified 10 that increase the activity of the protein VCP, which plays a vital part in regulating other proteins in the body. Further study of these and other compounds will focus on the development of novel small-molecule therapeutics to treat a wide array of proteinopathies, diseases characterized by the harmful accumulation of specific proteins. These degenerative conditions include Paget’s disease of the bone, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Guadalupe Astorga
Research Associate
Laboratory of Neurobiology
Perceptual processing in autism: Basic research in the Gilbert lab has shown that vision is an active process involving facilitation of task relevant stimuli and suppression of irrelevant background elements at the level of individual neurons across the visual pathway. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may have difficulty suppressing irrelevant visual information. Dr. Astorga is developing a set of computer-based tasks to measure perceptual ability in children with autism. These visual training tools have the potential to ameliorate perceptual learning deficits in people with ASD, enabling them to better navigate their sensory environment.
Research Associate
Laboratory of Neurobiology
Perceptual processing in autism: Basic research in the Gilbert lab has shown that vision is an active process involving facilitation of task relevant stimuli and suppression of irrelevant background elements at the level of individual neurons across the visual pathway. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may have difficulty suppressing irrelevant visual information. Dr. Astorga is developing a set of computer-based tasks to measure perceptual ability in children with autism. These visual training tools have the potential to ameliorate perceptual learning deficits in people with ASD, enabling them to better navigate their sensory environment.
Shen-Ying Zhang
Associate Professor of Clinical Investigation
Laboratory of Human Genetics and Infectious Diseases
Human HSE9 is a restriction factor for Herpes Simplex Virus-1 in neurons: This common virus infects approximately 85% of individuals by the end of their teenage years. Clinical manifestations can vary from mild cold sores to life-threatening conditions, such as meningitis and encephalitis. The Casanova lab has identified single gene mutations that impair immunity to HSV-1. Abnormalities in a gene known as HSE9, in particular, confer increased susceptibility to infection. In this project, Dr. Zhang is exploring how HSE9 deficiency contributes to the pathophysiology of HSV-1 viral encephalitis—work that will guide the development of novel therapeutics.
Associate Professor of Clinical Investigation
Laboratory of Human Genetics and Infectious Diseases
Human HSE9 is a restriction factor for Herpes Simplex Virus-1 in neurons: This common virus infects approximately 85% of individuals by the end of their teenage years. Clinical manifestations can vary from mild cold sores to life-threatening conditions, such as meningitis and encephalitis. The Casanova lab has identified single gene mutations that impair immunity to HSV-1. Abnormalities in a gene known as HSE9, in particular, confer increased susceptibility to infection. In this project, Dr. Zhang is exploring how HSE9 deficiency contributes to the pathophysiology of HSV-1 viral encephalitis—work that will guide the development of novel therapeutics.
Ilana Kotliar
Graduate Fellow in the Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Signal Transduction
Multiplexed diagnostics platform to detect serum anti-GPCR autoantibodies in pre-eclampsia and autoimmune diseases: This pilot award is enabling the research team to validate and benchmark their diagnostics platform using serum samples from human subjects with various chronic autoimmune disorders.
Graduate Fellow in the Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Signal Transduction
Multiplexed diagnostics platform to detect serum anti-GPCR autoantibodies in pre-eclampsia and autoimmune diseases: This pilot award is enabling the research team to validate and benchmark their diagnostics platform using serum samples from human subjects with various chronic autoimmune disorders.
Erin Norris
Research Associate Professor in the Laboratory of Neurobiology and Genetics
Testing an antibody that blocks contact system activation by blocking domain 6 of high molecular weight kininogen (HK) in sepsis: The research team will determine if the anti-HK antibody could be a therapeutic agent for pathologies that involve contact system activation such as endotoxemia, colitis, and liver damage.
Priya Rajasethupathy
Head of the Laboratory of Neural Dynamics and Cognition
Developing and testing lead compounds to improve short-term memory: Working memory is a form of short-term memory that stores and processes sensory experiences, for seconds to minutes, in order to drive goal-directed behaviors. It can be severely disrupted by learning disabilities, in aging, and in diseases such as Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia. The Rajasethupathy lab recently determined that variations in a single gene, called GPR12, are responsible for substantial variability in short-term memory performance. This gene encodes a receptor molecule found on nerve cells, where it is involved in neural signaling. In this project, Dr. Rajasethupathy and her colleagues are working to identify small-molecule modulators of the GPR12 receptor that point the way toward therapeutics to restore cognitive function in individuals with neurodegenerative disease.
Head of the Laboratory of Neural Dynamics and Cognition
Developing and testing lead compounds to improve short-term memory: Working memory is a form of short-term memory that stores and processes sensory experiences, for seconds to minutes, in order to drive goal-directed behaviors. It can be severely disrupted by learning disabilities, in aging, and in diseases such as Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia. The Rajasethupathy lab recently determined that variations in a single gene, called GPR12, are responsible for substantial variability in short-term memory performance. This gene encodes a receptor molecule found on nerve cells, where it is involved in neural signaling. In this project, Dr. Rajasethupathy and her colleagues are working to identify small-molecule modulators of the GPR12 receptor that point the way toward therapeutics to restore cognitive function in individuals with neurodegenerative disease.