Washington University in St. Louis (WU)
Ion channels are molecular machinery in charge of all electrical activities and hence implicated most of physiological phenomena in human bodies and can cause numerous channelopathies if malfunctioning. My research interest has been focused on understanding molecular bases of potassium ion channel function and in particular on ion channel regulations by various ligands and small molecules. In order to tackle this difficult problem, I have combined computational modeling, in vitro functional assays with purified proteins reconstituted in synthetic membranes, as well as structure determination by x-ray crystallography as well as single particle cryo-EM and mass spectrometry. This multidisciplinary approach will generate a holistic picture of channel functions and bring novel insights for specific regulation of a target ion channel of interest.