Current Lab Members

My research focuses on understanding the underlying mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases with the goal to identify effective strategies for treatment. My current project in the Morimoto lab aims to uncover the spatio-temporal dynamics of proteostasis capacity in healthy aging and in protein conformational diseases using C. elegans as a model system.

As the C. elegans technician for the Morimoto lab, I perform assays such as lifespan, heat shock, and RNAi genetic screens. I train new members of the lab in C. elegans techniques and prepare the published strains you request.

I am involved on projects understanding the regulation of protein homeostasis in the context of age-associated protein-misfolding diseases. Our work aims to establish a cellular model for Alzheimer’s disease and taupothies using patient-derived neurons by direct neuronal reprogramming of dermal fibroblasts.  I am also involved in small molecule screens to identify regulators of the proteostasis network that enhance the protein folding cellular environment to prevent conformational diseases.  As laboratory manager I also oversee laboratory stocks and reagent requests.

Majoring in Biological Sciences

From: Seattle, WA

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My project focuses on cell nonautonomous neuroendocrine signaling and its effect on proteostasis in C. elegans. Specifically, I am investigating the tissue-specificity of neurotransmitter activation of the heat shock response. 

I will be working on C. elegans research projects in the lab. My future goal is to pursue a Ph.D. in Marine Biology after my time in Morimoto Lab.

My research focuses on understanding the underlying mechanisms of diseases and assessing potential therapeutic targets. As a master’s student, I will be involved in C. elegans research projects in the lab.

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I am the Core Administrator for the 5-year, 7-lab, 6-institution Program Project Grant, "Proteostasis in Aging and Neurodegenerative Disease" awarded by the National Institute on Aging. I also maintain the Proteostasis Consortium website and seminar series as well as the Morimoto Lab website. In addition, each year, I work with  co-chairs to plan the annual Midwest Stress and Molecular Chaperone Meeting (MWSM) as well as other departmental and PPG meetings and retreats. When I'm not working on all of the above, I also manage the lab's other grants, finances, and general administration.

My research aims to interrogate how stress response against exogenous stimuli shapes proteostasis and contributes to aging. I will implement tools to control at the spatiotemporal resolution the activation of stress responses in different tissues in C. elegans to measure their impact on proteostasis and aging.

Thomas is intrigued by the historical and cultural biases that have shaped genetic research. He uses data-scientific approaches to contrast an understanding of these biases with an unbiased assessment of individual genes derived from multi-omic studies. His goal is to identify overlooked factors contributing to some pressing, and already intensely researched, biological questions. He currently applies these insights to study novel aspects of aging and pneumonia, and hopes that his approach will also identify novel aspects of protein homeostasis.

My research goal is to uncover new protein quality control mechanisms and understand how their failure contributes to protein conformational diseases including neurodegenerative diseases. I do this by using cutting-edge proteomics at a massive scale, biochemistry, and genetics to manipulate specific pathways in C. elegans.

TBA

I use a single-cell analysis approach to study the temporal and molecular details of proteostasis collapse in cell models of aging and protein aggregation. Currently, I am focusing on studying tau proteotoxicity using induced neurons obtained through direct neuronal reprogramming of patient-derived dermal fibroblasts.  With help from Sue and undergraduate students, we are exploring small-molecule strategies to restore proteostasis in cell model systems of protein aggregation.

Majoring in: Biology

Minor:  Global Health Studies and Data Science
From: Ningbo, China

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My current project focuses on purifying wild type Tau protein and various types of mutant Tau proteins. By assessing the cell permeability, subcellular localization, and stability of Tau, I hope to study its involvement in cellular activities and how it causes neurodegenerative diseases.