My lab is interested in novel mechanisms underlying the development of cardiomyopathy and heart failure, with a focus on protein modifications mediated by small protein modifiers such as ubiquitin, NEDD8, and Ufm1. We use both in vitro molecular/cellular biology approaches, cutting-edge genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics approaches, and state-of-the-art in vivo mouse physiology analyses to address critical scientific questions. We are particularly interested in whether and how NEDD8 modification (neddylation) regulates cardiac development and adaptation to stresses, and more recently, vascular homeostasis. We are also working to unambiguously identify cell type-specific, physiologically relevant, bona fide NEDD8 targets using a combination of CRISP/Cas9-mediated genome editing and proteomics approaches. Another ongoing direction in the lab is to elucidate how ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitinase control organelle quality control and maintain cardiac health.
