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Meet Our Speakers

Meet our Speakers: Dr. Edwin Chapman

Edwin Chapman is a professor of Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an HHMI Investigator. The Chapman lab has spent the last 28 years studying the molecular mechanisms that mediate calcium-triggered exocytosis and their effects on synaptic function, as well as a variety of associated membrane trafficking events. Ahead of his talk on Tuesday, April 29th, I had the opportunity to chat with Dr. Chapman about his work, his approach to science, and what he takes away from all his years in the lab. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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  • Meet our Speakers: Dr. Roberto Zoncu

    As a scientist, starting from my postdoc and continuing in my own lab, we have helped redefine the role of the lysosome. Historically, it was considered a “boring organelle,” just the endpoint of degradation—a cellular trash can. But we’ve demonstrated that the lysosome is actually a sophisticated signaling center. We now call it the “metabolic computer” of the cell because it integrates information from other organelles and nutrient signals, particularly through mTOR kinase. The lysosome and mTOR communicate to make key metabolic decisions, balancing anabolism and catabolism. This has far-reaching implications for various cell types, including neurons, immune cells, and cancer cells.

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  • Meet our Speakers: Professor Dario Alessi

    Professor Dario Alessi is a distinguished British biochemist whose groundbreaking research on protein kinases has significantly advanced our understanding of cellular signalling in health and disease. Born in Strasbourg, he earned his PhD from the University of Birmingham before joining the Medical Research Council’s Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit (MRC-PPU) at the University of Dundee, where he now serves as director. His pioneering work has provided critical insights into neurodegeneration, including elucidating key mechanisms of LRRK2, a kinase implicated in Parkinson’s disease, paving the way for targeted therapeutic strategies. Beyond his research, Professor Alessi is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of scientists. As director of the MRC-PPU, he has trained and guided numerous PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, fostering an environment of excellence and innovation.

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  • Meet Our Speaker: Dr. Arun Radhakrishnan

    Arun Radhakrishnan, currently a professor at the Department of Molecular Genetics at UT Southwestern Medical Center, conducts research on the role of membrane cholesterol in regulating cell growth, lipid homeostasis, and immune defense against microbial infections. We had the opportunity to correspond with Arun in advance of his research seminar on Tuesday, January 28th, to gain insights into his scientific journey.

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  • Meet our Speakers: Ning Wang

    Prof. Wang is visiting us on December 10th, and we had a zoom meeting ahead of his visit to talk about his research, his learnings and personal reflections from such an accomplished scientific career.

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  • Meet our speakers: Josh Gendron

    We sat down with Dr Joshua Gendron to get a glimpse of his current research, his scientific journey and to learn about how he runs the Gendron Lab.

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  • Meet Our Speakers: Brian Chait

    Dr. Brian Chait, the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Professor, at Rockefeller University, will be visiting Yale to give a talk entitled “On Methods for Probing the Protein Interactions” on May 9, 2023. His lab focuses on developing tools, centering around mass spectrometry approaches to study the structure and function of biomolecular assemblies. Caroline Brown had the pleasure of chatting with him prior to his visit to Yale to find out about his personal and scientific journey.

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