Current Research and Scholarly Interests
After shuttering the wet lab, we have focused on: a point-of-care device to measure blood ammonia and prevent brain damage; a human protein complex that juxtaposes and joins DNA ends for repair and V(D)J recombination; and strategies for teaching students and for reducing selection bias in educational programs.<br/><br/>To understand how cells repair DNA damaged by ultraviolet radiation (UV), we identified UV-damaged DNA binding activity, which enhances nucleotide excision repair and is mutated in xeroderma pigmentosum group E.<br/><br/>To understand how cells repair DNA damaged by ionizing radiation, we identified and studied the proteins required for non-homologous end joining, which repairs double-strand breaks produced by ionizing radiation and V(D)J recombination. <br/><br/>To interpret the massive data-sets in gene expression profiles, we invented the algorithms SAM (Significance Analysis of Microarrays) and PAM (Prediction Analysis of Microarrays). <br/><br/>In an interdisciplinary collaboration, we invented a point-of-care device to measure blood ammonia for diagnosis and management of patients with inborn errors of metabolism, liver disease, and cancer-associated chemobrain.
