Drug Metabolism and Disposition

Understanding the metabolism and disposition of drugs is fundamental to the development of safe and effective pharmacological agents. We utilize a highly collaborative and translational approach employing modern structural, biochemical, and genetic tools to study how drugs and endogenous chemicals are metabolized.  A historical strength and current focus is on cytochrome P450 enzyme structure, function, and clinical pharmacogenetics.

Faculty

RESEARCH FOCUS: Steroid biosynthesis, enzymology protein engineering, and endocrine tumors.

RESEARCH FOCUS: Chemical carcinogenesis: metabolic activation and detoxication of carcinogens, mechanisms of carcinogen-activating enzymes, cytochrome P-450 and biological oxidations and peroxidations.

RESEARCH FOCUS: Hsp90 and Hsp70 chaperones, ubiquitination, protein quality control, nitric oxide synthases, steroid receptors, cytochrome P450.

RESEARCH FOCUS: Predicting response to breast cancer therapies by way of pharmacogenetic, pharmacogenomic, drug metabolism and candidate gene pathway analyses.

RESEARCH FOCUS: Structure/function of cytochrome P450 enzymes; drug metabolism; drug design.

RESEARCH FOCUS: Adaptation of state-of-the-art organic chemistry techniques (including SPOS) for radiochemical applications, Microwave mediated radiochemistry, Development of multi-modality biomarkers for PET-MRI.

RESEARCH FOCUS: Drug metabolism and discovery, cytochrome P450 structure and function, Chaperone Hsp 70.