Darci J. Trader

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Associate Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
Phone:
765-494-1149
Fax:
765-494-1414
Official web page:
Specialization: Organic Synthesis, Drug Discovery, Chemical Biology

Education

B.S.- 2007 Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
M.S.- 2008 Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
Ph.D.- 2013 Indiana University
Postdoc- 2014-2016 The Scripps Research Institute, NIH NRSA Fellow

Research

For detailed information please see: http://www.djtraderlab.com

The proteasome is a multiprotein, multicatalytic site complex that acts as the main pathway for protein degradation in cells. My research program focuses on the development of chemical strategies to control and harness proteasome-mediated protein degradation. Unlike traditional work in this field that has focused on the discovery of proteasome inhibitors, my program will seek to identify compounds that enable us to stimulate, rescue and direct protein degradation. We will harness the power of the proteasome through pursuit of three synergistic projects: 1) chemical stimulation of the 20S proteasome in neurons to abate the protein aggregation events that lead to Parkinson's disease, 2) rescue of the proteasome from inhibition by HIV Tat, which results in limited antigenic peptide production, substantially reducing the immune response to infected cells, and 3) generation of a set of rules for selective targeting of the immunoproteasome to release an antigenic peptide, marking diseased cells for destruction by the immune system.

Lab Members

Saayak Halder (Graduate Student)
Timothy Jonathan (Tim) Harris Jr. (Graduate Student)
Eslam Mohamed Hosny Ali Ibrahim (Post-Doctoral Research Associate)
Hanna Danielle King (Graduate Student)
Kate A. Kragness (Graduate Student)
Cody A. Loy (Graduate Student)
Andres Felipe Salazar Chaparro (Graduate Student)

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