Journal of Molecular Biology

I earned my Bachelor of Science (Honors) in Biochemistry with Chemistry from Queen Mary College, University of London; a Master of Science in Medicinal Chemistry from Loughborough University of Technology; and my PhD in Biochemistry from the Faculty of Medicine (School of Pharmacy) of the University of London. I completed my postdoctoral studies at the Johns Hopkins University Asthma and Allergy Center, Baltimore, before moving to Wake Forest University School of Medicine, initially as a Research Associate (1991-1993), then an Instructor of Internal Medicine (1993-7) and subsequently as an Assistant Professor (1997-2001). At Johns Hopkins and Wake Forest, I discovered pathways critical to omega-3 fatty acid metabolism in humans. I discovered and characterized a receptor in progenitor cells that controls their growth and their response to extracellular signals. My studies were funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency, and my work was published in various top-rated journals cited by my peers.

At HMRI since October 1, 2001, I have used my knowledge of lipid signaling pathways to discover therapeutic targets for neurological disorders. My research interests are in the interactions of drugs with membrane lipids, receptors, and enzymes. The ultimate goal of my research effort would be to provide a biochemical basis for clinical observations from the Neurosciences Program and thus a rationale for diagnosis and/or treatment of these brain disorders. The goal is to detect presymptomatic AD and unravel potential therapies that prevent cognitive decline associated with aging or determine why people have migraine pain with the ultimate goal of personalized prevention or treatment based on differences in metabolomic profiles between healthy and diseased samples. Specifically, using proteomics and modern lipidomic methods I developed at HMRI, I am identifying the major proteins and lipids in the urine and plasma samples as potential indicators of Alzheimer's disease (AD) or migraine.

• Alzheimer's Disease, migraine, lipid metabolism, bioenergetics