Research

Our research focuses on the enzymes in the aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) family, which have important roles in the initiation and progression of cancer. Until recently, many members of the family were treated interchangeably—the older, middle, and younger siblings all having the same likes, interests, and talents. We know now that this is not the case, but we don’t have the tools to study many members of the family individually. Undergraduate researchers working in the lab will use a combination of organic chemistry, chemical biology, molecular biology, and cell biology to develop new fluorescent probes and inhibitors that are selective for individual ALDH family members. With these new tools, we aim to

1. advance our understanding of the roles these enzymes play in cancer cells;

2. enable new methods of cancer detection and prognosis; and

3. develop new therapeutics that selectively kill the cancer cells.