Research Interests:

• Cell-cell communication through the FGF heparan sulfate-tyrosine kinase membrane receptor complex
• FGF signaling in prostate cancer, hepatoma, cholesterol/bile acid metabolism and metabolic syndrome
• Mechanisms of suppressing genetic stability at its mitotic origin

The research in the laboratory is directed toward understanding the mechanism of how cells communicate at the tissue matrix-cell membrane interface to maintain homeostasis and what goes wrong in cancer due to disruption of the heparan sulfate-FGF tyrosine kinase receptor signaling. The laboratory studies how the FGF family regulates elements of metabolic syndrome (hyperlipidemia, glucose metabolism/diabetes and fatty liver).  The laboratory also studies how a novel complex (LRPPRC/C19ORF5/RASSF1) coordinates the microtubular cytoskeleton, mitochondria and chromosome remodeling in maintenance of genetic stability or suppression of tumors by destroying cells with a defective mitotic architecture. The laboratory offers techniques in cell culture, animal cancer models, mouse genetics, glycobiology, polypeptide isolation and characterizations, design and production for recombinant products in bacteria, mammalian and insect cells, immunochemical methods, structure-function analysis by site-directed mutagenesis, and other biochemical biophysical methods

Publications