Molecular neuroscientist Mechanism discovery & target validation · Method development
I am a molecular neuroscientist studying mechanosensation and circadian biology. Across five first-author papers, I have traced observed phenotypes to their molecular mechanisms.
I build assays, instruments, and software when standard methods cannot resolve a biological question. My work includes four assays and instruments and two software tools used alongside microscopy, molecular biology, and biochemistry.
10Publications
5First-author
6Invented assays,
1Patent applicationCore capabilities
I design and use techniques at every level between a predicted structure and a measured phenotype: computational prediction, structure-guided mutagenesis, recombinant protein production, quantitative imaging, transgenic animal work, and animal behavior. This has been applied across both postdoctoral and graduate work to elucidate novel mechanisms of circadian biochemistry and mechanotransduction.
I build new assays and instruments when existing methods cannot answer the question, including a live-cell real-time enzyme-coupled PLD activity assay, a temperature-controlled rapid shear-fixation apparatus, sub-second reconstructed live-cell 3D-dSTORM, and the VAAPR anesthesia rig.
I use 3D single-molecule localization microscopy, SIM, Airyscan, TIRF, and laser-scanning confocal microscopy, including work in intact whole-mounted Drosophila brain.
I co-developed ClockWork in the Rosbash lab and am developing a microscopy training tool to simplify training and improve the data collected by the next generation of microscopists.
Selected scientific work
bioRxiv · 2025 · Preprint
The circadian clock relies on phosphorylation-dependent timers to dictate period length and ensure temperature compensation. Using AlphaFold2-multimer, we predicted the interaction interface between PERIOD (PER) and DOUBLETIME (DBT/CK1). Structure-guided point mutations designed at this interface produced Drosophila circadian periods exceeding 48 hours and revealed a mechanism of temperature compensation driven by PER-DBT interface dynamics.
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eLife · 2023
Mechanosensory ion channels like TREK-1 respond to physical force, but the molecular events upstream of gating remain debated. Mechanical shear stress moves phospholipase D (PLD2) into ordered lipid domains (GM1 rafts), where it produces localized phosphatidic acid (PA) that gates TREK-1 channels. Super-resolution dSTORM in intact Drosophila brains and temperature-clamped shear fixation showed that this raft-mediated pathway controls behavioral mechanosensation in vivo.
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Assays, instruments, and software
I developed or co-developed four assays and instruments and two software tools for questions that existing methods could not answer.
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Identified the PER–DBT protein interaction as a determinant of circadian period and temperature compensation, producing the longest-period circadian mutants on record and a previously undescribed compensation mechanism. Built a structure-to-phenotype discovery workflow spanning AlphaFold2 prediction, structure-guided mutant design, recombinant protein biochemistry, transgenic animals, and quantitative behavioral/molecular readout. I am developing an in silico discovery pipeline with AlphaPulldown. Co-developed ClockWork, an open-source circadian analysis package.
Established disruption of ordered lipid nanodomains as a mechanism of mechanical and anesthetic activation of TREK-1 potassium channels. First author on three publications, co-author on three more. Developed a live-cell, real-time enzyme-coupled PLD activity assay used across four publications, and applied 3D single-molecule super-resolution imaging across live cells, fixed cells, mouse brain slices, and whole Drosophila brain.
Contributed genetic selection and radiolabeled pulse-chase experiments to the identification of nascent peptide motifs that stall translation in bacteria.
Education
The Scripps Research Institute · 2019
Brigham Young University · 2012
Talks & presentations
Awards & funding