Chemical and Systems Biology
Showing 1-50 of 98 Results
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Philip Beachy
The Ernest and Amelia Gallo Professor, Professor of Urology, of Developmental Biology and, by courtesy, of Chemical and Systems Biology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsFunction of Hedgehog proteins and other extracellular signals in morphogenesis (pattern formation), in injury repair and regeneration (pattern maintenance). We study how the distribution of such signals is regulated in tissues, how cells perceive and respond to distinct concentrations of signals, and how such signaling pathways arose in evolution. We also study the normal roles of such signals in stem-cell physiology and their abnormal roles in the formation and expansion of cancer stem cells.
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Carolyn Bertozzi
Baker Family Director of Sarafan ChEM-H, Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences and Professor, by courtesy, of Chemical and Systems Biology
BioCarolyn Bertozzi is the Baker Family Director of Sarafan ChEM-H, Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences and Professor, by courtesy, of Chemical and Systems Biology and of Radiology at Stanford University, and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She completed her undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Harvard University in 1988 and her Ph.D. in Chemistry from UC Berkeley in 1993. After completing postdoctoral work at UCSF in the field of cellular immunology, she joined the UC Berkeley faculty in 1996. In June 2015, she joined the faculty at Stanford University and became the co-director and Institute Scholar at Sarafan ChEM-H.
Prof. Bertozzi's research focuses on fundamental studies of disease-associated glycobiology and the development of new therapeutic modalities that target these pathways. Her inventions include bioorthogonal chemistries for in vivo imaging and bioconjugation, work for which she received the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. As well, her lab has developed next generation antibody-drug conjugates, lysosome-targeting chimeras (LYTACs), antibody-enzyme conjugates and antibody-lectin chimeras. Several of these new therapeutic modalities have been translated into clinical candidates for treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases.
In addition to the Nobel Prize, Prof. Bertozzi has been recognized with many honors and awards for both her research and teaching accomplishments. For example, she is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, the National Inventors Academy and the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, and she is a Foreign Fellow of the Royal Society. In addition, Prof. Bertozzi received the Priestley Medal of the American Chemical Society, the Welch Award, the Wolf Prize in Chemistry, the Heineken Prize, Lemelson-MIT award for inventors, and a MacArthur "Genius Award". -
Matthew Bogyo
Professor of Pathology and of Microbiology and Immunology and, by courtesy, of Chemical and Systems Biology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur lab uses chemical, biochemical, and cell biological methods to study protease function in human disease. Projects include:
1) Design and synthesis of novel chemical probes for serine and cysteine hydrolases.
2) Understanding the role of hydrolases in bacterial pathogenesis and the human parasites, Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii.
3) Defining the specific functional roles of proteases during the process of tumorogenesis.
4) In vivo imaging of protease activity -
Onn Brandman
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and, by courtesy, of Chemical and Systems Biology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsThe Brandman Lab studies how cells sense and respond to stress. We employ an integrated set of techniques including single cell analysis, mathematical modeling, genomics, structural studies, and in vitro assays.
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Che-Hong Chen
Senior Research Scientist - Basic Life, Chemical and Systems Biology Operations
Current Role at StanfordSenior Research Scientist
CEO, International ALDH2 STAR Research Consortium
Director of China, Singapore, and Taiwan Outreach, Center for Asian Health Research and Education Center -
James K. Chen
Jauch Professor and Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology, of Developmental Biology and of Chemistry
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur laboratory combines chemistry and developmental biology to investigate the molecular events that regulate embryonic patterning, tissue regeneration, and tumorigenesis. We are currently using genetic and small-molecule approaches to study the molecular mechanisms of Hedgehog signaling, and we are developing chemical technologies to perturb and observe the genetic programs that underlie vertebrate development.
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Gheorghe Chistol
Assistant Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsResearch in my laboratory is aimed at understanding how eukaryotes replicate their DNA despite numerous challenges (collectively known as replication stress), and more generally – how eukaryotic cells safeguard genome integrity. Specifically, we are investigating: (i) mechanisms that regulate the activity of the replicative helicase during replication stress, (ii) mechanisms that control the inheritance of epigenetic information during replication, and (iii) mechanisms of ubiquitin-mediated regulation of genome maintenance. We utilize single-molecule microscopy to directly image fluorescently-labeled replication factors and track them in real time in Xenopus egg extracts. I developed this system as a postdoctoral fellow, and used it to monitor how the eukaryotic replicative helicase copes with DNA damage. We plan to further extend the capabilities of this platform to directly visualize other essential replication factors, nucleosomes, and regulatory post-translational modifications like ubiquitin chains. By elucidating molecular mechanisms responsible for maintaining genome stability, we aim to better understand the link between genome instability and cancer, and how these mechanisms can be harnessed to improve disease treatment.
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Danny Hung-Chieh Chou
Associate Professor of Pediatrics (Endocrinology) and, by courtesy, of Chemical and Systems Biology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur research program integrates concepts of chemical biology, protein engineering and structure biology to design new therapeutic leads and generate probes to study biological processes. A key focus of our lab is insulin, an essential hormone in our body to reduce blood glucose levels. We generate synthetic libraries of insulin analogs to select for chemical probes, and investigate natural insulin molecules (e.g. from the venom of fish-hunting cone snails!) to develop novel therapeutic candidates. We are especially interested in using chemical and enzymatic synthesis to create novel chemical entities with enhanced properties, and leverage the strong expertise of our collaborators to apply our skill sets in the fields of cancer biology, immunology and pain research. Our ultimate goal is to translate our discovery into therapeutic interventions in human diseases.
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Karlene Cimprich
Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology and, by courtesy, of Biochemistry
On Partial Leave from 03/01/2026 To 04/30/2026Current Research and Scholarly InterestsGenomic instability contributes to many diseases, but it also underlies many natural processes. The Cimprich lab is focused on understanding how mammalian cells maintain genomic stability in the context of DNA replication stress and DNA damage. We are interested in the molecular mechanisms underlying the cellular response to replication stress and DNA damage as well as the links between DNA damage and replication stress to human disease.
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Markus Covert
Shriram Chair of the Department of Bioengineering, Professor of Bioengineering and, by courtesy, of Chemical and Systems Biology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsOur focus is on building computational models of complex biological processes, and using them to guide an experimental program. Such an approach leads to a relatively rapid identification and validation of previously unknown components and interactions. Biological systems of interest include metabolic, regulatory and signaling networks as well as cell-cell interactions. Current research involves the dynamic behavior of NF-kappaB, an important family of transcription factors.
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Stefania Demuro
Postdoctoral Scholar, Chemical and Systems Biology
BioStefania received her master’s degree in pharmaceutical chemistry from the University of Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy) and later moved to Philadelphia to conduct organic chemistry research at the University of Pennsylvania. Returning to Italy, she completed her Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Bologna in collaboration with the Italian Institute of Technology, focusing on the development of first-in-class triple protein kinase inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and related tauopathies (Prof. Andrea Cavalli).
As part of her doctoral training, Stefania spent time at UC San Diego in Prof. Carlo Ballatore’s group, where she developed novel microtubule stabilizers for the treatment of tauopathies.
Drawn to the interconnection between chemistry and biology, and after applying her medicinal chemistry expertise to research in diabetes and neuropathic pain at Stanford ChEM-H, she joined the Chen Lab to investigate the role of ALDH1B1 in tumorigenesis and HIPK4 as a target for male contraception. -
Justin Du Bois
Henry Dreyfus Professor of Chemistry and Professor, by courtesy, of Chemical and Systems Biology
BioResearch and Scholarship
Research in the Du Bois laboratory spans reaction methods development, natural product synthesis, and chemical biology, and draws on expertise in molecular design, molecular recognition, and physical organic chemistry. An outstanding goal of our program has been to develop C–H bond functionalization processes as general methods for organic chemistry, and to demonstrate how such tools can impact the logic of chemical synthesis. A second area of interest focuses on the role of ion channels in electrical conduction and the specific involvement of channel subtypes in the sensation of pain. This work is enabled in part through the advent of small molecule modulators of channel function.
The Du Bois group has described new tactics for the selective conversion of saturated C–H to C–N and C–O bonds. These methods have general utility in synthesis, making possible the single-step incorporation of nitrogen and oxygen functional groups and thus simplifying the process of assembling complex molecules. To date, lab members have employed these versatile oxidation technologies to prepare natural products that include manzacidin A and C, agelastatin, tetrodotoxin, and saxitoxin. Detailed mechanistic studies of metal-catalyzed C–H functionalization reactions are performed in parallel with process development and chemical synthesis. These efforts ultimately give way to advances in catalyst design. A long-standing goal of this program is to identify robust catalyst systems that afford absolute control of reaction selectivity.
In a second program area, the Du Bois group is exploring voltage-gated ion channel structure and function using the tools of chemistry in combination with those of molecular biology, electrophysiology, microscopy and mass spectrometry. Much of this work has focused on studies of eukaryotic Na and Cl ion channels. The Du Bois lab is interested in understanding the biochemical mechanisms that underlie channel subtype regulation and how such processes may be altered following nerve injury. Small molecule toxins serve as lead compounds for the design of isoform-selective channel modulators, affinity reagents, and fluorescence imaging probes. Access to toxins and modified forms thereof (including saxitoxin, gonyautoxin, batrachotoxin, and veratridine) through de novo synthesis drives studies to elucidate toxin-receptor interactions and to develop new pharmacologic tools to study ion channel function in primary cells and murine pain models. -
James Ferrell
Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology and of Biochemistry
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy lab has two main goals: to understand the regulation of mitosis and to understand the systems-level logic of simple signaling circuits. We often make use of Xenopus laevis oocytes, eggs, and cell-free extracts for both sorts of study. We also carry out single-cell fluorescence imaging studies on mammalian cell lines. Our experimental work is complemented by computational and theoretical studies aimed at understanding the design principles and recurring themes of regulatory circuits.
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Nathanael S. Gray
Krishnan-Shah Family Professor
BioNathanael Gray is the Krishnan-Shah Family Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology at Stanford, Co-Director of Cancer Drug Discovery Co-Leader of the Cancer Therapeutics Research Program, Member of Chem-H, and Program Leader for Small Molecule Drug Discovery for the Innovative Medicines Accelerator (IMA). His research utilizes the tools of synthetic chemistry, protein biochemistry, and cancer biology to discover and validate new strategies for the inhibition of anti-cancer targets. Dr. Gray’s research has had broad impact in the areas of kinase inhibitor design and in circumventing drug resistance.
Dr. Gray received his PhD in organic chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley in 1999 after receiving his BS degree with the highest honor award from the same institution in 1995. After completing his PhD, Dr. Gray was recruited to the newly established Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF) in San Diego, California. During his six year stay at GNF, Dr. Gray became the director of biological chemistry where he supervised a group of over fifty researchers integrating chemical, biological and pharmacological approaches towards the development of new experimental drugs. Some of the notable accomplishments of Dr. Gray’s team at GNF include: discovery of the first allosteric inhibitors of wild-type and mutant forms of BCR-ABL which resulted in clinical development of ABL001; discovery of the first selective inhibitors of the Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK), an achievement that led to the development of now FDA-approved drugs such as ceritinib (LDK378) for the treatment of EML4-ALK expressing non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); and discovery that sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor-1 (S1P1) is the pharmacologically relevant target of the immunosuppressant drug Fingomilod (FTY720) followed by the development of Siponimod (BAF312), which is currently used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
In 2006, Dr. Gray returned to academia as a faculty member at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School in Boston. There, he has established a discovery chemistry group that focuses on developing first-in-class inhibitors for newly emerging biological targets, including resistant alleles of existing targets, as well as inhibitors of well-validated targets, such as Her3 and RAS, that have previously been considered recalcitrant to small molecule drug development. Dr. Gray’s team developed covalent inhibitors of the T790M mutant of EGFR inspired the development of Osimertinib (AZD9291), now FDA approved for treatment of patients with relapsed lung cancer due to resistance to first generation EGFR inhibitors. Dr. Gray has also developed structure-based, generalized approaches for designing drugs to overcome one of the most common mechanisms of resistance observed against most kinase inhibitor drugs, mutation of the so-called "gatekeeper" residue, which has been observed in resistance to drugs targeting BCR-ABL, c-KIT and PDGFR.
In 2021, Dr. Gray joined Stanford University where he has joined the Stanford Cancer Institute, Chem-H and the Innovative Medicines Accelerator (IMA) to spur the development of prototype drugs.
These contributions have been recognized through numerous awards including the National Science Foundation’s Career award in 2007, the Damon Runyon Foundation Innovator award in 2008, the American Association for Cancer Research for Team Science in 2010 and for Outstanding Achievement in 2011 and the American Chemical Society award for Biological Chemistry in 2011, and the Nancy Lurie Marks endowed professorship in 2015 and the Paul Marks Prize in 2019, and the Hope Funds for Cancer Research in 2023. -
Wouter Huiting
Postdoctoral Scholar, Chemical and Systems Biology
BioWouter received his training at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. Here he obtained a B.Sc.and M.Sc. in Human Movement Sciences (2008-2015), followed by a M.Sc. in Clinical and Molecular Neurosciences (2014-2016). He performed his doctoral research at the University of Groningen, obtaining his PhD degree in Molecular Cell Biology in 2021. Wouter continued his research in 2022 with a position as postdoctoral scholar at the Jarosz lab, at the department of Chemical and Systems Biology. Here he pursues his interest in the molecular forces underlying proteomic adaptation of cells and systems in development and disease. Outside of Stanford, Wouter is an avid sportsman, and likes cooking, hiking, birding, and in general loves to enjoy nature and wildlife with his wife and son.
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Daniel Jarosz
Senior Associate Dean, Basic Science, Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology and of Developmental Biology
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy laboratory studies conformational switches in evolution, disease, and development. We focus on how molecular chaperones, proteins that help other biomolecules to fold, affect the phenotypic output of genetic variation. To do so we combine classical biochemistry and genetics with systems-level approaches. Ultimately we seek to understand how homeostatic mechanisms influence the acquisition of biological novelty and identify means of manipulating them for therapeutic and biosynthetic benefit.
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Patrick Jurney
Affiliate, Chemical and Systems Biology Operations
Visiting Scholar, Chemical and Systems Biology OperationsBioPatrick Jurney is the Kordestani Endowed Chair and an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at San Jose State University. A Fellow of the American Heart Association (FAHA), his research focuses on the intersection of fluid dynamics and cellular mechanics, with a particular emphasis on cardiovascular health and disease..
Dr. Jurney completed his Ph.D. in Thermal Fluid Systems at the University of Texas at Austin, where he designed and built microphysiological systems to investigate the role of nanoparticle properties in targeted drug delivery. Following his doctoral studies, he was a T-32 Fellow in Translational Engineering at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). During his fellowship, he worked with cardiovascular biomaterials and characterized how biomaterial properties influence endothelialization and thrombogenesis.
Currently, his research laboratory at SJSU investigates the role of fluid shear stress mechanotransduction on endothelial metabolic structure and function. Dr. Jurney is a pioneer in using holotomographic microscopy to study sub-cellular organelles in cardiovascular disease. He is also collaborating in the laboratory of Dr. Daria Mochly-Rosen to characterize the role of mitochondrial structure and dynamics in metabolic function in response to ischemia/reperfusion and other models of cardiovascular health and disease.
Website: https://www.jurneylab.org/
Email: patrick.jurney@sjsu.edu or pjurney@stanford.edu
