Alieza Ghanbarpour, PhD

Alieza Ghanbarpour, PhD

Primary Academic Title

Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine

Research Interest

ATP-dependent AAA proteases maintain mitochondrial quality control by selectively degrading damaged and regulatory proteins and shape the proteome for a specific function. Their activity is crucial in cancer cells, where oxidative stress leads to protein misfolding and toxic buildup, necessitating their removal for tumor proliferation. Mutations in human ClpXP (hClpXP) AAA protease are linked to developmental defects, and hClpXP is a target for inhibiting tumor growth in cancers such as chronic myeloid leukemia. My research aims to identify hClpXP substrates, understand the degron sequences that target proteins for degradation, and gain structural insights into how this enzyme recognizes substrates in both normal and cancerous cells.

Education

  • 2012: BS, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran Iran
  • 2014: MS, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
  • 2019: PhD , Michigan State Universit, East Lansing, MI

Training

  • 2014 - 2019: Graduate research Assistant, Geiger Lab , Michigan Sate University
  • 2019 - 2021: Postdoc Fellow, NRSA F32 General Medical Sciences, Reinisch Lab , Yale School of Medicine
  • 2021 - 2024: Postdoc Associate, Department of Biology, The Sauer and Davis Labs , Massachusetts Institute of Technology