Research

Understanding and Controlling Metal-Driven Mechanisms in ALS

Our laboratory addresses fundamental chemical questions of biological and disease relevance, with a focus on how transition metals reshape molecular processes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Inspired by nature’s precise metal coordination and redox control, we seek to uncover how dysregulated metal–protein interactions alter protein structure, aggregation, and cellular homeostasis in neurodegeneration.

Specifically, we aim to construct generalizable chemical platforms that integrate synthetic inorganic chemistry with chemical biology to decode and regulate the metal–ALS axis. Our research program encompasses the rational design of activity-based metal complexes, small-molecule probes, and chemical modulators to interrogate and control disease-relevant metal reactivity. By correlating electronic structure, coordination environment, and redox properties of transition metal complexes with biological function, we establish mechanistically guided strategies to understand and therapeutically modulate pathological metal networks.

Through the seamless integration of synthesis, spectroscopy, mechanistic analysis, and computational modeling, we strive to transform molecular-level insight into chemistry-driven intervention strategies for neurodegenerative disease.