Drug Discovery

New Avenues to Fight Serious Illness

SJSU researchers focus on new treatments for infectious diseases and bacterial infections, and ways to make existing therapies more effective. Studies also strive to better understand the underlying bases of human diseases, exploring the mechanisms that underlie breast cancer, chronic pain, Alzheimer’s and other dementias, schizophrenia, fetal alcohol syndrome, heart disease, and viral evolution. Below is a rotating selection of our standout investigators in these areas.

   ○ Recent News and Highlights
   ○ Related Strength: Biotechnology

• Selected Publications

  • Huynh F., et al., (2020). β-Cell-specific ablation of sirtuin 4 does not affect nutrient-stimulated insulin secretion in mice. American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism, 319(4).

    Payumo, A., et al., (2021). Adrenergic-Thyroid Hormone Interactions Drive Postnatal Thermogenesis and Loss of Mammalian Heart Regenerative Capacity. Circulation, 144(12).

    Pickett, M., et al., (2022). Separable mechanisms drive local and global polarity establishment in the Caenorhabditis elegans intestinal epithelium. Development, 149(22).

• Award Highlights

  • French, “The Role of Insulin Signaling in Developmental Ethanol Toxicity” — Department of Health & Human Services, 2020

    Radlauer, “Metallopolymers as Functional Metalloprotein Mimics with Secondary Coordination Sphere Interactions.” — NIH, NIGMS, 2020

    Radlauer, “LEAPS-MPS: Confinement of Organometallic Complexes within Structured Polymers for Site-Isolated Tandem Catalysis” — NSF, 2021

    Wang, "Elucidating the Mechanism for Allosteric Regulation of SIRT1 through the N-Terminal Region" — NIH, 2023

    Wang, “Intramolecular Allosteric Regulation of SIRT1 Deacetylase Activity by the N-terminal Domain” — NIH, 2019

    Paul, Visintainer, Pizarro, Wilkinson, “Transforming Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Through Culturally Sustaining, Active, and Asset-Based Approaches to Introductory Science Courses” — NSF, 2020

    Wilkinson, “Control of Muscle Proprioceptor Sensitivity” — NIGMS, 2018

• Innovations

  • Baronated Nanoscale Sustate and Uses Thereof [pdf]
    Method for grafting boron shells onto diamond nanoparticles, enabling targeted boron neutron capture therapy for improved treatments.
    

    Nano Star Technology [pdf]
    New platform for targeted drug delivery and imaging.

• Affiliates

  • CSUBIOTECH

    CSU STEM-​NET

Featured Faculty

Rachael French
Department Chair of Biological Sciences
Drosophila, Ethanol, Development, Fetal Alcohol Effects, Behavior
ORCID: 0000-0001-9974-4293

Frank Huynh
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
Physiology, Metabolism, Endocrinology, Insulin, Leptin, Diabetes, Obesity, Sirtuins, Aging, Diet
ORCID: 0000-0002-4764-9558

Alexander Payumo
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
Understanding why mammals lose the ability to regenerate their hearts after birth
ORCID: 0000-0002-7733-9622

Melissa Pickett
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
Epithelial Cell Polarity, C. elegans, Intestine
ORCID: 0000-0001-8364-4757

Madalyn Radlauer
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Chemistry, Catalysis, Organometallics, Inorganic, Polymers, Environmental and Health Applications
ORCID: 0000-0002-3226-5340

Ningkun Wang
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Allosteric Regulation of Enzymes, SIRT1, Conformational Change, Intrinsically Disordered Proteins, Alzheimer's, Type II Diabetes
ORCID: 0000-0003-3545-5323

Katie Wilkinson
Professor of Biological Sciences
Neurophysiology, Sensory Physiology, Motor Control, Proprioception, Muscle Spindle, Physiology
ORCID: 0000-0002-2692-5533

Potential collaborators and members of the media may contact us at officeofresearch@sjsu.edu.