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Christopher Lapointe

Assistant Professor

Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Taking Rotation Students: Yes
Rotation Quarters: Autumn, Winter, Spring

Research

Dysregulated protein synthesis is a near-universal feature of cancer and broadly implicated in disease. Yet, molecular mechanisms for how translation is controlled remain poorly defined. This is particularly evident for the rate-limiting translation initiation phase. To overcome longstanding roadblocks, my research group pioneers single-molecule approaches to examine human translation initiation as it occurs with unrivaled resolution. When combined with biochemical, structural, and cellular strategies, we develop high-resolution models – both temporally and atomically – that provide a dynamic and animated understanding of key initiation steps.