Harnessing evolution to understand human disease
Disease vs. Adaptation
Why do genetic mutations causing human disease, also give rise to animal adaptation?
What cellular adaptations are required to survive disease-causing environments?
Can animal genomes serve as blueprints for treating human disease?
The Visual System & Blindness
Human blindness is often caused by retinal degeneration, affecting millions of people globally. These diseases can be caused by mutations in rhodopsin (the rod visual pigment) as well as rapid changes in light intensity. We study how rhodopsin evolves in animals that rapidly move between dark and light environments (Owls, bats, whales). We’ve identified mutations that modulate rhodopsin biochemistry, making it more resistant to retinal degeneration phenotypes. Our goal is to borrow these innovations from nature and convert them into evolution-inspired therapeutics for human blindness.
Antioxidants & Lifespan
We all have natural antioxidant genes in our bodies that help extend our lifespan. In birds, these antioxidants are supercharged, enabling them to live remarkably long lives despite generating large amounts of free radicals during flight. In humans, supercharged antioxidants drive cancer progression. How do birds avoid these negative side-effects? Our lab has found that avian genomes have been rewired by natural selection, enabling them to extend lifespan while minimizing cancer risk. Our goal is to reverse engineer this system and understand how birds got the best of both worlds.
