Description:

Talk Title: "Deciphering TRPV1 polymodal activation mechanisms"

Guest Speaker: Wade Van Horn, PhD; Professor, School of Molecular Sciences Member, Biodesign Center for Personalized Diagnostics. 

Abstract: The Van Horn lab focuses on ion channel studies using biophysical and structural techniques, including NMR and cryo-EM, coupled with cellular electrophysiology experiments. We are particularly interested in understanding thermosensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) channel mechanisms to overcome on-target liabilities that have limited them in therapeutic intervention. 

Brief summary of Dr. Van Horn's research: Dr. Wade Van Horn was an American Heart Association postdoctoral fellow at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine where he was trained in protein biophysics and structural studies, cell culture and electrophysiology studies, and Rosetta-based computational structural biology. Dr. Van Horn moved to Arizona State University in 2012 as an assistant professor and was recently promoted to professor. Dr. Van Horn has successfully recruited outside funding on a variety of projects, including work on understanding the evolution of protein folds (NASA), probing structure and dynamics of non-biological nucleic acids, such as threose nucleic acid (DARPA), and elucidating DNA repair mechanisms (NSF). However, the core focus of his research interest is on membrane protein function, dynamics, and structure, with a particular interest in mechanistic ion channel studies.