Welcome to the Ortlund Lab
We use sophisticated structural biology techniques such as x-ray crystallography and mass spectrometry coupled with an array of biochemical techniques to gain a molecular level understanding of transcriptional signaling - with a particular focus on lipid mediated signaling and transport. We currently pursue structural and biochemical studies of human nuclear receptors, which are lipid regulated transcription factors that play central roles in development, cancer, stress and metabolism. We have also made seminal contributions to the field of molecular evolution using nuclear receptors as a model system to study how tight molecular partnerships evolve.
Latest News
- June 2020, New Publication. Congratulations to the Ortlund Lab for their Journal of Medical Chemistry publication titled, "Development of the First Low Nanomolar Liver Receptor Homolog-1 Agonist through Structure-guided Design". The authors include former lab members Suzanne Mays, Denise Okafor, Heather Donalson, and current members Elizabeth Millings and lab director and professor, Eric Ortlund.
- April 2020, Successful PhD Defense. Matthew Tillman, PhD, successfully defended his thesis and will be joining Dr. Rawls’ Lab at Duke University, fall 2020.
- January 2020, New Publication. The lab published a paper titled, "Rewiring Ancient Residue Interaction Networks Drove the Evolution of Specificity in Steroid Receptors," in Structure. Denise Okafor is first author.
- August 2019, Congratulations! Congratulations to postdoctoral fellow Dr. Denise Okafor on accepting a position as an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Pennsylvania State University! We are so proud of you, Denise!
- May 2019, New Grant. Congratulations to Filipp Frank and Dr. Ortlund on receiving a Winship Invest$ Grant!
- January 2019, New Travel Award. Congratulations to Emma D'Agostino on being invited to attend the 2019 RapiData course at SLAC (Stanford University); Emma also received a travel award for this course.
- January 2019, Invited Presentation.Congratulations to Filipp Frank on being invited to give a talk at the 2019 Keystone Symposium on RNA-Protein Interactions/Long Non-Coding RNAs
- January 2019, Poster Presentation.Congratulations to Cato on presenting a poster at the 2019 DSAC Symposium.
- January 2019, Award. Congratulations to Emma D'Agostino on earning 1st place in the Oral Presentation category at the 2019 DSAC Symposium.
- January 2019, Award.Congratulations to Matt Tillman on earning 2nd place in the Oral Presentation category at the 2019 DSAC Symposium.
- December 2018, New Travel Award. Congratulations to Emma D'Agostino on earning a travel award to present a poster at the 2019 ASBMB Conference in Orlando, Florida.
