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.