ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0722-5160

Biography: The Heppner lab studies molecules, proteins, and cells to develop innovative solutions to persistent challenges in human health. We apply an integrative approach through a combination of medicinal chemistry, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, biophysics, and structural biology to discover and design novel therapeutics and molecular tools for biological applications. Our research is equally directed to understand protein structural and mechanistic essentials that control biochemical processes important in cancer biology and other diseases. Current areas of interest include: Discovery and design of first-in-class small molecule inhibitors as targeted therapies in cancer and other diseases; Structural and functional understanding of post-translational modifications at protein cysteine residues; Pharmacology and structural biology of metalloproteins and redox enzymes.