THE SULLIVAN LAB
"The more intelligent the question we ask of Mother Nature,
the more intelligent will be her reply."
-- Sir Charles Sherrington
WHAT DO WE DO?
We study the regulation of gene expression in a fascinating protozoan parasite
called Toxoplasma gondii. Toxoplasma, a relative of the malarial parasite,
causes congenital birth defects, as well as opportunistic infection in AIDS,
cancer chemotherapy, and organ transplant patients. There is also recent evidence suggesting
that this parasite is linked to neurological disorders, such as schizophrenia and behavior modification.
We hypothesize that the proteins controlling gene expression at epigenetic, transcriptional,
and translational levels may represent novel drug targets to fight Toxoplasma
and other infectious diseases.
Shown here are Toxoplasma parasites inside
human fibroblast cells
Follow the links below for more about...
Breaking news...
Dr. Bradley Joyce, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Sullivan’s lab, has been selected to speak at the Cold Spring Harbor Meeting on Translation Control in September, 2008.
Dr. Sullivan was a 2008 IUSM Trustee Teaching Award recipient.
Dr. Sullivan has been made a member of the editorial board for the journal Eukaryotic Cell for 2009-2012.
Dr. Sullivan has been invited to speak at a Toxoplasma Centennial Congress being held in Buzios, Brazil in September, 2008.
Dr. Bradley Joyce, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Sullivan’s lab, was an invited speaker at the Chicago-Area Mycology & Parasitology meeting in April 2008. Dr. Joyce presented findings that were recently published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry in an article entitled, “Translation Regulation by Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-2 Kinases in the Development of Latent Cysts in Toxoplasma gondii.”
Stacy Dixon, an MD/PhD student in Dr. Sullivan’s lab, was selected to participate in the prestigious 2008 ASM Kadner Institute program for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars based on her research of histone modifications and transcription regulation.
WHERE ARE WE?
Indiana University School of Medicine
Dept of Pharmacology & Toxicology
IU Center of Environmental Health
635 Barnhill Drive, MS A-515
Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
317-278-9017 (lab)
Click here for more about Indianapolis
CONTACT: wjsulliv@iupui.edu Last update: Oct, 2008