Lab - Former

Sungsu Kim’s research goal is to understand the pathogenic mechanisms underlying metabolic complications of the nervous system. In particular, he is interested in neuropathies in human metabolic disorder such as diabetes and Alzheimer disease (AD). In addition, Sungsu’s background is in molecular and cell biology, biochemistry, and Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) and mouse genetics, with expertise in high-throughput image/data acquisition and computational analysis. As Ph.D. graduate student under the mentorship of Dr. Aaron DiAntonio, Sungsu developed image-based membrane trafficking assays, and applying Drosophila genetics tools, successfully characterized functions of the novel type 1 diabetes and autoimmune disease susceptibility gene ema/CLEC16A in the endosomal trafficking and autophagy. To study diabetic peripheral neuropathy, he has explored potential metabolic interaction between Schwann cells and neurons/axons during his postdoctoral training in Dr. Milbrandt’s lab.

Matthew Lalli is a post-doc in the Milbrandt and Mitra labs interested in understanding neurological diseases using patient derived stem cells. He is trying to apply new technologies to improve disease-in-a-dish modeling by expanding the number of relevant cell types we can generate. Through Cas9-based transcriptional modulation of disease-causing genes, he hopes to discover molecular underpinnings of disease phenotypes. Altogether, these projects have the potential to identify novel targets for treating neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and autism.

Daniel Summers’ work revolves around how protein homeostasis pathways influence axon health and susceptibility to disease.  His interest in this topic began as a graduate student in the lab of Doug Cyr at UNC-Chapel Hill, where he investigated how chaperone networks recognize unfolded proteins and regulate their disposal. As a joint postdoctoral fellow in the Milbrandt and DiAntonio labs, Daniel identified fundamental properties in the pro-degenerative factor SARM1 that promote the destruction of injured axons.  He is merging his interests in protein homeostasis and axon health to characterize novel pathways that regulate the degradation of neuron survival factors in the axon.  Daniel is currently supported by a grant from the Muscular Dystrophy Association with the hope of identifying new and potent avenues for therapeutic intervention in neurological disorders.

Mihir received his BA in biology from the University of Chicago in 2011 and a PhD in neuroscience from UCSF in 2017. His thesis work in Kaveh Ashrafi’s lab included establishing that the tryptophan metabolite kynurenic acid is a neuromodulator indicating nutrient status to the nervous system to control learning, brain aging, and tauopathy. In the Milbrandt lab he is studying mechanisms of SARM1 activation and its role in mediating axon degeneration.

Mark studied Biomedical Engineering as an Undergraduate at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio before moving to St. Louis to continue his training with MD and Ph.D. degrees at Washington University in St Louis. He is currently a second-year resident physician in the Clinical Pathology Physician  Scientist Training Program in the Department of Pathology and Immunology. Drawing from his backgrounds in engineering, medicine, and biophysics, he is investigating the structural and functional evolution of SARM1 TIR NADase activity through a combination of computational and experimental approaches. Outside of the lab, Mark enjoys cooking, yoga, and fly-fishing.