Quynh Chu-LaGraff

Professor of Biological Sciences

Co-Director of Neuroscience

Butterfield Hall 310

Department/Program:
Biology, Neuroscience

Research interests

My research focuses on using Drosophila as a model to understand the biological significance of Palmitoyl Protein Thioesterase 1 and 2 (Ppt1 and Ppt2) during neural development. The research has biomedical significance since defective human PPT1 leads to a fatal pediatric disorder called infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (INCL). The disease is characterized by progressive deterioration of the visual and central nervous system, and the accumulation of unwanted autofluorescent storage materials in the brain.

Publications

Student authors italicized

Balouch, B., Nagorsky H., Pham T., Thai LaGraff, J. and Chu-LaGraff, Q.(2021) Human INCL fibroblasts display abnormal mitochondrial and lysosomal networks and heightened susceptibility to ROS-induced cell death. PLOS ONE, February 9, 2021.
Glaser, R., Hickey, A., Chotkowski, and Chu-LaGraff, Q. (2003). Characterization of Drosophila palmitoyl protein thioesterase 1. Gene 312:271-9.
Chu-LaGraff, Q., Kang, X.W., Messer, A. (2001). Expression of the Huntington’s Disease transgene in neural stem cell cultures from R6/2 transgenic mice. Brain Research Bulletin 56(3-4):307-12.