Craig Simpson - Research

Currently there is a large knowledge gap in the understanding of protein kinase signaling.  Phosphorylation of proteins is important in a number of biological processes ranging from cell growth, differentiation, and death.  Advances in mass spectral detection of phosphorylated peptides has greatly increased our knowledge of phosphorylation events, however the kinases responsible for those events are generally not known.  In this project, I will attempt to narrow this gap by better understanding the biochemistry, binding partners and signaling networks of each protein kinase.

Another aspect of my work in the lab is to better understand the network changes due to observed cancer associated mutations.  Kinases are central to many cancer phenotypes (increased proliferation, increased migratory behavior, and increased metabolism as examples).  Thus my work is focusing on how mutations that are associated with kinases alter signaling networks and how these alterations may lead to the development of cancer.