Overview

Research in the Mazitschek lab is centered at the interface of biology and organic chemistry, and aims to study biological systems at the molecular level with the tool set offered by modern chemistry. In particular, I am interested in the biology of epigenetic regulators and aminoacyl tRNA synthetases, and their role in cancer, neurology, immunology and infectious diseases.

As a Chemical Biologist, I find it intriguing to use small organic compounds, either derived from nature or rationally developed in our own lab, as tools to study complex cellular processes. Small molecules are in many ways orthogonal and complementary to genetic methods, and offer a degree of resolution that is unattainable by other approaches, therefore providing exceptional spatial and temporal control in mechanistic studies.

Our goal is to establish the “trinity” of small molecule, biological target and cellular phenotype. Such knowledge enables the dissection of molecular pathways that regulate cellular function and the identification of disease-relevant molecular targets.We aim to exploit these in translational research for the development of novel therapeutic approaches to address unmet clinical needs.