Dr. Wek is the Showalter Professor of biochemistry who directs a laboratory that addresses how cells cope with stress
Our research is focused on how cells recognize stress and induce gene expression pathways to alleviate damage.
Dr. Wek's research interests include: The mechanisms regulating a family of eIF-2 protein kinases and the physiological advantages this altered pattern of gene expression provides for stressed cells.
Research in the Wek laboratory addresses how cells cope with stress, including nutrient deprivation and disruptions in protein folding. This research identified stress recognition pathways, gene expression programs designed to adapt to stress, and the processes by which these pathways contribute to health and disease.
Research: Cellular and Molecular Metabolism