Ludwig Princeton’s Vanha Nhat Pham, a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Branch Director Joshua Rabinowitz, was named the inaugural Ludwig Cancer Research-Jane Coffin Childs Fellow in July. Over the course of the three-year fellowship, Vanha will explore the roles molecular components of cell membranes known as phospholipids play in cellular physiology. With a few notable exceptions, phospholipids have traditionally been seen as interchangeable in their biological function—mainly the modulation of membrane structure and fluidity. There are, however, several hundred chemically distinct varieties of phospholipids in cells, inviting the question of what necessitates such diversity. There is some evidence that they might have more complex roles in cell biology than is generally presumed. For example, specific changes in the phospholipid profile of cell membranes accompany several diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. Further, Vanha’s own preliminary studies have uncovered variations in the distribution of different species of phospholipids across distinct regions of the brain. Vanha hypothesizes that, based on their chemical characteristics and locations within cells and tissues, phospholipids are likely to have varied roles in molecular communication that affect the fate and function of cells. She has proposed a series of studies employing cutting-edge technologies for large-scale molecular analysis—including many pioneered by Ludwig Princeton—to examine that idea.
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