The Salk Institute responds to COVID-19 - Episode 018

Satchin Panda is a professor in Salk’s Regulatory Biology Laboratory. He explores the genes, molecules and cells that keep the whole body on the same biological clock, also known as a circadian rhythm. On this episode of Where Cures Begin, Panda talks about what a biological clock is, how living in sync with your clock can improve your health, and how growing up in India informed his research.

Dmitry Lyumkis is an assistant professor in Salk’s Laboratory of Genetics. He is using an imaging technique called cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to better understand the structure and function of proteins. On this episode of Where Cures Begin, Lyumkis talks about his transition from the Soviet Union to the USA, what three-dimensional images can reveal about protein assemblies, and why Salk is such an inspirational place to pursue science.

Julie Law is an associate professor in Salk's Plant Cellular and Molecular Biology Laboratory. She studies chemical modifications to DNA that control genes. On this episode of Where Cures Begin, she describes why gene control matters, how her research may help address global warming, and what she enjoys doing outside of the lab. 

Gerald Pao is a staff scientist in the lab of Professor Tony Hunter. Trained in molecular biology, he has diverse research interests. On this episode of Where Cures Begin, Pao discusses his international upbringing, his coronavirus research, and trying to make animals transparent.

Nikki Lytle is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Professor Geoffrey Wahl. She studies protein interactions involved in cancer. On this episode of Where Cures Begin, Lytle discusses growing up in rural Oregon, what she loves about science, and why she said she’d never work on cancer (but does now).

Tom Albright is a professor and director of Salk's Vision Center Laboratory. He combines physiological, neurological and computational studies, to reveal how the brain enables humans to perceive and respond to varying sensory demands. On this episode of Where Cures Begin, Albright talks about eyewitness recognition, the neuroscience of architecture, and why he's not a fan of sweet potatoes. 

Ron Evans is a professor and director of Salk’s Gene Expression Laboratory. He is an authority on hormones, both their normal activities and their roles in disease. On this episode of Where Cures Begin, Evans talks about discovering the first hormone receptors, “exercise-in-a-pill,” and how heart surgery changed his attitude about playing the guitar.

In this bonus episode of Where Cures Begin, we hear about the parallels between polio and COVID-19, and how Salk is responding to the pandemic, from faculty in Salk's NOMIS Center for Immunobiology and Microbial Pathogenesis. Professor Susan Kaech aims to understand how memory T cells are produced during infection and vaccination, how they function and why they can fail to induce long-term immunity, particularly during chronic disease or cancer. Professor Greg Lemke discovered a family of proteins called TAM receptors, which play a crucial role in regulating the response of the immune system to infection from bacteria, viruses and other pathogens. Professor Martin Hetzer is Salk's VP/CSO, responsible for providing leadership in developing and implementing Salk’s overall scientific strategy, as well as overseeing research operations in support of that strategy. Additionally, his lab uses a variety of techniques to pose questions about how the human genome is organized inside a cell’s nucleus.  

Martin Hetzer is a Salk’s vice president, chief science officer, and a professor. He uses a variety of techniques to pose questions about how adult tissues are maintained and repaired and why long-lived cells fail to work properly as a cell ages. On this episode of Where Cures Begin, Hetzer talks about why chronological age is different than biological age; what it means to be Salk’s Chief Science Officer; and what he learned from his grandfather the veterinarian.

Tatyana Sharpee is a professor in Salk’s Computational Neurobiology Laboratory. She seeks to understand how the brain and other biological systems work while their components are constantly changing. On this episode of Where Cures Begin, Sharpee talks about how she studies vision and our other senses; growing up in a family of scientists; and her takeaways from the movie A Beautiful Mind.