Tarmo P. Roosild, Ph.D.
Assistant Member, Department of Drug Development
Dr. Roosild earned his B.A. in Biochemistry and Cellular Biology with summa cum laude honors from the University of California, San Diego. Following graduation, he completed a five-year tour of duty as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy's nuclear Submarine Force, including certification by the Department of Energy as a Nuclear Engineer. Dr. Roosild returned to UCSD to earn his Ph.D. in Structural Biochemistry. His postdoctoral fellowship was co nducted at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies where he was a member of their NCI-designated Cancer Center. His research there culminated in the discovery of a novel protein called Mistic, which has been acknowledged by Chemical & Engineering News, the journal of the American Chemical Society, as one of the top four breakthroughs in the field of biochemistry in 2005 ( read "Chemistry Highlights 2005") . Dr. Roosild joined the Nevada Cancer Institute's Division of Drug Development in 2006.
Dr. Roosild's research focus is on the structure elucidation of membrane proteins that underlie the molecular processes of neoplastic transformation, metastases, and cell proliferation, as well as the structure-based design of novel therapeutic agents to target these and other proteins. His laboratory uses X-ray crystallography, in combination with biochemical and biophysical assays, to determine the structural mechanisms by which these critical molecules lead to carcinogenesis and to thus uncover new approaches to cancer treatment.
Roosild Lab
Publications
Roosild, T. P.,Castronovo, S., Miller, S., Li, C., Rasmussen, T., Bartlett, W., Gunasekera, B., Choe, S. and Booth, I.R. (2009) KTN (RCK) domains regulate K+ channels and transporters by controlling the dimer-hinge conformation.Structure, 17, 893-903.
Roosild, T. P., Castronovo, S., Fabbiani, M. and Pizzorno, G. (2009) Implications of the structure of human uridine phosphorylase 1 on the development of novel inhibitors for improving the therapeutic window of fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy. BMC Structural Biology, 9, 14.
