University of California-San Francisco · PharmacologyViral Protein Therapeutics Lab
William Degrado · San Francisco, California
Research Focus
Dr. William Degrado's lab at UCSF explores how proteins work by studying their structures and functions. They focus on viral proteins, particularly those found in influenza and coronaviruses, to design new drugs that can block these viruses, especially those that have become resistant to current treatments. The lab also aims to create new proteins that can assist in drug binding and nutrient transport, contributing to advancements in therapeutic developments.
protein designviral ion channelsinfluenzacoronavirusesdrug resistanceproton conductionmembrane proteinstherapeuticsprotein structureprotein function
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the structure and inhibition mechanisms of viral ion channels.
AIM 02Design proteins that effectively bind small molecules.
AIM 03Explore the role of water networks in proton conduction pathways.
AIM 04Develop novel membrane proteins for nutrient transport.
AIM 05Test newly designed proteins in living organisms.
Skills the Lab Values
protein crystallographycomputational biologyde novo protein designmembrane protein assaysin vivo testingsmall molecule binding studiesproton transport experimentswater dynamics analysisdrug design methodologies
Output against the department
Publications758top 4% of dept.18th of 462
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations53ktop 4% of dept.20th of 462
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.