Yale University · PharmacologyLaboratory of Cholesterol and Lipid Metabolism
Assaf Alon · New Haven, Connecticut
Research Focus
The lab led by Assaf Alon at Yale University focuses on understanding the roles of the EXPERA family of proteins in cholesterol and lipid metabolism. These proteins, including the sigma-2 receptor and TM6SF2, are significant in various diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's, and metabolic disorders. The lab employs structural biology techniques to explore protein interactions and develop therapeutic strategies that could lead to novel treatments.
EXPERA proteinscholesterol metabolismsigma-2 receptorTM6SF2lipid metabolismtherapeutic targetsmetabolic disordersdrug discoveryprotein interaction networks
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the biological role of sigma-2 receptor in cholesterol homeostasis.
AIM 02Characterize protein interactions of sigma-2 under various stress conditions.
AIM 03Discover novel ligands for TM6SF2 to better understand its function in lipid metabolism.
AIM 04Use structural biology techniques to elucidate key protein complexes involved in sterol trafficking.
AIM 05Develop targeted therapies for diseases like MASLD and Alzheimer's disease based on the understanding of EXPERA proteins.
Skills the Lab Values
structural biologyprotein crystallizationligand-binding assaysvirtual dockingcell culturemolecular cloningprotein purificationWestern blotbioinformaticshigh-throughput screening
Output against the department
Publications44bottom 5% of dept.439th of 462
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations2.0kbottom 13% of dept.403rd 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.