Eunice Domínguez Martín, Ph.D.

Sections

Eunice Domínguez Martín, Ph.D.
Title
Postdoctoral Fellow
Department
Biochemistry
Institution
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH
Address
Porter Neuroscience Research Center
35 Convent Drive, Building 35A, Room 2C-911
City, State, ZIP
Bethesda, MD 20892-3704
Phone
301-496-6628
Email
[email protected]
Website
https://neuroscience.nih.gov/ninds/Faculty/Profile/richard-youle.aspx
Research field
Cell Biology; Immunology
Award year
2020
Country of origin
Mexico
Mentor name
Richard J. Youle, Ph.D.

Research

Mitochondria are dynamic intracellular organelles that, in addition to being crucial for energy production, are key players during innate immune responses. Recently, the Youle lab found that in people with early-onset Parkinson’s disease, the loss of proteins responsible for eliminating damaged mitochondria can precipitate inflammation. Therefore, my research at the Youle lab will focus on the molecular mechanisms underlying the relationship between mitochondria and the innate immune response. Using molecular genetics, high-resolution microscopy, immunology, and cell biology techniques, I will explore how proteins involved in mitochondrial quality control regulate STING, a protein that detects cyclic dinucleotides produced either by invading bacteria or by the cell itself in response to free cytosolic DNA. I will assess whether inactivating these proteins in human cell lines promotes STING hyperactivation and triggers inflammation—work that could lead to new strategies for alleviating aberrant immune responses in people with Parkinson’s disease or other neurodegenerative disorders.

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