Our lab focuses on developing new chemical biology and quantitative cellular imaging tools to uncover how cells coordinate the secretion of peptide hormones—small chains of amino acids that circulate in the blood and bind to specific cell receptors. Defects in the storage, maturation (enzymatic cleavage), or secretion of these hormones can lead to various mental and metabolic disorders, including depression, bipolar disorder, and diabetes. Using pancreatic β-cells and neurons as model systems, we investigate how these cells reorganize during peptide hormone production, trafficking, and secretion. Despite the critical role of this secretion mechanism, the cellular signals regulating secretory vesicle maturation are still unclear. To address this knowledge gap, our lab has four main research directions: 

1. Define signaling pathways that regulate peptide hormone maturation.

2. Investigate the biochemical role of inter-organelle communication in regulating secretory systems.

3. Examine the biochemical role of cellular and organelle subtypes in secretory cells.

4. Develop community-based tools to support the next generation of cellular modeling.