Dr. Anna Lena Steckelberg

Biography

Anna-Lena Steckelberg is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at Columbia University. She received her PhD from the University of Cologne, Germany, where her research focused on RNA-protein interactions and their regulation of cellular RNA quality control. During her graduate work, she identified a direct molecular link between the splicing machinery and the exon-junction complex, which is an important regulator of post-transcriptional mRNA fate. As a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Professor Jeffrey Kieft at the University of Colorado, she continued her study of RNA-protein interactions, particularly focusing on the structure, function, and dynamics of viral RNAs that manipulate the cellular RNA decay machinery. Her postdoctoral work characterized a new class of viral RNA elements that resist degradation by cellular exoribonucleases, facilitating the production of viral subgenomic RNAs. Her lab is interested in understanding how viruses manipulate gene expression in infected cells, employing a combination of biochemical, structural (including X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy), and cell biological methods to study these molecular interactions. Through her research, she aims to deepen the understanding of RNA-protein interactions at the host-virus interface and the molecular networks that regulate gene expression in human cells.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards