Dr. Christopher De Graffenried

Biography

Christopher de Graffenried is an Associate Professor in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Brown University, where he has been a faculty member since 2013. He holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and has completed postdoctoral training at Yale University School of Medicine and the University of Vienna. His research focuses on cell biology and specifically on the mechanisms that protozoan parasites employ to generate a wide variety of cellular morphologies. He aims to understand the evolutionary pressures that push eukaryotes to develop unique strategies in performing fundamental cellular processes such as cell division. His laboratory studies the biological processes involved in morphogenesis, primarily using trypanosomatid parasites which are responsible for diseases such as Human African Trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease, and Leishmaniasis. These diseases inflict considerable suffering, particularly in developing nations and among migrant populations in developed countries. His work employs a broad range of cellular and molecular approaches to uncover how parasites have evolved unique methods to exploit fundamental cellular processes, with the ultimate goal of informing drug design efforts for neglected tropical diseases.

Research Interests

Experience

Courses