Dr. Judith Frydman

Biography

Judith Frydman is a professor in the Department of Biology at Stanford University, where she holds the Donald Kennedy Chair and serves as Co-director of the Glenn Institute of Aging. Her research focuses on the cellular mechanisms that enable the correct folding of proteins, which is critical for human health. Understanding how the cellular proteome manages to maintain a correctly folded functional state is fundamental for developing innovative therapeutics for various diseases. Frydman’s lab investigates the protein folding problem and its implications for aging and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The lab employs a multidisciplinary approach that combines structural biophysics, molecular genetics, computational biology, and cellular imaging to explore proteostasis, the balance of protein folding in living cells. Collaborating with labs around the world, Frydman seeks to define the mechanisms through which chaperones support protein function and resilience against stress, ultimately illuminating the pathways that fail in disease. This work aims to inform the development of therapeutic strategies to combat aging and related disorders.

Research Interests