Dr. Penny Handford

Biography

Penny Handford investigates how mammalian cells interact with their extracellular environment in health and disease, particularly focusing on Notch receptor activation. Her research aims to understand the cell surface organization of Notch receptors, their interaction with ligands, and the regulation of these processes through a variety of molecular, cellular, and whole organism methods. The Notch pathway is a universally conserved signaling system in metazoan organisms and plays key roles in development, regulating crucial processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Dysregulations in the Notch pathway can lead to diseases such as various cancers due to gene mutations in its components. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying receptor-ligand recognition and activation could pave the way for novel therapies that modify Notch signaling in biological processes. Furthermore, her research involves studying fibrillin-1 microfibrils in the regulation of TGFß activation, which is crucial for extracellular matrix functioning. By examining the structure, assembly, and interactions of extracellular matrix fibrillins, Dr. Handford's group is uncovering mechanisms behind connective tissue disorders like Marfan syndrome and acromelic dysplasias, employing advanced structural studies and experimental systems to track the roles of normal and mutant fibrillin-1 forms.

Research Interests