Dr. Tom Rapoport

Biography

Tom Rapoport is the Don W. Fawcett Professor of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. He joined the faculty in 1995 and received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Humboldt University in East Berlin. His research work focuses on the mechanisms by which proteins are transported across membranes and the degradation of misfolded proteins. Currently, his laboratory is exploring major questions related to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), particularly the mechanisms of protein translocation to the ER membrane and the process of ER-associated protein degradation (ERAD). The Rapoport Lab employs a variety of techniques, including biochemical methods, structural biology, X-ray crystallography, and cryo-electron microscopy to investigate protein import into organelles and the generation of lamellar bodies from lung surfactant proteins. His contributions to the field of Cell Biology have been significant, particularly in understanding how the fundamental structures of cells are maintained and how proteins function within these structures.

Research Interests

Experience