I joined the Virdee lab in 2025 in which I study the cellular cues that activate MYCBP2 E3 ligase activity in neuronal cells. MYCBP2 has exclusive esterification activity and is crucial in neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration. Its role in programmed axon degeneration after nerve injury, a process known as Wallerian degeneration, makes it a promising target in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. My project goal is to identify the regulatory mechanism of the ligase using innovative activity-based probes allowing for a read-out of E3 ligase activity in cells by proteomics.

Prior to joining the Virdee lab, I studied the regulation of ubiquitin chain decoration of proteins by underexplored Deubiquitylases in the Gersch group at the MPI of Molecular Physiology and TU Dortmund.