Sue-Ann Mok PhD

Dr. Mok is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry. The Mok lab research program aims to reveal the molecular details of aggregation pathways for tau and other proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases. One of their primary goals is to identify cellular conditions and factors that manipulate or obstruct the formation of pathological aggregates. To carry out their program, the Mok lab utilizes a broad toolkit of methodologies including high-throughput biochemistry, cell model engineering and induced pluripotent stem cell systems. As an example, Dr. Mok has developed a high-throughput, small-scale platform to perform direct cross comparisons of tau aggregate structures in vitro. This experimental platform, combined with their other innovative approaches, uniquely position them to tackle projects such as decoding the key tau sequence elements directing its misfolding into specific structures or revealing how molecular chaperones directly inhibit tau aggregation.