An Assistant Professor in the Molecular Biology Department at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dr. Tagliabracci has made high impact discoveries with pseudokinases. Also known as zombie enzymes, pseudokinases were once thought to be inactive because they lack key amino acid residues needed for phosphorylation, the chemistry that defines the more than 500 known protein kinases in humans. Dr. Tagliabracci’s laboratory showed that some pseudokinases are actually active and work through different kinds of chemistry that can govern the spread of deadly bacteria and have important implications for a number of diseases, including cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders.
The Hackerman Award provides Dr. Tagliabracci with a personal award of $100,000.