Timeline

Research interest

Dan’s previous work in the lab of Giovanna Mallucci revolved around the activation and modulation of the unfolded protein response in neurodegenerative disease. Dan focussed on the PERK pathway and worked to identify novel modulatory mechanisms of PERK and their relevance during disease.

In the Balmus Lab Dan will be studying the interplay between the unfolded protein response and DNA damage responses. Dan hopes to identify important regulators of both pathways and explore their relevance in neurodegeneration.

Selected Publications

Hughes, D. T., M. Halliday, H. L. Smith, N. C. Verity, C. Molloy, H. Radford, A. J. Butcher and G. R. Mallucci (2020). "Targeting the kinase insert loop of PERK selectively modulates PERK signaling without systemic toxicity in mice." Sci Signal 13(644).

Smith, H. L., O. J. Freeman, A. J. Butcher, S. Holmqvist, I. Humoud, T. Schatzl, D. T. Hughes, N. C. Verity, D. P. Swinden, J. Hayes, L. de Weerd, D. H. Rowitch, R. J. M. Franklin and G. R. Mallucci (2020). "Astrocyte Unfolded Protein Response Induces a Specific Reactivity State that Causes Non-Cell-Autonomous Neuronal Degeneration." Neuron 105(5): 855-866.e855.

Hughes, D. and G. R. Mallucci (2018). "The unfolded protein response in neurodegenerative disorders - therapeutic modulation of the PERK pathway." FEBS J.

Hughes, D. and M. Halliday (2017). "What Is Our Current Understanding of PrP(Sc)-Associated Neurotoxicity and Its Molecular Underpinnings?" Pathogens 6(4).

Halliday, M. Hughes, D. Mallucci, GR. (2017). “Fine tuning PERK signaling for neuroprotection” Journal of Neurochemistry.