- Assistant Professor, Biochemistry
- Assistant Professor, Biology
- Structural Biology Initiative, Advanced Science Research Center
Research Interests
- protein and RNA granules
- intracellular liquid organelles
- protein assembly and aggregation
- neurophysiology and degeneration
Education
- Ph.D., Yale University
Shana Elbaum-Garfinkle is an interdisciplinary scientist, working at the interface of biology, physics, and engineering. She conducts research at the forefront of cell biology to reveal the fundamental principles underlying phase separation of biomolecules into liquid materials. Elbaum-Garfinkle’s research group leverages this new paradigm to identify novel therapeutic targets for treating neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, and traumatic brain injury. Employing diverse expertise in protein biochemistry, material science engineering, and C. elegans genetics, the Elbaum-Garfinkle group tackles these problems with unprecedented resolution across length scales that span the molecular, material, and organismal levels.
Elbaum-Garfinkle received her Ph.D. from Yale University in molecular biophysics and biochemistry in 2012 after graduating from Hunter College’s Thomas Hunter Honors Program with a B.A. in physics. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Princeton University, where she worked with Clifford Brangwynne. She was awarded the prestigious NIH K99/R00 career award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to jumpstart her independent research career