Research Areas

Research in our laboratory is focused on the development of novel chemistries and next-generation mass spectrometry (MS) instrumentation to better understand the molecular basis of health and disease. In particular, we develop novel gas-phase reactions, instrumentation, sample preparation strategies, and computational tools to study metabolite, lipid, glycan, protein, and drug analytes. We often combine these methodologies with imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) technologies, bringing together the molecular specificity of mass spectrometry with the spatial fidelity of microscopic imaging capabilities to enable the visualization of biochemical processes directly in tissue specimens. We also complement our imaging studies with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) techniques to enable deep and multi-omic dives into complex samples. The significance of this work lies in its application, in collaboration with biologists and clinicians, to the study of tissue samples. Leveraging novel chemical analysis strategies, we aim to understand the molecular events associated with important problems in human health and the environment, including cancer, infectious disease, diabetes, and chemical contamination.