Joanna M Lee

Modeling and molecular dynamic studies of the racetam drug target SV2A

Research

Levetiracetam has been effectively administered as an anticonvsulsant drug under the trade name Keppra. However very little is known about it's target including the native ligand of this protein. The target protein (SV2A) is a membrane protein which sits within the synaptic vesicle membrane and homology studies have shown that SV2A has sequence similarities to MFS transporters. There is no determined structure for SV2A, therefore I am using molecular dynamics in order to build a model of the protein and better understand the protein's structural features. This project is supervised by Dr. Phil Biggin and Florence Lebon at UCB.

Background

I completed an undergraduate MChem in Chemistry with Industrial Experience at the University of Edinburgh in June 2011. This degree entailed a year working at the Unilever R&D department at Colworth, Bedfordshire.

In October 2011 I became a graduate student at Lady Margaret Hall, also joining the Biggin Group as a DPhil student.

Publications

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