Contact Details

Wellcome Trust Research Career Development Fellow,
Division of Structural Biology,
Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine,
Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK

Telephone: (+44) (0)1865 287564
E-mail: christian@strubi.ox.ac.uk

Research Areas

We are interested in the molecular mechanisms of hedgehog signalling. A handful of secreted growth factors and morphogens are responsible for almost all developmental decisions during embryogenesis and, among these, Hedgehog (Hh) family proteins are ubiquitous players in tissue growth, patterning and morphogenesis. Dysregulation of Hh signalling has pathological consequences, triggering developmental defects, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Hh-signalling is an intensely active field of research, with recent results underlining the clinical potential of modulating this pathway. Multiple cell surface receptors (Ptc, Smo, CDO, Hip, Gas1, etc.) transduce and/or regulate Hh signals (see Figure).

Our group aims to unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying Hh ligand reception and gradient formation and, ultimately, to understand how the Hh signal is transduced through the cell membrane. We are focusing on the structural and biophysical characterisation of secreted and full-length membrane-bound versions of Hh receptors and Hh ligand-receptor complexes. To achieve this, we are using a combination of X-ray crystallography, biophysical and cell culture-based methods. Our structural and functional studies will interface with in vivo functional studies carried out in the laboratory of our collaborator Prof. Roger Patient (WIMM, Oxford).