Lydia Matesic

Lydia Matesic is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of South Carolina, affiliated with the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on the functional roles of ubiquitin ligases ITCH and WWP1 in maintaining cellular homeostasis under stress conditions, with implications in autoimmunity, inflammation, cancer, and cardiovascular biology.

• Expertise in Stem Cells & Developmental Biology
• Specialized in Biology of Cellular Stress and ubiquitin-mediated signaling
• Leadership as Director of the Cardiovascular Technology Program

Her research explores how ITCH and WWP1 regulate protein turnover in immune cells and cardiac tissues, contributing to diseases like inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, and cardiac arrhythmias. Key findings include ITCH's role in inflammatory barrier maintenance and WWP1's involvement in age-associated cardiac dysfunction.

Recent publications highlight investigations into:

• WWP1's role in myocardial aging and breast cancer therapy
• ITCH's regulation of hematopoietic stem cells and intestinal epithelial homeostasis
• Modulation of inflammatory signaling pathways via ubiquitin-editing enzymes
• Development of fetal lung organoid models for interstitial lung disease

Lydia's work bridges molecular mechanisms with translational applications in chronic diseases, though no scientific awards or student advisement details are explicitly listed.