Nicolas Lehrbach

Dr. Nicolas Lehrbach is an Assistant Professor in the Basic Sciences Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. His research focuses on cellular protein degradation pathways, particularly proteasome regulation, and their roles in aging, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and rare genetic disorders like NGLY1 deficiency. He leads the Lehrbach Lab, which employs C. elegans as a primary model organism for genetic screens and molecular analyses.

Education:

• PhD, University of Cambridge (2010)
• MPhil, Developmental Biology, University of Cambridge (2006)
• BSc (Hons), University of Sydney (2004)

Research Focus: Dr. Lehrbach investigates how cells regulate protein degradation via the proteasome and the SKN-1A/Nrf1 transcription factor. His work aims to uncover mechanisms that could lead to therapies for conditions where proteasome dysfunction occurs, such as neurodegeneration or cancer resistance. Key areas include:

• Dynamic control of proteasome activity in health and disease
• Genetic compensation pathways in NGLY1 deficiency
• Proteasome inhibitor resistance in cancer
• Aging and protein homeostasis collapse

Publications: His 15 most recent articles (2013–2025) emphasize proteasome regulation, SKN-1A/Nrf1 signaling, and C. elegans genetics. Trends include molecular analyses of protein degradation, stress response pathways, and genetic screens for disease mechanisms.

Awards: No scientific awards are mentioned in the provided text.

Lab & Team: The Lehrbach Lab develops C. elegans reporters for high-throughput screens to identify novel regulators of protein degradation. Current projects explore therapeutic strategies for proteasome-related disorders.