Sarah E. Walker

Sarah E. Walker is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University at Buffalo, College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on translational control mechanisms in gene expression, particularly investigating the roles of eukaryotic initiation factors (eIFs) in mRNA recruitment, ribosome function, and stress responses. She leads the Walker Lab, which employs biochemical, genetic, and global translation surveys in yeast and mammalian cells to study how dysregulation of these factors contributes to diseases like cancer.

Dr. Walker holds a PhD from The Ohio State University and completed postdoctoral research at Johns Hopkins University and the National Institutes of Health. Her work bridges basic molecular mechanisms with translational applications, including uncovering how eIF4B modifications affect breast cancer metastasis and immune evasion. She has developed innovative protocols for CRISPR gene editing in yeast education and advanced methods for ribosome preparation.

Her research highlights dynamic posttranslational modifications of translation factors, such as eIF4A phosphorylation linking protein synthesis to cell division, and eIF1A methylation influencing start codon usage. Recent findings include eIF4B's role in translating stress-responsive mRNAs and its impact on metastatic growth. These studies reveal how translational control mediates cellular adaptation to environmental and pathological conditions.

• Key Lab Focus Areas: Translation initiation, ribosome-mRNA interactions, cancer biology, stress signaling.
• Methodologies: Biochemical reconstitution, CRISPR editing, global translation profiling.
• Notable Projects: Investigating eIF4B in breast cancer metastasis, eIF4A dynamics during the cell cycle.