Michael HodsdonView profile
Adjunct Associate Professor
Michael Hodsdon is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Yale School of Medicine. His research focuses on understanding how the structural and biophysical properties of proteins contribute to disease pathophysiology, with particular emphasis on hormone-receptor interactions and drug-metabolizing enzymes. Dr. Hodsdon received his educational training through a prestigious medical scientist pathway: B.S. from Indiana University (1989) M.D. and Ph.D. from Washington University in St. Louis (1997) Laboratory Medicine Residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital (1998-2000) Research Fellowship at Yale University (2000-2001) His research program utilizes NMR spectroscopy as a central tool to determine three-dimensional protein structures in solution and monitor biophysical properties under physiological conditions. Dr. Hodsdon's laboratory investigates several key biomedical protein systems, with major projects focusing on the molecular basis for pH-dependent regulation of protein hormone function, the molecular mechanism for hematopoietic cytokine receptor activation, and the biophysical characterization of polymorphic drug-metabolizing enzymes. His work on human prolactin (PRL) and growth hormone (GH) has revealed critical insights into how pH variations affect hormone-receptor recognition and activation, with implications for intracellular trafficking of endocytosed hormone-receptor complexes. In the area of drug metabolism, his research on thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) has elucidated how genetic polymorphisms affect protein stability and function, contributing to variable drug responses among patients. Analysis of Dr. Hodsdon's publication record from 2002-2010 reveals a consistent focus on protein structure-function relationships, particularly examining how histidine residues mediate pH-dependent changes in protein conformation and activity. His research spans multiple biological systems including hormone receptors, metabolic enzymes, and membrane transport proteins, demonstrating an interdisciplinary approach that bridges structural biology, biochemistry, and clinical medicine. The methodologies employed across these studies prominently feature NMR spectroscopy, complemented by biochemical and cellular approaches. Dr. Hodsdon has received several notable recognitions for his contributions to medical science: Ellis Benson Award from the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists (2009) Laboratory Medicine Residency Program Teaching Award from Yale School of Medicine (2002) Bristol Meyers-Squibb Fellow of the Irvington Institute for Immunological Research (2000) Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Medical Scientist Fellowship from Washington University (1995) Throughout his career, Dr. Hodsdon has been actively involved in peer review and editorial activities, serving on study sections for the American Heart Association (2002-2010), US-Israel Binational Science Foundation (2003-2006), National Medical Resource Council of Singapore (2001-2005), and the American Diabetes Association (2004-2005). Since 2008, he has served as an Associate Editor for Future-Science Group in London. His laboratory has provided research training opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows interested in structural biology and protein biochemistry. Dr. Hodsdon's research laboratory employs a multidisciplinary approach combining high-resolution structural techniques with biochemical and cellular analyses. His team has successfully expressed, purified, and refolded various protein domains including the extracellular domain of the human prolactin receptor and ubiquitin-like domains from the TUG protein. The laboratory maintains strong collaborative relationships with other Yale researchers including Dr. Elias Lolis, Dr. Livia Tomasini, Dr. Priscilla Dannies, and Dr. Yong-Lian Zhu, as evidenced by their co-authorship on multiple publications.
