Cynthia Stauffacher

Cynthia Stauffacher is a Professor and Associate Head for Research and Graduate Education in the Department of Biological Sciences at Purdue University. She is affiliated with the Markey Center for Structural Biology. Her research focuses on macromolecular structure and assembly using X-ray crystallography, particularly in membrane-associated proteins, enzyme function, and drug design.

Education: Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from UCLA (1977). Her work includes studies on HMG-CoA reductase (a key enzyme in cholesterol synthesis), ABC-transporters (involved in multidrug resistance and cystic fibrosis), and bacterial toxins interacting with immune cells. She has pioneered structural insights into enzyme-inhibitor complexes (e.g., Lovastatin) and ABC-transporter mechanisms.

Recent articles highlight her contributions to understanding enzyme regulation (HMG-CoA synthase), protein tyrosine phosphatases, and toxin-receptor interactions. Her work bridges structural biology with drug development and molecular mechanisms of disease. She has served on NIH study sections, grant review panels, and organized scientific conferences (e.g., Midwest Enzyme Chemistry Conference). Her lab’s research has implications for cholesterol-lowering therapeutics and understanding immune system modulation by pathogens.