Francis T.F. Tsai

Francis T.F. Tsai is a Professor at Baylor College of Medicine, holding joint appointments in the Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Molecular & Cellular Biology, and Molecular Virology & Microbiology. He is also a Member of the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Center for Drug Discovery. His research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of protein quality control, particularly the roles of molecular chaperones and proteases in maintaining proteostasis under normal and pathological conditions.

Education: D.Phil. from University of Oxford (1997), BSc from Imperial College London (1993). Notable awards include the Norman Hackerman Award in Chemical Research (2008) and the American Cancer Society Research Scholar Award (2008–2011).

Research Interests: Structural biology of stress proteins, cryo-electron microscopy, protein folding, mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases, and drug design targeting proteostasis machineries. His lab employs cutting-edge techniques to study Hsp100, Hsp70, and Hsp90 chaperones, as well as their roles in cancer and antibiotic resistance.

Key Findings: Discovered structural insights into ClpB/Hsp104 disaggregases, elucidated mechanisms of Hsp70/Hsp104 collaboration, and characterized mitochondrial proteostasis pathways. Current projects include developing therapeutic strategies to restore proteostasis in aging-related diseases.

Awards and Grants: Over $100K Norman Hackerman Award, NIH grants, Welch Foundation funding, and multiple fellowships including Wellcome Trust and NIH NRSA.

Lab Members: A diverse team of researchers committed to structural and biochemical studies of protein quality control. The lab values inclusivity and fosters interdisciplinary training in structural biology, biochemistry, and chemical biology.