Kevin Hicks

Kevin Hicks serves as Assistant Professor of Nutrition & Integrative Physiology and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Utah, where his research centers on protein-metabolite interactions and metabolic regulation mechanisms. His work bridges molecular biochemistry with disease pathology through innovative technological development.

His academic training includes:

• B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Oregon
• Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Washington

Dr. Hicks' research program investigates how metabolites function as signaling molecules beyond traditional metabolic roles, with emphasis on protein-metabolite interactomics. His lab developed the MIDAS platform for systematic identification of metabolite-protein interactions, revealing novel regulatory mechanisms in carbohydrate metabolism and enzyme function. Current work explores metabolic surveillance in disease contexts including cancer, diabetes, and inborn errors of metabolism, with implications for allosteric drug discovery.

Analysis of his publication record reveals consistent focus on metabolite-mediated regulation across diverse biological systems, from bacterial pathogenesis to human metabolic enzymes. His recent work demonstrates increasing methodological sophistication in mass spectrometry-based interactomics, with expanding applications to membrane proteins and RNA-metabolite interactions. Key thematic trends include the discovery of metabolic feedback mechanisms and development of platform technologies for interactome mapping.

The Hicks laboratory operates at the intersection of biochemistry and systems biology, maintaining two primary research thrusts: (1) elucidating how metabolism self-regulates through metabolite-enzyme interactions, and (2) advancing the MIDAS platform for broader interactome discovery. The lab employs integrated approaches combining mass spectrometry, structural biology, molecular genetics, and cellular assays to investigate fundamental metabolic principles with translational potential.