Lila M. Gierasch

Lila M. Gierasch is Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology in the College of Natural Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she leads an internationally recognized research program on protein folding, molecular chaperones, and cellular proteostasis.

Her research integrates biophysics, biochemistry, and cell biology to unravel how Hsp70-family chaperones recognize and manage unfolded or misfolded proteins, how the endoplasmic reticulum enforces glycoprotein quality control, and how these processes collectively maintain the health of the proteome. Recent work emphasizes the allosteric mechanisms governing Hsp70–client interactions, the role of glycan-dependent checkpoints in secretory protein maturation, and the development of predictive computational models of chaperone action.

Across >300 publications, her 2021–2025 articles reveal a continuing focus on (i) structural and single-molecule insights into Hsp70 allostery, (ii) ER chaperone networks that decode the “glyco-code” for folding fidelity, and (iii) translational implications for serpinopathies and AAT-deficiency gene therapy. This corpus bridges fundamental mechanisms to disease-relevant applications.

Awards and honors include election to the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and Fellowship in the American Association for the Advancement of Science, although explicit award names are not listed in the provided text.

While specific PhD advisees are not enumerated here, her extensive publication record with many early-career co-authors attests to significant graduate and post-doctoral mentoring. She has also held editorial leadership roles, including Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, underscoring her service to the scientific community.

The Gierasch laboratory is located in N331 Life Sciences Laboratory, Amherst, MA 01003, and continues to welcome trainees interested in the biophysics of proteostasis.