Luke H Chao

Dr. Luke H Chao is an Assistant Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, leading the Chao Lab in the Department of Molecular Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital. His research bridges structural biology and biophysics to investigate molecular machines that regulate membrane ultrastructure across systems, including mitochondria and bacterial cell division.

• Harvard Medical School, Department of Genetics
• Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Molecular Biology

Research Interests: The Chao Lab focuses on membrane dynamics and ultrastructure, particularly how mitochondrial morphology is governed by protein conformational changes. Key areas include:

• Mitochondrial Cristae Remodeling via Opa1 and Mic60
• Membrane Bending Proteins in Extracellular Vesicle Formation
• Structural Mechanisms of Bacterial Cell Wall Synthesis
• Evolutionary Analysis of Ancient Membrane-Shaping Proteins
• Therapeutic Targeting of Mitochondrial Function
• In vitro Reconstitution of Membrane Fusion

Publication Trends: Dr. Chao's recent work spans cryo-ET of mitochondrial cristae, ancestral sequence reconstruction of respiratory proteins, and CRISPR-based vascular disease therapy. His studies often intersect structural methods (cryo-EM, AlphaFold) with functional assays (BH3 Profiling, Crosslinking MS).

Lab & Collaborations: Based at the Simches Research Building, Boston, the lab collaborates with HMS and MGH units. Postdoctoral and graduate opportunities are available through Harvard Integrated Life Sciences programs.