معرفی
Dr. Shawn M. Lyons is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Boston University School of Medicine, leading research on RNA metabolism during cellular stress responses. His laboratory investigates how cells reprogram gene expression when exposed to stressors including oxidative stress, thermal shock, and viral infection, with significant implications for understanding neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.
Dr. Lyons received his PhD from the University of North Carolina and completed post-doctoral training at Brigham and Women's Hospital & Harvard Medical School. His research focuses on two main areas:
- Control of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) processing during stress conditions, recognizing that ribosome biogenesis represents a major energetic task requiring precise regulation
- Regulation of mRNA translation during stress, particularly through the integrated stress response (ISR) which inhibits protein synthesis
His research spans multiple disciplines including virology, cancer biology, and cellular stress mechanisms, with recent publications exploring Ebola virus RNA regulation, SARS-CoV-2 host responses, and the role of stress granules in disease pathologies. The Lyons Lab maintains active investigations into how stress-induced RNases cleave tRNAs and how ribosomal RNA processing serves as a regulatory checkpoint during cellular stress.
Dr. Lyons actively mentors PhD students Adaline Brekker, Autumn Grimins, and Ryan Johnston, along with research technician Anne Aldrich. His laboratory continues to advance fundamental understanding of cellular stress responses with direct relevance to human disease mechanisms.
