Stacy Malaker

Dr. Stacy Malaker is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Yale University whose research focuses on developing innovative methods to study mucins - densely O-glycosylated extracellular proteins with important but poorly understood roles in numerous diseases.

Dr. Malaker maintains multiple affiliations within Yale University:

• Department of Chemistry (Primary)
• Yale Cancer Center
• Cancer Immunology Program
• Plant Molecular Biology
• WHRY Pilot Project Program Investigators
• Yale Combined Program in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS)

Her educational background includes a B.S. from the University of Michigan in Biochemistry and Anthropology-Zoology, a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Virginia under Professor Donald Hunt, and an NIH postdoctoral fellowship in Professor Carolyn Bertozzi's laboratory at Stanford University before joining Yale in 2021.

Dr. Malaker's research centers on overcoming the technical challenges of studying mucins, which resist standard proteomic workflows due to their dense O-glycosylation. Her lab has developed three complementary approaches: characterizing mucin-digesting enzymes (mucinases), improving ionization techniques for hydrophilic glycopeptides, and creating specialized software for glycopeptide analysis. These methods enable the study of mucins in biological contexts related to cancer, cystic fibrosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and other conditions.

Analysis of Dr. Malaker's recent publications reveals a strong focus on method development in glycoproteomics, with applications spanning biochemistry, analytical chemistry, and disease biology. Her work has appeared in high-impact journals including Cell, Journal of Biological Chemistry, and Molecular & Cellular Proteomics.

Dr. Malaker has received significant recognition for her early-career contributions:

• Early Career Researcher Manuscript Competition Finalist (2021)
• Chemistry Biology Interface Division Horizon Prize from Royal Society for Chemistry (2021)
• Early Career Faculty Award from ASBMB (2021)
• Rising Stars in Proteomics and Metabolomics: 40 under 40 (2021)

Her laboratory provides interdisciplinary training at the chemistry-biology interface, with opportunities for students to develop expertise in mass spectrometry, glycoproteomics, and protein biochemistry while addressing fundamental biological questions related to human health and disease.