Tracey Barrett

Dr. Tracey Barrett is a Reader in Structural Biology at the School of Natural Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London. Her research focuses on structural biology and virology, particularly the mechanisms of Kaposi’s Sarcoma-associated Herpes Virus (KSHV) and its interaction with host pathways like the NF-κB signaling pathway. She investigates viral oncoproteins such as vFLIP, aiming to uncover therapeutic targets for Kaposi’s Sarcoma.

Her work integrates molecular biology, structural analysis, and virology to understand viral pathogenesis and immune evasion strategies. Notable projects include studying IKK complex activation, nucleotide-flipping mechanisms in viral enzymes, and mRNA shutoff by KSHV proteins.

Teaching modules include Molecular Biology, General Chemistry, and Structural Determination techniques. She has supervised one doctoral student, Swathi Senthil Kumar, whose thesis addressed vFLIP’s role in NF-κB activation and lymphatic endothelium proliferation.