Home Department: Mathematics
Mentor: James Chen (Chemical & Systems Biology, Developmental Biology, and Chemistry)

“Elucidation of Substrates Essential for Homeodomain Interacting Protein Kinase 4 Functione”

The Chen lab established homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 4 (HIPK4) as essential for murine spermiogenesis. The mechanism by which loss of HIPK4 leads to male sterility is unknown; the lab hypothesized that HIPK4 coordinates sperm head formation by chaperoning filamentous actin proteins. Bradley’s summer project will seek to characterize the mechanism by which these cofactors of HIPK4 contribute to this phenotype. Knowledge of this process will help develop specific small molecule inhibitors that target male contraception. Contraceptive efforts for men have been limited to hormonal or barrier-type devices, and a small molecule would serve to advance reproductive responsibility and autonomy.