Awarded in 2025
Home Department: Computer Science
Faculty Advisors: Ron Dror (Computer Science), Kathleen Sakamoto (Pediatrics - Hematology/Oncology), and Soichi Wakatsuki (Photon Science and Structural Biology)

Research Title: Designing a Peptide Therapeutic for Acute Myeloid Leukemia

The CREB:CBP protein-protein interaction is a major driver of acute myeloid leukemia. However, no drugs target this interaction, which is difficult to inhibit because of the structure of the protein-protein interface and its location within the nucleus. Daniel will engineer a new set of small proteins (peptides) aimed at blocking CREB:CBP binding. A combination of machine learning, molecular dynamics simulations, and experimental assays will allow for rapid prototyping and identifying ‘needles in the haystack’: molecular structures that are able to efficiently enter cells and inhibit the CREB:CBP interaction.