Jamaine Davis, PhD
Belmont University
Atoms 2 Community
Assistant Dean for Scholarly Productivity and Innovation
The Davis Lab at Belmont University, Atoms 2 Community, studies how disease-associated genetic variants change protein structure and function, with a focus on variants enriched in individuals of African ancestry. Our primary target is ABCA7, a lipid transporter whose association with Alzheimer’s disease risk is stronger in individuals of African ancestry than in those of European ancestry. We combine cryo-EM, X-ray crystallography, biochemical and cell-based assays, and computational drug discovery to determine how ABCA7 variants disrupt lipid transport and to identify compounds that restore function. We also study shared genetic risk between Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. Our long-term goal is atomic-level detail of protein variants from all populations implicated in disease risk. The lab trains students and faculty at all levels in structural biology and partners with communities through a community advisory board and brain health education programs.
Contact the Davis lab for more information.