News

The David Lab is incredibly proud to celebrate the recent graduations of two outstanding researchers: Dr. Melody Malek and Dr. Mohammad (Mo) Hashemian!

Both Melody and Mo have been integral to our research and our lab community. While we will certainly miss their daily presence here at UC Davis, we are thrilled to watch them take their next big career steps. Impressively, both have headed south to begin postdoctoral positions at UC San Diego!

Dr. Melody Malek has officially joined the laboratory of Dr. Alexis Komor.

Dr. Mo Hashemian has officially joined the laboratory of Dr. Partho Ghosh.

We want to extend a massive congratulations to Melody and Mo for successfully defending their dissertations and for all their hard work. Thank you both for your dedication, your mentorship to others, and the fantastic science you’ve contributed to the David Lab.

We can’t wait to see all the amazing things you will accomplish at UCSD!

We are thrilled to share that the David Lab has been featured in a recent UC Davis Chemistry Department Spotlight! The article, titled “DNA Repair Enzymes: To have an Fe-S cluster or not?”, highlights our ongoing research into the intricate roles that Fe-S clusters—cofactors typically found in redox enzymes—play in DNA repair mechanisms.

The spotlight showcases two of our lab’s recent breakthrough publications:

• Uncovering the Molecular Basis of MUTYH Dysfunction: In a recent Nature Communications paper, we performed structural and functional profiling of inherited cancer-associated variants (CAVs) near the [4Fe-4S] cluster cofactor of the human DNA repair enzyme MUTYH. We discovered a critical allosteric network connecting DNA binding at the cofactor to damaged base removal at the active site. Our findings demonstrate that CAVs disrupt this network to thwart catalysis, providing a clear molecular basis for CAV dysfunction and offering new hypotheses on how oxidative stress impacts DNA repair.
• Adapting to the Absence of a Cofactor: In collaboration with the Fisher Lab, we recently published a paper in Nucleic Acids Research detailing the structure and activity of “MutYX,” a rare “Fe-S clusterless” MutY from the anaerobic bacteria Eggerthella Sp. The structural findings reveal how this enzyme adapted to the absence of the highly conserved cofactor to maintain its DNA repair activity. Because it utilizes completely novel modes of DNA damage recognition, MutYX presents exciting new avenues for development as a biotechnology tool.

A huge congratulations to all our lab members and collaborators who contributed to these exciting discoveries!

Read the full spotlight on the UC Davis Chemistry News Page.

Read our recent publications here:

Nature Communications: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58361-w

Nucleic Acids Research: https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkaf1127

A big belated congratulations to Dr. Merve Demir on filing her dissertation! Her research has helped further our understanding of the mechanisms and structures involved in MutY’s identification of the OG lesion and the excision of the misincorporated adenine. We wish her the best of luck as she continues her research adventures as a Postdoctoral Associate at the Conrad Prebys Center at SBP!

Congratulations to Professor Sheila David on Receiving the 2022 Education Award

10/12/2022

Professor David receives the 2022 Education Award by the Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society (EMGS). The EMGS recognizes her contributions to educating students and young investigators in environmental mutagenesis and genomics. Professor David continues to dedicate her time to mentor and teach both undergraduate and graduate students in the field.

Once again, congratulations to Professor David!

Many congratulations to our graduate students!

Elizabeth Lotsof won the Raymon M. Keefer Fellowship which is awarded to graduate students pursing a Ph.D. in Chemistry.

Cindy Khuu won the Floyd and Mary Schwall Dissertation Year Fellowship in Medical Research which is awarded to continuing graduate students focused on medically related research.

Congratulations to our undergraduates!

Vivian Kellner won both the Maureen Belletini Undergraduate Research Fellowship which is awarded to continuing juniors or seniors and the Francesca Miller Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship which is awarded to a junior or senior undergraduate pursing research in the biomedical or pharmaceutical science. Vivian participated in the annual R. Bryan Miller Symposium which was a requirement for the Francesca Miller Fellowship.

Madeline Bright was named the 2021 University Medalist, this highly prestigious award is given to the top graduating senior at UC Davis for their studies, contributions to community service, and aspirations to their future goals. UC Davis published a news article about Madeline that can be read here: https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/questions-drive-top-uc-davis-graduate

We are so proud of all of our students!!

Congratulations to our R. Bryan Miller Symposium 2021 Award Winners!

Thank you for your dedication to excellence!