Kimberly J. Nelson, PhD

Dr. Nelson is an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry. She is also a member of the Center for Redox Biology and Medicine, the Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Center for Structural Biology and the Center for Molecular Signaling. Her research has focused on the biochemical and structural characterization of the peroxiredoxin family of antioxidant proteins and in characterizing redox-mediated protein modifications. Since 2017, she has worked with Dr. Todd Lowther and Dr. Terrence Smalley to investigate the structure and mechanism by which the natural product thiostrepton acts as a suicide inhibitor of the mitochondrial protein Peroxiredoxin 3 (Prx3). In collaboration with RS Oncology, Dr. Nelson is a co-author on a patent relating to a clinical formulation of thiostrepton, and this formulation is currently being used in a Phase 1/2 dose escalation study for the treatment of malignant pleural effusions including malignant mesothelioma. During their work to determine the mechanism of thiostrepton, Drs. Nelson, Lowther, Smalley identified the minimal fragment that was sufficient to inhibit Prx3 and to kill cancer cells. They have made and evaluated >160 novel Prx3 inhibitors and have 3 patent applications at the PCT stage.