Crystal L. Young-Erdos

My primary research interest is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of the cell, focusing on those that involve RNA-protein interactions. A long-standing research pursuit centers on understanding how yeast DEAD-box proteins, an essential family of RNA-dependent ATPases that are conserved in both sequence and structure, achieve their unique substrate specificity. A newer research focus, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, aims to understand the differences in lipid metabolism and therefore the propensity for metabolic disease in apple- vs. pear-shaped women. Undergraduate research students are involved in all aspects of these projects, from experimental design to data acquisition to the semination of our findings at local, regional, and national conferences.