Natasha Moussouras, PhD

Chemokine structure/function, drug discovery

Research Experience

Medical College of Wisconsin, 2014 - 2019
Advisor: Michael Dwinell, PhD
Project: Mechanism behind CCL21/CCR7- mediated pancreatic cancer progression (F30CA210587)

University of Southern California, 2010-2012
Advisor: Kyung W Jung, PhD
Project: Synthesis and optimization of various palladium catalysts

Genentech, Inc, 2012
Advisor: Matthew Volgraf, PhD
Project: Synthetic Studies Towards the Daphniphyllum Alkaloids : Synthesis of a Common Heterocyclic Core via a Novel Radical Cyclization / Allene Reduction Sequence

Publications

Moussouras NA, Hjorto GM, Peterson FC, Szpakowska M, Chevigne A, Rosenkilde MM, Volkman BF, Dwinell MB. Structural features of an extended C-terminal tail modulate function of the chemokine CCL21. Biochemistry. 2020;59(13):1338-1350. PubMed PMID: 32182428.

Moussouras NA, Getschman AE, Lackner ER, Veldkamp CT, Dwinell MB, Volkman BF. Differences in Sulfotyrosine Binding amongst CXCR1 and CXCR2 Chemokine Ligands. Int J Mol Sci. 2017;18(9). PubMed PMID: 28869519.

Phillips AJ, Taleski D, Koplinski CA, Getschman AE, Moussouras NA, Richard AM., Peterson FC., Dwinell MB, Volkman BF, Payne RJ, and Veldkamp CT. CCR7 Sulfotyrosine Enhances CCL21 Binding. Int J Mol Sci. 2017;18(9). PubMed PMID: 28841151.

Smith EW, Lewandowski EM, Moussouras NA, Kroeck KG, Volkman BF, Veldkamp CT, Chen Y. Crystallographic Structure of Truncated CCL21 and the Putative Sulfotyrosine-Binding Site. Biochemistry. 2016 Oct 11;55(40):5746-5753. PubMed PMID: 27617343.

Moussouras, N., Pratt, C.A., Neilson, I. Magnetic Toy Ingestion: Surgical Implications. Alaska Med. 2008; 49(4):117-9.

Meeting Abstracts

Moussouras NA. Structural Studies into autoinhibition by CCL21. Presented at: Gordon Research Conference and Seminar: Chemotactic Cytokines; June 2-8, 2018; Newry, ME.

Moussouras NA, Veldkamp CT, Dwinell MB, Volkman BF. Structural interactions and implications of post-translationally modified CCR7 and CCL21. Presented at the Gordon Research Seminar and Conference on Chemotactic Cytokines, May 28-Jun 3, 2016; Girona, Spain.

Moussouras, N., Volgraf, M., Gin, D. (2012) Progress Towards the Total Synthesis of Daphenylline: Discovery of a Palladium-catalyzed Allene Reduction. Annual Summer Intern Poster Presentation Day at Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA. August 16, 2012.

General Interests

Dancing, reading, hiking