University of Richmond biology professor awarded $100,000 grant

July 15, 2015

University of Richmond assistant professor of biology Angie Hilliker has been awarded a $100,000 one-year grant from the Thomas F. and Kate Miller Jeffress Memorial Trust.

The grant will support Hilliker’s research on proteins related to diseases, including HIV and cancer. Her project is titled “Using Next Gen Sequencing to Identify Suppressors of Ded1, and RNA ATPase that Promotes Translation.”

“Not only is the Ded1 gene important for helping the cell make the proteins it needs, but its counterpart in humans has important disease implications, including how HIV and hepatitis C infect our cells and how cells become cancerous,” Hilliker explained. “Ultimately the project will work to identify new proteins that help the cell produce the factors it needs to operate.”

Hilliker will be collaborating with Gregg B. Whitworth, assistant professor of biology at Washington & Lee University, as well as undergraduates at both universities.

Hilliker received a Ph.D. in molecular genetics and cell biology from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in biology from Oberlin College.

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