Matthew Disney, Ph.D.

Research Program Award (R35)
Image
photo of Matthew Disney
Institution
Scripps Florida, Jupiter, FL

Dr. Disney’s work focuses on developing methods to advance the annotation of RNA structure (e.g., RNA repeat expansions). These repeat expansions cause or contribute to many incurable neuromuscular diseases. For this project, he plans to study the molecular recognition of RNA repeat expansions by small molecules in situ and in vivo, enabling the establishment of new chemical biology frameworks to target RNA using small molecules and the development of preclinical candidates. In addition to generating a novel paradigm for studying human disease pathology caused by toxic structured RNAs, these studies could deliver molecules to study RNA biology and tools for selective targeting.