Dr. Williamson’s research is focused on potent biological oxidants, high-valent iron heme species, and the biophysical and structural properties of heme proteins that regulate the reduction of the high-valent state. When high-valent heme reduction is mis-regulated in the body, biologically detrimental oxidations occur within the protein and to non-native substrates. Certain substrates such as low density lipoproteins (LDLs), once oxidized, have been implicated in the disease pathology of heart disease. Dr. Williamson is focusing on three human heme proteins, myeloperoxidase, hemoglobin, and myoglobin. By studying the kinetic mechanism of their high-valent heme reduction, Dr. Williamson will explore structural features of the protein which tune electron and proton transfer during reduction.
