Varda Shoshan-barmatz PhD

Prof. Shoshan-Barmatz studies metabolic diseases associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Specifically, she focuses on the protein VDAC1 (voltage-dependent anion channel), which serves as a mitochondrial gatekeeper, controlling the metabolic and energetic cross-talk between mitochondria and the rest of the cell; VDAC1 is also a key protein in mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. Due to the central role of VDAC1 in the life and death of the cell and its overexpression in diseases, including cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular diseases, and type 2 diabetes, VDAC1-based strategies have been developed as potential therapeutics for medical intervention in these diseases.