The overall goal of current research programs in the Filizola Laboratory is to obtain rigorous mechanistic insight into the structure, dynamics, and function of important classes of membrane proteins that are prominent drug targets of the human ‘druggable’ genome (e.g., G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), integrins, etc.) for the purpose of developing improved therapeutics. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the complex biological functions of these proteins has direct translational relevance because it informs the rational discovery of potentially improved therapeutic agents, as recent, collaborative patent applications demonstrate. 

The Filizola Laboratory uses computational structural biology tools, ranging from molecular modeling, bioinformatics, chemoinformatics, molecular dynamics simulations, rational drug design, and machine learning approaches. Their research requires complementary, multi-disciplinary expertise in biological, medical, and quantitative sciences, and as such, it strongly relies on team science as demonstrated by several collaborations with world-renowned experimental leaders, as well as publications in Cell, Nature, Science Translational Medicine, PNAS, Blood, etc. Through application and implementation of cutting-edge developments in theory and simulation, the Filizola Laboratory contributes a level of molecular detail that is impossible or difficult to obtain experimentally. This information lays the foundation for novel experimental studies aimed at furthering current understanding of physiological functions, and at developing new therapeutic strategies.