Brenda Schulman

Brenda Schulman is a structural biologist who has revealed the atomic-level mechanisms of E3 ubiquitin ligase function, particularly the cullin-RING ligase (CRL) superfamily that constitutes the largest family of ubiquitin ligases and is frequently co-opted by cancer cells to degrade tumor suppressors. Her cryo-EM and crystallographic studies have shown how NEDD8 modification activates CRLs and how substrate adaptors recruit specific protein targets for ubiquitination. She has elucidated the mechanism of ubiquitin transfer from E2 enzymes to substrates through E3-mediated catalysis. Her structural insights are directly enabling rational design of molecular glues and PROTACs.