Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
Growing up, Alexandra Newton had a strong aptitude for the arts, but science was her true passion. “I was a data fanatic from a young age,” admits Dr. Newton, who considers herself to be a “total nerd.”
Dr. Newton’s specific area of research expertise is protein kinase C (PKC)—a critical enzyme that runs through our bodies and keeps our signaling pathways in check. She seeks to understand its molecular mechanisms and its role in Alzheimer’s disease. “If your body has too much of it, cells die, leading to degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. If you don’t have enough, it causes cancer,” she says. In fact, Dr. Newton is so passionate about PKC she has had it displayed on her license plate for the past 20 years.
To read more about Dr. Newton’s work to understand PKC as a therapeutic target, click here.
To learn more about the Newton Lab, click here.