Katalin Szaszi

Research Synopsis

Dr. Szaszi is a cell biologist whose research focuses on epithelial biology and pathophysiology in the context of tissue regeneration. Her main area of interest is the molecular pathways involved in chronic inflammation, and physiological and pathological tissue repair with relevance to kidney and skin disease. The lab focuses on the role and regulation of Rho family proteins and tight junction proteins. They use cultured cells and a variety of cell biological and biochemical approaches to assess the role of specific proteins in dysregulated tissue repair and uncover potential drug targets for preventing organ fibrosis. The uncovered mechanisms are further validated and explored using animal models of kidney and skin diseases. Dr. Szaszi is supported by grants from CIHR and NSERC, and has over 80 peer-reviewed well cited publications.