Cellular and Molecular Biology Training Program

Sharraya is in the Molecular Biology IDP.  She joined the training program in 2012.  Her research mentor is Dr. Tomas Ganz.  She received a B.S. degree in 2010 from U.C. San Diego.

Mentor: Dr. Tomas Ganz

Hepcidin is a peptide that regulates iron metabolism and homeostasis by binding to ferroportin, the iron exporter in the cell. This binding causes ferroportin to be endocytosed and degraded. It is known that extracellular iron, in the form of holotransferrin, is sensed by transferrin receptors 1 and 2, which leads to an increase in hepcidin expression. What is notknown is how intracellular iron is sensed. My current research focuses on the mechanism by which intracellular iron stores increase hepcidin. I am also interested in understanding the details of hepcidin-mediated ferroportin endocytosis.