The thyroid gland accumulates iodide in order to synthesize thyroid
hormones, and this property underlies the clinical utility of
radioiodine in thyroid cancer therapy. My laboratory's research is
focused on the following areas: (i) development of a novel
fluorescence live cell imaging assay with a genetically-encodable
halide biosensor to monitor cellular iodide uptake, (ii) functional
and molecular characterization of the proteins involved in
thyroidal iodide transport in normal and tumoral cells, (iii)
screening of chemical substances (drugs, environmental
contaminants, nutrients) that modulate iodide transport, and may
impact both normal thyroid function as well as the efficacy of
radioiodine therapy in cancer.
