The Hacia Lab is located in the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. Our research program focuses on the study of inherited neurodegenerative diseases caused by defects in lipid metabolism, such as peroxisomal biogenesis disorders. We are developing next generation sequencing-based diagnostics for these disorders and evaluating exciting new classes of therapeutic agents. In addition, we are using comparative genomics approaches to study the evolution of these lipid metabolic pathways in human and non-human primates. We perform functional biochemical assays on biological materials from a wide range of non-human primates to characterize the possible physiological significance of species-specific gene expression profiles related to lipid metabolism. These multi-disciplinary projects are made possible through many collaborators, such as investigators at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Zoological Society of San Diego.

Overall, we are engaging in multi-disciplinary research projects and interacting with experts in diverse fields. We employ cutting-edge genomic technologies and bioinformatics approaches in order to address fundamental questions in peroxisome biology and human evolution. We welcome you to read more about our research programs as you explore our web site.