Welcome to the Herzik Lab!

We are part of the Department of Experimental Therapeutics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

Research in our laboratory focuses on developing and integrating innovative structural, biochemical, biophysical, and computational approaches to elucidate the molecular mechanisms governing complex biological processes. A central emphasis of our research is the advancement of cryogenic electron microscopy (cryoEM) technologies, including novel sample preparation strategies, time-resolved methodologies, and computational approaches, to overcome longstanding challenges in characterizing dynamic and heterogeneous macromolecular assemblies. We apply these integrative approaches to investigate the structure, dynamics, and regulation of protein complexes, with particular emphasis on mitochondrial protein homeostasis (proteostasis), molecular chaperone systems, and their roles in cancer and human disease. By bridging technological innovation with fundamental mechanistic investigations, our research aims to reveal previously inaccessible molecular mechanisms and identify new opportunities for therapeutic intervention.

Our laboratory is located at MD Anderson Cancer Center in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas.