Talk in RU-N Biology re Proteomics of Alzheimer’s (Hrbrid): Ella Doron-Mandel, PhD

Talk Title: “Complex Matters: How Protein Assembly State Dynamics Regulate Biological Function”

Speaker: Ella Doron-Mandel, PhD (She/Her)
Postdoctoral researcher, Jovanovic Lab, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Columbia University

Date and Time: Thursday, March 19, 2026, 1-2 PM

Zoom Meeting: https://rutgers.zoom.us/j/91712974762?pwd=zR8Eol7ZROjxmh0vpba6LCIYGTFJ4g.1

Location: Life Sciences 2 ( LSC2) Room #130
The first room on the right when you enter the building, in front of the Aidekman Center

In this talk, I will focus on how changes in protein interactions and molecular complex formation shape biological function across physiological contexts. Rather than viewing the proteome solely through the lens of protein abundance, my work highlights the importance of protein assembly states as dynamic and regulated features that can profoundly influence cellular states.

I will introduce SEC-MX, a mass-spectrometry-based approach that I developed to systematically investigate how molecular complex formation and post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation are coordinated at the proteome scale. Using this framework, I will illustrate how assembly-state dynamics can reveal biologically meaningful regulatory events that are otherwise difficult to detect.
I will then present recent work examining the relationship between protein assembly and proteostasis decline during physiological aging in mouse tissues. Finally, I will outline my future plans to apply these concepts and tools to models of Alzheimer’s disease, with the goal of uncovering how disruptions in protein complex homeostasis contribute to neurodegeneration.