David Cruz Walma

My research focuses on molecular mechanisms of human embryology, growth, and development. I aim to understand the molecular structure and function of E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes, focusing on a family of E3 ligase adaptor proteins that contain a BTB domain motif. Using structural and cell biology techniques, I investigate how these proteins control cell movement, growth, proliferation, and differentiation in development and survey their potential for therapeutic targeting by small molecule inhibitors. I am a National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Oxford/Cambridge scholar, an EPA Cephalosporin scholar in St. Edmund Hall, and a dental student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry. I pursue a career in academic medicine applying the skills I develop in my studies toward treating diseases of the head and neck.