Daniel Summers

Daniel Summers’ work revolves around how protein homeostasis pathways influence axon health and susceptibility to disease.  His interest in this topic began as a graduate student in the lab of Doug Cyr at UNC-Chapel Hill, where he investigated how chaperone networks recognize unfolded proteins and regulate their disposal. As a joint postdoctoral fellow in the Milbrandt and DiAntonio labs, Daniel identified fundamental properties in the pro-degenerative factor SARM1 that promote the destruction of injured axons.  He is merging his interests in protein homeostasis and axon health to characterize novel pathways that regulate the degradation of neuron survival factors in the axon.  Daniel is currently supported by a grant from the Muscular Dystrophy Association with the hope of identifying new and potent avenues for therapeutic intervention in neurological disorders.