Donald J. Messner, PhD
Associate Research Scientist 1
Visiting Scientist, Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason
dmessner@bastyr.edu
Our laboratory research group is working on the prevention and treatment of liver disease. We use cell culture models to investigate basic mechanisms of disease progression as well as corrective actions of plant constituents. Our efforts are relevant to both botanical medicine and human nutrition. Specifically, we are funded to examine the use of curcumin and turmeric for prevention of liver cancer associated with iron overload.
A project to investigate preventive treatments for hepatic insulin resistance associated with diabetes is under development. We employ a variety of techniques and experimental approaches common to molecular and cellular biology, protein biochemistry, analytical chemistry, and pharmacology. We are also developing gene expression and proteomic approaches to biomarker identification, with the goal of creating novel and clinically useful diagnostic tools.
We offer enthusiastic and dedicated students the opportunity to obtain practical laboratory training to complement their classroom and clinical experiences at Bastyr. Scientists with an advanced degree and a strong interest in studying botanicals as preventive agents for liver disease would also fit well in our group.
