Investigating the Role of Iron in Health and Disease

Faculty Bio

Dr. Fadi Bou-Abdallah is a dedicated biomedical researcher whose work centers on the vital role of iron in health and disease. With a focus on ironbinding, iron-transport, and iron-storage proteins, Dr. Bou-Abdallah explores the molecular mechanisms that govern iron regulation in the human body and their implications in neurodegenerative diseases and iron-related disorders. His interdisciplinary research combines biochemical, biophysical, structural, and cellular approaches to uncover how iron dis-regulation intersects with conditions like Alzheimer's, Parkinson’s, and cancer. Through national and international collaborations, Dr. Bou-Abdallah is committed to advancing scientific knowledge while mentoring undergraduate students in applied and career-building research experiences that emphasize innovation and therapeutic discoveries.

Project Overview

Iron is essential for life, but too much or too little of it can lead to serious diseases. This project explores how cells in the human body maintain a delicate balance of iron through specialized proteins (such as ferritin, NCOA4, and PCBP1) that are involved in iron uptake, delivery and/or storage. We aim to understand the molecular basis of these processes with the hope of developing treatments for iron-related disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Using advanced lab techniques, and in collaboration with national and international research groups, our work lays the foundation for key discoveries and potential therapeutic interventions aimed at restoring iron balance and enhancing human health.

Kilmer Lab Discovery Reveals New Clues About How Cells Manage Iron

Using a combination of advanced imaging, structural biology, molecular modeling, and biochemical tools, Dr. Bou-Abdallah’s research team discovered that ferritin, the protein responsible for storing iron in cells, can adjust how it handles iron depending on the cell’s chemical environment. This built-in sensitivity may help cells balance iron storage while protecting themselves from damage as conditions inside the cell change. The findings bring the team one step closer to understanding how iron is carefully managed in living systems, an important question in fields ranging from nutrition to diseases linked to iron imbalance.

This project also highlights the vital role of undergraduate research at SUNY Potsdam. Sean Henley, a Chemistry major working in the Kilmer Lab, is the second co-author on a peer-reviewed research paper recently published in a leading molecular biology journal. His contribution reflects the hands-on research opportunities available to students and demonstrates how undergraduates at Potsdam work alongside faculty mentors to contribute directly to real scientific discoveries. 

This work acknowledged the "SUNY Potsdam Lougheed Applied Learning endowment" and is part of the Kilmer Lab’s broader mission to understand the role of iron in health and disease while providing meaningful research experiences for undergraduate scientists.

Our research explores how small molecules and proteins interact with iron-transport and iron-storage proteins and how these proteins communicate with each other. This knowledge is key for understanding not only how iron is moved between cells but also for developing new treatments for iron-related diseases, Dr. Bou-Abdallah noted.