Teaching & Academic Contributions
- PharmD Teaching:
- Concepts in Pharmacogenomics
- Graduate Teaching:
- Advanced Pharmacogenomics
- Coordinator, Precision Medicine, Pharmacogenomics, and Translational Medicine Certificate
Research Focus & Activities
Dr. Perez-Leal’s research centers on the development of innovative molecular tools to elucidate human disease mechanisms and advance therapeutic discovery. His laboratory has pioneered CRISPR-based genome editing methodologies, emphasizing the creation of sophisticated cellular models for real-time analysis of complex biological processes. A key contribution is the development of the patented FAST-HDR system, a breakthrough technology that enables CRISPR-mediated multiplex gene tagging with fluorescent proteins to generate cellular models for live-cell drug discovery. This platform has been successfully applied to study autophagy, lysosomal storage disorders, and drug toxicity. Currently, his efforts are directed toward refining FAST-HDR to improve its compatibility with induced pluripotent stem cells, thereby facilitating the creation of cellular models that extend beyond the capabilities of conventional laboratory cell lines.
Collabrotation Opportunities:
Dr. Perez-Leal is interested in collaborating on developing cellular models that enhance the study of protein function and drug discovery through advanced CRISPR genome editing. He is open to working with both academic and industry collaborators.
Key Interests: CRISPR genome editing; drug discovery; stem cells; organoids; genetic diseases
Select Publications
- Khachatryan H, Olszowy B, Barrero CA, Gordon J, Perez-Leal O. Identification of Inhibitors of Tubulin Polymerization Using a CRISPR-Edited Cell Line with Endogenous Fluorescent Tagging of β-Tubulin and Histone H1. Biomolecules. 2023 Jan 29;13(2):249.
- Perez-Leal O, Nixon-Abell J, Barrero CA, Gordon JC, Oesterling J, Rico MC. Multiplex Gene Tagging with CRISPR-Cas9 for Live-Cell Microscopy and Application to Study the Role of SARS-CoV-2 Proteins in Autophagy, Mitochondrial Dynamics, and Cell Growth. CRISPR J. 2021 Dec;4(6):854-871.
- Perez-Leal O, Barrero CA, Merali S. Pharmacological stimulation of nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 translation activates antioxidant responses. J Biol Chem. 2017 Aug 25;292(34):14108-14121.
Leadership & Service Experience
- Graduate Committee, TUSP
- Teaching and Evaluation Committee, TUSP