Maria Clara Franco is a tenured professor and researcher focused on the role of oxidants and oxidized molecules in neurological disorders, particularly the impact of the powerful oxidant peroxynitrite.
The Franco Lab studies how peroxynitrite modifies proteins through nitration of tyrosine residues, altering their activity and driving disease processes in conditions such as neurodegeneration and tumors. Using complementary methodologies, her team identifies nitrated proteins with disease-driving functions, investigates their mechanisms of action, and determines how nitration changes protein structure. This systematic approach supports the development of targeted drugs that selectively bind to the modified structure of nitrated proteins, inhibiting harmful functions while sparing normal protein activity.
See research publications and more on FIU Discovery.