Graham MoranProfessor Graham Moran began his doctoral at the University of New England Australia working under Dr. Barrie Entsch on the enzyme para-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase. After completing two years of doctoral work, he came to the University of Michigan towork collaboratively with the research group of Dr. David Ballou. He then continued his studies as a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Dr. Paul Fitzpatrick at Texas A&M University working on tryptophan hydroxylase. Dr. Moran then established his independent research program in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where his laboratory was based for 18 years. During this period his group studied numerous enzymes, including 4-hydryphenylpyruvate dioxygenase, hydroxymandelate synthase, kynurenine-3-monooxygenase and renalase. In 2018, Dr. Moran joined Loyola University Chicago Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, as the Carl Moore Research Chair. His group currently studies enzymes of riboflavin biosynthesis (RibA, RibB, RibD), dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, and glutathione-thioredoxin reductase.

The unifying theme of his career has been finding evidence for the chemical mechanisms of enzymes. Identifying the transient states that exist as an enzyme catalyzes reaction requires the use of rapid mixing spectrophotometric and quench methods in combination with a variety of tailored analysis protocols. While a number of the enzyme systems studied in the Moran research group have had direct applications in medicine and agriculture, the emphasis of the work has remained elucidation of the curious and intricate chemistry at work in each system. Read More Read Less