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Rie Nygaard
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rin7007@med.cornell.edu

Rie Nygaard

Assistant Professor of Physiology and Biophysics in Radiation Oncology
The Nygaard lab is focused on how ionizing radiation affects cells at the molecular level.
Nygaard Lab
Research Profile/VIVO
Program Affiliations
Research

In the Nygaard Lab, our primary goal is to understand how ionizing radiation affects cells at the molecular level. We combine structural biology approaches—including single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM)—with complementary biochemical and biophysical techniques to investigate key molecular targets involved in cellular radiation responses.

A major focus of the lab is the study of proteins that transition between soluble and membrane forms. We aim to understand how these structural changes regulate membrane permeabilization and cellular homeostasis, and how membrane insertion enables these proteins to carry out their functions.

We also investigate how radiation influences signaling pathways that regulate immune responses. By examining interactions between secreted factors and membrane receptors, we seek to uncover how irradiated cells communicate with the immune system and how these signals shape downstream responses. 

In addition, the lab is working to uncover the molecular basis of FLASH radiation therapy—an emerging approach that delivers radiation at ultra-high dose rates and appears to reduce damage to healthy tissue while maintaining anti-tumor efficacy.

Biography

Rie Nygaard is an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics in Radiation Oncology, where she leads a research program focused on how ionizing radiation affects cells at the molecular level. Her lab combines structural biology approaches, including cryo-electron microscopy, with biochemical and biophysical techniques to study membrane proteins. Trained in structural biology, she has developed expertise in NMR spectroscopy, cryo-electron microscopy, and membrane protein biochemistry. She is particularly interested in versatile proteins that exist in both soluble and membrane-bound states and welcomes students interested in interdisciplinary, collaborative research.

Selected Publications: 

  1. Nygaard, R., Yu, J., Kim, J., Ross, D. R., Parisi, G., Clarke, O. B., Virshup, D. M., Mancia, F., Structural Basis of WLS/Evi-Mediated Wnt Transport and Secretion, Cell, Volume 184, Issue 1, 2021, Pages 194-206.e14.
  2. Nygaard, R., Zou, Y., Dror, R. O., Mildorf, T. J., Arlow, D. H.,Manglik, A., Pan, A. C., Liu, C. W., Fung, J. J., Bokoch, M. P., Thian, F. S., Kobilka, T. S., Shaw, D. E., Mueller, L., Prosser, R. S., Kobilka, B. K., The Dynamic Process of β2-Adrenergic Receptor Activation, Cell, Volume 152, Issue 3, 2013, Pages 532-542
  3. Morgan, R.T., Motta, S., Gil-Iturbe, E. et al. Mechanistic snapshots of lipid-linked sugar transfer. Nat Commun 16, 11044 (2025).
  4. Nygaard, R., Graham, C.L.B., Belcher Dufrisne, M. et al. Structural basis of peptidoglycan synthesis by E. coli RodA-PBP2 complex. Nat Commun 14, 5151 (2023).
  5. Liu, Y., Brown, C.M., Borges, N. et al. Mechanistic studies of mycobacterial glycolipid biosynthesis by the mannosyltransferase PimE. Nat Commun 16, 3974 (2025).
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