Getting to Know Lynne Chantranupong, PhD

On March 3, 2023, MetNet will feature a special Fluxing Star talk from Lynne Chantranupong, a postdoctoral fellow in the Bernardo Sabatini lab at Harvard Medical School. Fluxing Star talks are given by rising stars in metabolism research who are at early stages in their career but have already made important scientific achievements.

Lynne conducted her PhD studies in the David Sabatini lab at the Whitehead Institute where she investigated nutrient sensing mechanisms, uncovering several key regulators of the mTORC1 pathway that signal amino acid availability to the cell.  Her postdoctoral research is deducing how neurotransmitter interactions regulate behavior.  She's developed a methodology for interrogating the metabolite contents of synaptic vesicles and discovered & characterized a novel dopamine and acetylcholine circuit in the striatum that is involved in decision making in vivo. 

In her future independent lab, Lynne will pursue a research program to discover how neurons rewire their metabolism and signaling in health and disease.  She is the recipient of numerous awards including the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Scholar, Harold M. Weintraub Award, and Hanna Gray Fellowship.

As is MetNet tradition we asked Lynne to answer some random non-science questions.

What activities do you enjoy outside of the lab?

Cooking, shopping, running and hiking

What are you currently reading or binging on Netflix?

The YouTube "Hot Ones" interviews by Sean Evans

What memorable or funny thing has happened to you in the lab?

As an undergrad, I was working alone in lab one day and accidentally set part of my bench on fire. Thankfully, I was able to quickly put it out!

What is a hidden talent that most people wouldn’t know about you?

My extensive knowledge of celebrity news.

What do you wish you could do if you had more free time?

I would read more - both science and non-science.