Dr. Sakmar's research program focuses on the molecular mechanisms that control self-renewal and differentiation of stem cells. In collaboration with Prof. Ching-Hwa Sung of Weill-Cornell Medical College, Sakmar's lab has identified a novel G protein-regulatory molecule, AGS2/Tctex-l, which is enriched in neural stem cells of the developing neocortex. Dr. Sakmar's lab will characterize the functional interaction between AGS2/Tctex-1 and G proteins in neural stem cells and human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), and will elucidate the structural basis of the interaction to develop a screening strategy to search for small molecules that can modulate stem cell fate determination.