Kauai native Chantell Balaan graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a double B.A. majoring in Biology and Religion in 2014. She received her M.S. from the DRB program in 2017 and is projected to receive her PhD in 2025. She is currently an instructor for PHYL 141/142 lecture and labs with additional lab teaching experiences in the School of Life Sciences. She is currently researching the role of the exocyst complex in amyloid beta generation, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's Disease.
Aside from teaching, she is also a taskforce member for JABSOM WERC (Wellbeing Enhancement & Resiliency Committee) and hope to continue as a member for the Emotional & Mental Health Subcommittee with the goal of elevating JABSOM's work culture through prioritization of wellbeing.
Chantell's research interests and expertise are in neurobehavior, and the pathophysiology of atypical behavioral manifestations associated with brain conditions and/or diseases. Her current lab is focused on elucidating the role of the critical 8-subunits exocyst complex and its relationship with insulin signaling and trafficking of amyloid beta through the proteolytic cleavage of the Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP). The exocyst serves as a guide for intracellular vesicle transport in many cell types, including neurons. Understanding how the exocyst is regulated through small molecules like GTPases may highlight novel mechanisms and identify new targets for future therapeutics, which is our ultimate goal.
Worsham, M., Fernandes, V. F., Settle, A., Balaan, C., Lactaoen, K., Tuttle, L. J., Iwashita, M., Yoshizawa, M. Behavioral Tracking and Neuromast Imaging of Mexican Cavefish. J. Vis. Exp. (146), e59099, doi:10.3791/59099 (2019).
Balaan C, Corley MJ, Eulalio T, Leite-Ahyo K, Pang APS, Fang R, Khadka VS, Maunakea AK, Ward MA. Juvenile Shank3b deficient mice present with behavioral phenotype relevant to autism spectrum disorder. Behav Brain Res. 2019 Jan 1;356:137- 147. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.08.005. Epub 2018 Aug 19. PubMed PMID: 30134148; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6247805.
