Alex Holehouse, PhD

Medical School Department Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
Research Program Mechanisms of Cancer Biology Program
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Researcher Background

Primary Academic Title

Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics, WashU Medicine

Training

  • 2017 - 2019: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO

Education

  • 2017: PhD, Washington University, St. Louis, MO

Research & Selected Publications

Research Interest

My lab works on understanding the molecular basis for how intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) carry out cellular functions, and how this goes wrong in disease. Given almost every cancer-associated protein contains larger IDRs, this is a rich area for us in terms of relating molecular biophysics to human disease. Our goal is to enable the mechanistic interpretation of mutations in IDRs in the context of cancer – i.e. how and why do mutations cause disordered regions to misfunction.

Research Publications

Accurate predictions of disordered protein ensembles with STARLING.
Authors:

Novak B, Lotthammer JM, Emenecker RJ, Holehouse AS

Journal & Year:

Nature • 2026

The filamentous ultrastructure of the PopZ condensate is required for its cellular function.
Authors:

Scholl D, Boyd T, Latham AP, one or more additional authors omitted Holehouse AS, one or more additional authors omitted Lasker K

Journal & Year:

Nat Struct Mol Biol • 2026

Multiomic Characterization of Pre- and Post-Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy-Treated Ovarian Cancer Reveals Mediators of Tumorigenesis and Chemotherapy Response.
Authors:

Valentine MC, Mullen MM, Kotnik EN, one or more additional authors omitted Holehouse AS, one or more additional authors omitted Fuh KC

Journal & Year:

Cancer Res • 2025

Sequence-based prediction of intermolecular interactions driven by disordered regions.
Authors:

Ginell GM, Emenecker RJ, Lotthammer JM, one or more additional authors omitted Holehouse AS

Journal & Year:

Science • 2025

Widespread variation in molecular interactions and regulatory properties among transcription factor isoforms.
Authors:

Lambourne L, Mattioli K, Santoso C, one or more additional authors omitted Holehouse AS, one or more additional authors omitted Fuxman Bass JI

Journal & Year:

Mol Cell • 2025

Disentangling Folding from Energetic Traps in Simulations of Disordered Proteins.
Authors:

Lotthammer JM, Holehouse AS

Journal & Year:

J Chem Inf Model • 2025

Molecular determinants of condensate composition.
Authors:

Holehouse AS, Alberti S

Journal & Year:

Mol Cell • 2025

Phosphorylation of disordered proteins tunes local and global intramolecular interactions.
Authors:

Usher ET, Fossat MJ, Holehouse AS

Journal & Year:

Biophys J • 2024