Alisha Bajracharya

Professional Background

I was born and raised in Nepal. I earned my B.S. degree in Biochemistry and Biology from Washburn University, Kansas. For my undergraduate research project, I explored the effects of mutations in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) on enzyme kinetics and activity. Additionally, I conducted gene analysis on contig 2 of the Muller D element in Drosophila kikkawai for gene annotation. I joined the IGPBS program at KUMC in 2023 and have been a member of Dr. Hagenbuch’s lab since July 2024.

Research

Overview

The Na⁺/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) is a transport protein encoded by the SLC10A1 gene. It is expressed at the basolateral membrane of human hepatocytes and functions to uptake bile acids from plasma in a sodium-dependent manner. I’m currently studying how S-palmitoylation, a reversible post-translational modification where palmitic acid is added to free cysteine (C) residues on proteins, affects the expression and membrane localization of NTCP and, thus, the function of the modified protein.