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Leslie LaConte, Ph.D.

Research Associate Professor
  • Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
  • Associate Dean for Research
  • Associate Professor, Department of Basic Sciences Education
  • Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Leslie LaConte
lacon001@vtc.vt.edu
540-526-2084

Dr. Leslie LaConte's research interests lie in the field of structural biology. Working with Dr. Konark Mukherjee, she is currently investigating the impact that missense mutations have on the structure and function of CASK, a putatively synaptic protein associated with microcephaly and developmental delay, using both computational and cell biological tools.

As assistant dean for research for the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, LaConte is responsible for development and implementation of the school's research education curriculum and horizontal and vertical integration of research domain curricular elements across all four years and with the school’s other three domains. She reports to the senior dean for research and the senior dean for academic affairs.

Mukherjee K, LaConte LEW, Srivastava S. The Non-Linear Path from Gene Dysfunction to Genetic Disease: Lessons from the MICPCH Mouse Model. Cells. 2022 Mar 28;11(7):1131. doi: 10.3390/cells11071131. PMID: 35406695; PMCID: PMC8997851.

McKell A, LaConte LEW, McDonald SM. (2017). Temperature-sensitive lesion in the N-terminal domain of the rotavirus polymerase affects its intracellular localization and enzymatic activity. Journal of Virology.

LaConte LE, Chavan V, Liang C, Willis J, Schönhense EM, Schoch S, Mukherjee K. (2016). CASK stabilizes neurexin and links it to liprin-a in a neuronal activity-dependent manner. Cell Mol Life Sci: [Epub ahead print] doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0088276.

LaConte LEW, Chavan V, Mukherjee K. (2014). Identification and glycerol-induced correction of misfolding mutations in the X-linked mental retardation gene CASK. PLOS ONE.

LaConte L, Mukherjee K. (2013). Structural constraints and functional divergences in CASK evolution. Biochem Soc Trans 41(4): 1017-22.

LaConte L, Johnson TA, Vari RC, Friedlander MJ. (2013). Research immersion at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine – an integrated curriculum producing scientist physicians for the future of healthcare. Med Sci Educ 23: 122-134.

Nitin N, LaConte L, Rhee WJ, Bao G. (2009). Tat peptide is capable of importing large nanoparticles across nuclear membrane in digitonin permeabilized cells. Ann Biomed Eng 37(10): 2018-27.

LaConte LE, Nitin N, Zurkiya O, Caruntu D, O’Connor CJ, Hu X, Bao G. (2007). Coating thickness of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles affects R2 relaxivity. J Magn Reson Imaging 26(6): 1634-41.

LaConte LE, Baker JE, Thomas DD. (2003). Transient kinetics and mechanics of myosin’s force-generating rotation in muscle: resolution of millisecond rotational transitions in the spin-labeled myosin light-chain domain. Biochemistry: 9797-803.

LaConte LE, Voelz V, Nelson W, Enz M, Thomas DD. (2002). Molecular dynamics simulation of site-directed spin labeling: experimental validation in muscle fibers. Biophys J 83(4): 1854-66.

Brust-Mascher I, LaConte LE, Baker JE, Thomas DD. (1999). Myosin light-chain domain rotates upon muscle activation but not ATP hydrolysis. Biochemistry 38(39): 12607-13.

  • Georgia Institute of Technology: Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • University of Minnesota: Ph.D., Biochemistry