Tina Machu, PhD

My current scholarly interests include educational psychology and innovative learning strategies for professional students. I am particularly interested in pre- and post-matriculation non-cognitive attributes that influence academic success.
During my career in biomedical research, I studied the structure and function of ligand-gated ion channels, with an emphasis on 5-Hydroxytryptamine3 (5-HT3) receptors. I investigated a putative alcohol-binding domain of the 5-HT3 receptor. Another project focused on the 5-HT ligand (5-HT) binding domain of the receptor, with an emphasis on amino residues that couple agonist binding to conformational changes in the N-termini that initiate channel opening. The NIH, American Heart Association, and Alcoholic Beverage Medical Research Foundation have funded my research in this area.