Charles P. Kuntz, PhD, is a research scientist at Purdue University. Charles completed a PhD at Purdue studying the molecular mechanism of small
molecule binding to monoamine neurotransmitter transporters (the targets for drugs such as antidepressants and psychostimulants). Charles
completed postdoctoral studies at Indiana University in collaboration with researchers at Vanderbilt to further train as a computational biologist with a
robust foundation in the structure and function of integral membrane proteins. These scientific endeavors have been focused on elucidating the
molecular mechanisms of membrane protein trafficking disorders such as creatine transporter deficiency (CTD), retinitis pigmentosa (RP), and cystic
fibrosis (CF). His work has contributed to the classification of both mutational variants and pharmacological chaperones and has leveraged his prior
experience with monoamine transporter pharmacology to provide a strong foundation to studies on the related SLC6A8 creatine transporter (CT1).
Charles joined Purdue in 2023 as a research scientist, continuing to work with the Association for Creatine Deficiencies and Prof. Jonathan Schlebach.
These ongoing efforts to map out the conformational landscape of CT1 and how its perturbation leads to CTD are pursued with the goal of new
treatments for CTD, a rare genetic disease that impacts childhood intellectual and motor development. With a commitment to multidisciplinary
collaboration, Charles aims to leverage skills in virtual screening, molecular docking, and protein structure prediction to identify novel pharmacological
chaperones for CTD. He ultimately aims to contribute to a paradigm shift in the management of this challenging neurological disorder. Charles enjoys
travel, hiking, photography, baking, and spending time with his wife, newborn daughter, and three cats.
Dr. Charles Kuntz
