The primary focus of the Sweeney Lab is to understand how muscles function. More specifically, the lab studies the basic machinery inside muscles, aiming to develop ways to treat muscular disorders such as those associated with aging or muscular dystrophies, where muscles fail to function properly. The goal is to create therapies that can either correct the fundamental problem or counteract issues caused by these disorders.
To achieve this goal, Dr. Lee Sweeney is exploring two main approaches. The first approach is through gene therapy. This involves introducing a gene that corrects the fundamental problem or counteracts issues caused by a disorder. The second approach involves searching for small molecules that achieve this goal as well.
The most fundamental research done in the Sweeney Lab is mainly focused on myosin motors. Myosin motors are proteins that convert chemical energy into mechanical force, which is the molecular basis for muscle movement. Myosin motors are involved in aspects of muscle development, maintenance, and regeneration.
The reason why Dr. Sweeney chose to be part of the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics is due to its focus on developing therapies, which aligns with his goals for his research. Working with colleagues who share similar approaches and technical challenges allows his lab to learn from others and potentially contribute to others’ research. The department’s collaborative environment was a major factor for Dr. Sweeney’s decision to move to UF.
For the next five to ten years, the goal of the lab and its’ research is to improve existing approaches. Dr. Sweeney would also like to continue to evaluate novel drugs and strategies to modify muscle function.