Associate Professor Ilka Heinemann, Department of Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, leads research on aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetases, rare genetic diseases, RNA modifications, protein modifications, and cancer metastasis. Her lab studies the molecular and cellular basis of disorders such as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and examines how RNA and protein modifications feed into oncogenic signalling pathways. Her mission is to connect fundamental biochemical mechanisms to better understanding of rare disease and metastatic cancer biology. She also supports graduate research training in molecular biochemistry at Western University.