Structural Biology Program

The Richard Hite Lab

Research

Richard Hite, PhD

Our research group has two primary focuses. One part of the lab focuses on determining the mechanisms of intracellular ion and metabolite transport, while the second studies protein nucleic acid interactions that are critical for maintaining genomic integrity. We study these fundamental processes using a variety of cell biological, biochemical, structural and biophysical tools including cryo-electron microscopy and electrophysiology.

FLVCR1 is a choline and ethanolamine transporter — Structure of FLVCR1 in complex with choline.

G quadruplexes stall DNA replication — Structure of the eukaryotic replicative helicase, comprised of Mcm2-7, Cdc45, GINS, Csm3 and Tof1, stalled by a G quadruplex.

Featured News

SKI Scientists Determine Structure of a DNA Damage 'First Responder'

The results of this collaborative project overturn some conventional wisdom about how the DNA repair process works.

Publications Highlights

Batra S., Allwein B., Kumar C., Devbhandari S., Bruning J.G., Lee C., Marians K., Hite R.K., & Remus D. (2025) “Cryo-EM structures of G4-stalled CMG reveal inchworm mechanism of DNA translocation.” Science. eadt1978.

Oh S., Lee J., Choi H.J., Kim S., Sapuru V., Kim M., Hite R.K. (2024) Discovery of Selective Inhibitors for the Lysosomal Parkinson’s Disease Channel TMEM175. J Am Chem Soc. 146:23230-23239.

Son Y., Kenny T.C., Khan A., Birsoy K., & Hite R.K. (2024). “Structural basis of lipid head group entry to the Kennedy pathway by FLVCR1.” Nature. 629:710-716.

Paknejad N., Sapuru V., & Hite R.K. (2023) “Structural titration reveals Ca2+-dependent conformational landscape of the IP3 receptor.” Nat Commun. 14(1):6897.

Oh S., Stix R., Zhou W., Faraldo-Gómez J.D., & Hite R.K. (2022). “Mechanism of 4-aminopyridine inhibition of the lysosomal channel TMEM175.” Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 119(44):e2208882119.

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People

Richard Hite, PhD

The Hite laboratory studies the mechanisms of ion and metabolite transport and the maintenance of genomic integrity.
BS, Emory University
PhD, Harvard University

Members

Viktor Belay

Graduate Student

Sonia Das

Sr. Administrative Assistant

Mark Gad

Graduate Research Assistant

Richard Hite

Principal Investigator

Songwon Kim

Research Associate

Alexander Payne

Graduate Student

Yeeun Jecy Son

Graduate Student

Benjamin Allwein

Graduate Student

Kadeem P. Ho Sang

Administrative Research Assistant

Julia Korobenko

Research Technician

Brandon Malone

Research Fellow

SeCheol Oh

Research Fellow

Navid Paknejad

Graduate Student

Vinay Kumar Sapuru

Graduate Student

Marina Schrecker

Research Scholar

Changrui Xing

Research Fellow

Achievements

Pershing Square Sohn Prize for Young Investigators in Cancer Research
Josie Robertson Investigator (2017-2022)
Searle Scholar
Tri-Institutional Breakout Award for Junior Investigators

Open Positions

To learn more about available postdoctoral opportunities, please visit our Career Center

To learn more about compensation and benefits for postdoctoral researchers at MSK, please visit Resources for Postdocs

Graduate Students & Postdoctoral Fellows

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Disclosures

Members of the MSK Community often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community. These activities outside of MSK further our mission, provide productive collaborations, and promote the practical application of scientific discoveries.

MSK requires doctors, faculty members, and leaders to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public. Not all disclosed interests and relationships present conflicts of interest. MSK reviews all disclosed interests and relationships to assess whether a conflict of interest exists and whether formal COI management is needed.

Richard Hite discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

Cerevel Therapeutics
Professional Services and Activities
Roche
Professional Services and Activities

Vesalius Therapeutics
Professional Services and Activities

The information published here is a complement to other publicly reported data and is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.

This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2024 through disclosure submission in spring 2025). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at ecoi@mskcc.org.

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