Patrick Young graduated in 1987 from the University of Nevada, USA, in Biochemistry. He received his Ph.D. from Oregon State University at the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics in 1992, where he investigated protein-protein interactions of deoxynucleotide enzymes in bacteriophage T4 as a member of the Chris Mathew’s research group. After he finished his Ph.D., he moved to Stockholm, Sweden, and joined the research team of Prof. Britt-Marie Sjöberg at the department of Molecular Biology Stockholm University and characterized the bacteriophage T4 anaerobic ribonucleotide reductase. In 1995, he and his family moved back to the western US, and he joined the group of Martin Rechsteiner at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City. In the Rechsteiner laboratory, he characterized the polyubiquitin binding activity of the 26S proteasome subunit S5a, which resulted in his mapping of the first ubiquitin interaction motif domains, UIM domains. Today, UIM domains are known to come in a wide variety of “flavors” and can be found binding to either poly-ubiquitin or mono-ubiquitin. UIM domains have important roles in both endocytotic protein trafficking and proteasomal degradation. His research returned to Sweden in 1998 at the department of Molecular Biology at Stockholm University as a group leader ('forskarassistant'). Recent research interests focus on the role of the p97 VCP ATPase in proteasomal degradation, investigating transcriptional regulation of the 26 S proteasome, and the role of REGgamma/PA28 proteasome activator. He enjoys playing basketball once a week, jogging around the Stockholm area, and doing various outdoor activities with his teenage sons. He has twice “walked” the Stockholm Marathon and enjoys gardening. He enjoys movies and among his favorites are The Big Lebowski, Slumdog Millionaire, and No Country for Old Men.

Patrick worked in our group from January until June 2010.