Match tier Listed
Presence Current · Arkansas
Last published 2025
Sources OpenAlex · ORCID
Refreshed 2026-10-09

Alicia K. Byrd

Federal Grant PI High Impact

Assistant Professor

Also affiliated: Pennsylvania State University (2002); University of Arizona (2003); Vanderbilt University (2002); University of Arkansas Medical Center (2018); Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation (2021)

27 h-index 58 pubs 2,134 cited

  • DNA Helicases
  • G-Quadruplexes
  • DNA, Single-Stranded
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Humans
  • DNA
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae
  • Protein Binding
  • Viral Proteins
  • Adenosine Triphosphate
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Kinetics
  • Bacteriophage T4
  • Nucleic Acid Conformation
  • DNA Replication

Biography and Research Information

OverviewAI-generated summary

Alicia K. Byrd leads a research group at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences focused on DNA helicases, their mechanisms, and regulation. Her work investigates how these enzymes interact with DNA, including their role in DNA unwinding and protein binding. A significant portion of her research also examines G-quadruplex DNA structures and their involvement in cellular processes, such as stress granule assembly in response to oxidative stress.

Dr. Byrd has received federal funding from the NIH/National Institute of General Medical Sciences for her research on DNA helicases, totaling $1,455,158. Her scholarship metrics include an h-index of 27, with 57 total publications and 1,973 total citations, designating her as a highly cited researcher. She has a history of collaboration with researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, including Matthew D. Thompson, Kevin D. Raney, Jun Gao, and John C. Marecki, with whom she has co-authored multiple publications.

Metrics

  • h-index: 27
  • Publications: 58
  • Citations: 2,134

Positions

  • Assistant Professor 2019–present
    University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Institutional directory
  • Instructor 2010–2018
    University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Biochemistry and Molecular Biology ORCID

Selected Publications

  • Response to the commentary by Melidis <i>et al.</i> on “Untargeted CUT&amp;Tag reads are enriched at accessible chromatin and restrict identification of potential G4-forming sequences in G4-targeted CUT&amp;Tag experiments” (2025)
    Nucleic Acids Research DOI OpenAlex
  • Untargeted CUT&amp;Tag reads are enriched at accessible chromatin and restrict identification of potential G4-forming sequences in G4-targeted CUT&amp;Tag experiments (2025)
    Nucleic Acids Research 8 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • Rare SNP in the <i>HELB</i> gene interferes with RPA interaction and cellular function of HELB (2025)
    NAR Molecular Medicine DOI OpenAlex
  • Structural and functional insights into the interaction between the bacteriophage T4 DNA processing proteins gp32 and Dda (2024)
    Nucleic Acids Research 10 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • Untargeted CUT&amp;Tag and BG4 CUT&amp;Tag are both enriched at G-quadruplexes and accessible chromatin (2024)
    bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) 3 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • Eukaryotic Pif1 helicase unwinds G-quadruplex and dsDNA using a conserved wedge (2024)
    Nature Communications 9 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • Two residues in the DNA binding site of Pif1 helicase are essential for nuclear functions but dispensable for mitochondrial respiratory growth (2024)
    Nucleic Acids Research 2 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • Rare SNP in the <i>HELB</i> gene interferes with RPA interaction and cellular function of HELB (2024)
    bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) DOI OpenAlex
  • Pif1 Helicase Mediates Remodeling of Protein-Nucleic Acid Complexes by Promoting Dissociation of Sub1 from G-Quadruplex DNA and Cdc13 from G-Rich Single-Stranded DNA (2023)
    Biochemistry 9 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • Hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein NS3 unfolds viral G-quadruplex RNA structures (2022)
    Journal of Biological Chemistry 11 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • Alignment of helicases on single-stranded DNA increases activity (2022)
    Methods in enzymology on CD-ROM/Methods in enzymology 2 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • Role and Regulation of Pif1 Family Helicases at the Replication Fork (2022)
    International Journal of Molecular Sciences 14 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • Monitoring helicase-catalyzed unwinding of multiple duplexes simultaneously (2022)
    Methods in enzymology on CD-ROM/Methods in enzymology DOI OpenAlex
  • A structural feature of Dda helicase which enhances displacement of streptavidin and <i>trp</i> repressor from <scp>DNA</scp> (2021)
    Protein Science 8 citations DOI OpenAlex
  • G-quadruplex DNA inhibits unwinding activity but promotes liquid–liquid phase separation by the DEAD-box helicase Ded1p (2021)
    Chemical Communications 12 citations DOI OpenAlex

View all publications on OpenAlex →

Federal Grants 1 $1,455,158 total

NIH Contact PI Sep 2026 - Aug 2030

DNA helicases: Mechanisms and Regulation

National Institute of General Medical Sciences $1,455,158 R01

Grants & Funding

As listed on this researcher's institutional profile. Federal awards with verified records are shown above.

  • Role of HELB in the Replication Stress Response NIH/NIGMS
  • The effect of rs75770066, a stroke associated single nucleotide polymorphism, on enzyme activity UAMS Internal Research Awards
  • Seeds of Science Pilot award UAMS Internal Research Awards
  • DNA Helicases: Mechanism and Function NIH
  • Functions and Mechanisms of Helicases and G-Quadruplex Nucleic Acids NIH
  • The Role of DNA Helicase B in Response to DNA Replication Stress UAMS Internal Research Awards
  • Measurement of Helicase Diffusion and Cooperativity at the Single Molecule Level Burroughs Wellcome Fund
  • Identification of synthetic lethal targets for treating breast cancer Arkansas Breast Cancer Research Program

Collaboration Network

139 Collaborators 43 Institutions 6 Countries

Top Collaborators

View profile →
View profile →
View profile →
View profile →
View profile →
View profile →

Similar Researchers

Based on overlapping research topics