Lab members
​​​Tanja Kortemme
​My main scientific interests range from the details of the physical interactions between atoms and molecules to the architecture and evolution of interaction networks in complex biological systems.

Education
  • Vordiplom (BS) Chemistry / Physical Chemistry, University of Hannover, Germany
  • Diplom (MSc) Biophysics, Stanford University / University of Hannover
  • Dr.rer.nat (Ph.D.) Biochemistry, EMBL Heidelberg / University of Hannover

Postdoctoral work
Computational and structural biology at EMBL Heidelberg and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle.

Tanja's publications
Principal Investigator
 Bio, Profile

Postdoctoral scholars
​​​Tina Perica
I am interested in studying the genotype-to-phenotype relationships by using the knowledge of protein structure and biophysics. I aim to do that by testing the quantitative effects of designed perturbations on the genetic interactions.

Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellow

Education
  • Bachelor of Science, Molecular Biology, Zagreb University, Croatia
  • Ph.D., Molecular Biology, Cambridge University, UK

Tina's publications
Tina Perica
#Post-Dog
Postdoctoral Scholar
Bio, Profile, GitHub
​​​Anum Azam Glasgow
I am interested in understanding the molecular basis for signal transduction in proteins, and designing new allosteric proteins.

NIH NIGMS K99/R00 Postdoctoral Fellow

Education
  • Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
  • ​Ph.D., Bioengineering, UC Berkeley

Anum's publications
Postdoctoral Scholar
Bio, Profile
Simon Kretschmer
I am interested in developing protein-based biosensors for synthetic biology applications. In particular, I aim to design and experimentally characterize synthetic proteins that can sense and respond to small molecules of biomedical relevance.

Education
  • Bachelor of Science, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
  • Master of Science, Biochemistry, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
  • Dr.rer.nat. (Ph.D.), Biochemistry, Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry / Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

Simon's publications
Postdoctoral Scholar
​Bio, Profile
Lu Hong
I'm interested in designing biomolecular systems that function out of equilibrium. Specifically, my goal is to accelerate the period of the Kai oscillator, a post-translational circadian clock found in cyanobacteria.

Education
  • Bachelor of Arts, Mathematics, Wabash College
  • Ph.D., Biophysics, University of Chicago

Lu's publications
Postdoctoral Scholar
​Bio, ​Profile
Robert Alberstein
I am interested in the construction of biomolecular machines, motors, and switches, which carry out their functions through structural changes coupled to thermodynamic driving forces (e.g. chemical gradients, nucleotide hydrolysis). My research is focused on understanding and developing methods for the design of conformationally pliable systems that can be switched/driven between states via energy input from chemical fuel or light.
​
Education
  • Bachelor of Science, Biological Sciences - Neuroscience Track, Carnegie Mellon University
  • Ph.D., Chemistry, University of California, San Diego

Robert's publications
Postdoctoral Scholar
​Bio
Benjamin Jagger
My interests are focused on using computational modeling and simulation-based techniques to inform the design of enzymes. Specifically, I am interested in improving the therapeutic potential of Cas9 systems by designing properties such as reduced size, self-delivery ability, cell targeting specificity, and reduced immunogenicity.
​

Education
  • Bachelor of Science, Chemistry, Duquesne University
    Ph.D. Chemistry,  University of California San Diego

Benjamin's publications
Postdoctoral Scholar
​Bio

graduate students
Amy Guo
I am interested in the designability of dynamic proteins and mini-proteins. Currently, I am working on creating mini-ACE2 designs to bind the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

Education
  • Bachelor of Science, Bioengineering and Chemistry/Materials Science, UCLA

Amy's publications
 Graduate Student
Bio
Connor Galvin
I am currently working on leveraging biological data to improve accuracy and efficiency in the computational design of de novo small molecule binding sites.

Education
  • Bachelor of Arts, Chemistry, New College of Florida

Connors's publications
 Graduate Student
Bio, Github
Cody Krivacic 
I am interested in understanding how best to apply our computational tools to protein engineering challenges. I am currently working on a computational method that re-positions amino acids of interest by manipulating the protein backbone and testing my designs experimentally. The ability to precisely define side-chain positions in protein binding sites will enable the engineering of proteins with altered specificity. 

Education
  • Bachelor of Science, Biochemistry, UC Santa Barbara

Cody's publications
 Graduate Student
Bio, GitHub
​​Chris Mathy
I'm interested in how organisms finely control system-wide behavior by tuning of protein structure, dynamics, and interactions. My current work is on the small GTPase Ran/Gsp1, looking into how it's key partners regulate Gsp1 cycling to allow for different behavior in several cellular pathways.
​
Education
  • Bachelor of Science, Bioengineering, Stanford

Chris's publications
Graduate Student
Bio, GitHub
​​Xingjie Pan
I am interested in understanding and designing biological systems in a bottom-up approach, since a physical system is not truly understood until we can calculate its behavior from physics laws. Currently I am working on developing algorithms for reshaping protein functional sites.

UCSF Discovery Fellow.

Education
  • Bachelor of Science, Physics, Peking University

Xingjie's publications
Xingjie Pan
Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.
Graduate Student
Bio, GitHub

staff
Yang (Sunny) Zhang

Education
  • Bachelor of Science, Chemistry, Peking University, Beijing, China
  • Ph.D., Biochemistry, Boston College

Sunny's publications
Specialist
Bio