C. Nick Pace

C. Nick Pace is a Distinguished Professor and Regents Professor at Texas A&M University’s School of Medicine, affiliated with the Department of Molecular & Cellular Medicine. He joined the faculty in 1968 and has held visiting roles at Osaka University (1992) and the MRC Centre in Cambridge (1982). His research focuses on protein structure-function relationships, including how amino acid sequences influence folding, stability, solubility, and biological activity. Key themes include predicting protein behavior from sequences and understanding denatured state interactions.

Education:

• PhD in Biochemistry, Duke University (1966)
• BS in Chemistry, University of Utah (1962)

Research emphasizes protein ionization, pH effects, and engineering solutions to enhance protein solubility and stability. Recent work explores beta-turn optimization and long-range interactions in denatured proteins. Over 50 years of contributions to structural biology include pivotal studies on ribonuclease Sa and pK value analysis.

Awards: Regents Professor, McMullin Professor of Genetics.
Notable Collaborations: Postdoctoral work with Charles Tanford (Duke), Gordon Hammes (Cornell), Tom Creighton, and Alan Barrett (Cambridge).