Dimitrios Stamou

Dimitrios Stamou is a Professor of Bionanotechnology and Nanomedicine in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Science. He also serves as Director of the Center of Excellence for Geometrically Engineered Cellular Systems (2018-2024) funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation with 60M DKK. Previously, he was Associate Professor (2006-2010) and Assistant Professor (2004-2006) in the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology at the same university, and has been a member of the Nano-Science Center since 2004.

Education:

• 1992-1995: B.Sc. Hon. Physics, Leeds University (UK)
• 1996-2000: Ph.D. Physical Chemistry, Ecole Polytechnique Fédéral de Lausanne (CH)
• 2000-2002: Postdoctoral Fellow, Ecole Polytechnique Fédéral de Lausanne (CH)

Professor Stamou's research focuses on membrane biophysics and single molecule biology. He has developed innovative technologies to investigate membrane curvature, membrane protein dynamics, and cellular organization. His work bridges nanotechnology, biophysics, and medicine, with significant contributions to understanding how membrane curvature influences protein localization and function. His laboratory pioneered methods for single-molecule analysis of membrane proteins that resolved ionic currents with sensitivity 1,000,000-fold higher than patch clamp techniques, enabling observation of single transporter molecules. He also developed methods to investigate individual proteoliposomes, revealing dramatic heterogeneities in ensemble populations that can skew measurements but also enable high-throughput ultraminiaturized assays with 1,000,000,000-fold lower sample consumption.

His recent publications demonstrate a continued focus on GPCR organization, membrane curvature effects on protein localization, and single-molecule analysis of membrane proteins. The research spans biophysics, molecular biology, and nanotechnology, with applications in understanding cellular signaling pathways relevant to cancer and other diseases. His work often involves collaborations with leading institutions worldwide, including UC Berkeley, Stanford University, Cambridge University, and the Max Planck Institute.

Selected Awards:

• 2019: Thomas E. Thompson Award, Biophysical Society
• 2017: Best research at Dept. of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen
• 2016: Torkil Holm, National Prize in chemical science
• 2010: Annual Award of the Danish Biotechnology Society

Professor Stamou has established and directs the Bio-Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine Laboratory at the University of Copenhagen, securing approximately 210M DKK in external funding. He previously served as Director of the Center of Excellence for Biomembranes in Nanomedicine (35M DKK, Lundbeck Foundation, 2010-2015) and PI of the NABIIT council Frame grant (23M DKK in collaboration with Novo Nordisk A/S, 2014-2018). His laboratory has received strategic research funding from multiple foundations and agencies.

Since 2005, Professor Stamou has supervised 13 postdocs and graduated 12 PhD, 12 MSc, and 16 BSc students. He has been an active member of the scientific community, serving on editorial boards including the Biophysical Journal (2017-2019) and the Journal of General Physiology (2019-2021). His laboratory maintains collaborations with leading researchers worldwide, including J.T. Groves (UC Berkeley), B. Kobilka (Stanford University), D. Owen (Cambridge University), R. Jahn (Max Planck Institute), and T. Ha (Johns Hopkins).