Eva Nogales

Eva Nogales is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. She chairs the Graduate Group in Biophysics and is affiliated with the Division of Cell and Developmental Biology. Her research focuses on understanding molecular mechanisms in eukaryotic cells, particularly cytoskeletal dynamics (microtubules in cell division) and gene expression regulation (PRC2, TFIID, and transcription initiation complexes).

Key research areas include studying microtubule-stabilizing drugs (e.g., Taxol, peloruside), tau protein’s role in Alzheimer’s disease, and epigenetic silencing via Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2). Her work employs cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), biochemical assays, and structural biology to elucidate molecular interactions. Notable projects involve the structural basis of microtubule dynamics, mechanisms of transcription initiation by TFIID and Pol II, and CRISPR-Cas systems.

Publications highlight advancements in understanding tau-microtubule binding, PRC2-nucleosome interactions, and structural insights into transcription machinery. Collaborations with institutions like HHMI and the Doudna lab underscore her interdisciplinary approach to structural and molecular biology.