Lela Vukovic

Lela Vukovic is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), where she leads a research group focused on computational chemistry and nanomaterials. She earned her B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Chicago and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry.

Her research centers on developing and applying computational methods to study nucleic acids, carbon nanotube sensors, and molecular interactions in biological and nanotechnological systems. Key areas include DNA-carbon nanotube interactions, PFAS-protein binding, and the design of high-affinity molecular binders.

The most recent publications highlight an interdisciplinary approach combining molecular dynamics simulations, machine learning, and experimental collaborations. Her work spans sensor design for neurotransmitters like serotonin, environmental toxicology of PFAS and nanoplastics, and the photophysics of molecular probes for disease biomarkers. Many of her papers appear in top journals such as JACS, ACS Nano, and Nature Communications, with several selected as cover articles.

Scientific Awards:

• Humboldt Research Fellowship

She actively mentors graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, with alumni placed in institutions such as the University of Illinois, MIT, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Her group collaborates widely and develops open computational tools like BinderSpace for sequence analysis. She also maintains active research collaborations with experimental groups, including the Kruss Lab at Ruhr Universität Bochum.