Rohit Pappu

Rohit Pappu is a Professor at Washington University in St. Louis, specializing in biophysical principles of intrinsically disordered proteins. He directs the Center for Biomolecular Condensates and co-directs the Center for High Performance Computing, with affiliations at the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders.

Education:

• PhD in biological physics, Tufts University (1996)
• MS, Tufts University (1993)
• BSc, Bangalore University (1990)

Research Focus: His work combines polymer physics, computational biophysics, and machine learning to study protein phase transitions, impacting neurodegeneration (Huntington’s disease, ALS) and cancer proliferation. He also develops responsive peptide-based biomaterials for biotechnology.

Scientific Contributions: Recent studies highlight stress granule stabilization in ALS, myosin-driven phase separation, and novel methods to analyze biomolecular condensates.

Awards:

• Mercator fellow, German Research Foundation
• Fellow, Biophysical Society
• Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineers
• Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science