Aaron Lucius

Aaron Lucius is a Professor and Chair of the Chemistry Department in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He also holds multiple joint appointments including Senior Scientist in the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, Scientist in the Vision Science Research Center, and Associate Scientist in the Center for AIDS Research and Center for Biophysical Sciences and Engineering. His research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of motor proteins and RNA polymerases using biochemical, biophysical, and kinetic approaches.

Dr. Lucius received his Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Biophysics from Oregon State University and his PhD in Molecular Biophysics from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He completed postdoctoral training at the University of Texas Medical Branch under Wlodek Bujalowski before joining UAB as an Assistant Professor in 2006. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2011, to Full Professor in 2015, and became Department Chair in 2025.

Dr. Lucius's research program lies at the intersection of Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Mathematics, focusing on how motor proteins couple ATP binding and hydrolysis to perform mechanical work. His laboratory employs chemical quenched-flow and fluorescence stopped-flow assays to study enzyme kinetics on the millisecond time scale. They also use thermodynamic, hydrodynamic, and spectroscopic approaches including analytical ultracentrifugation, light scattering, fluorescence titrations, and isothermal titration calorimetry. A major component of their work involves mathematical modeling of complex biochemical systems.

Analysis of Dr. Lucius's recent publications reveals a strong focus on AAA+ motor proteins (particularly ClpB and related disaggregases) and RNA polymerases (especially Pol I). His work employs transient-state kinetic techniques to examine protein unfolding, translocation, and nucleotide incorporation mechanisms. A common theme across his research is understanding how ATP hydrolysis is coupled to mechanical work in biological systems, with significant contributions to understanding processivity, enzyme kinetics, and molecular mechanisms.

• Dean's Award for Excellence in Mentorship
• Multiple grants from NSF and NIH
• Extensive publication record in high-impact journals

Dr. Lucius has mentored numerous graduate students, serving as committee chair for Wade W Bexley, Sudarshan Shanmugasundaram, and Ryan Mensalvas Requijo. His laboratory, the Lucius Lab, maintains active collaborations through the Center for Structural Biology and engages in outreach through social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook.