Amedeo Caflisch

Amedeo Caflisch is a Full Professor of Computational Structural Biology at the University of Zurich's Department of Biochemistry since 2001. He previously served as Head of the Department from 2020 to 2024. His research focuses on developing small molecule ligands targeting proteins involved in epitranscriptomics (e.g., m6A-RNA writers/readers) and epigenetics (acetylated lysine readers), aiming to create anti-cancer therapies. He earned a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from ETH Zurich in 1991, followed by postdoctoral work at Harvard University with Prof. Martin Karplus. He joined the University of Zurich in 1995 as a senior research assistant and became an assistant professor in 1996.

Teaching includes courses such as 'Protein Biophysics' and 'Biochemistry: An Overview' within the Faculty of Science. His lab, the Caflisch Group, investigates molecular dynamics, drug design, and protein aggregation mechanisms. Key projects involve computational methods for virtual screening and understanding amyloid formation in diseases like Alzheimer's. Collaborations span medicinal chemistry, structural biology, and pharmacology, with a focus on translating computational insights into clinical applications.

Career highlights include pioneering work on epigenetic modifiers and the development of FAIR-compliant data management tools for molecular simulations. His lab's interdisciplinary approach combines AI, physics-based models, and experimental validation to address complex biological problems.