Brian Anthony Kelch

Brian Anthony Kelch is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology at UMass Chan Medical School, affiliated with the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. He holds additional roles in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program and MD/PhD Program. Kelch earned his BS in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from Pennsylvania State University and his PhD in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from the University of California, San Francisco.

His research focuses on structural and mechanistic studies of macromolecular machines, with emphasis on viral assembly mechanisms and DNA replication/repair complexes. The Kelch Lab employs cryo-EM, biochemical assays, and biophysical approaches to investigate clamp loaders, viral packaging motors, and DNA-protein interactions. Key areas include:

• Conformational dynamics in bacteriophage assembly
• Eukaryotic vs. prokaryotic clamp loader mechanisms
• Thermostable viral capsid engineering
• DNA damage signaling pathways

Kelch's publications demonstrate consistent focus on structural virology (45%), DNA replication machinery (35%), and enzyme mechanisms (20%), with recent work exploring neurodevelopmental implications of viral proteins. His lab actively recruits postdoctoral researchers and collaborates with institutions like UCSF and the International Vaccine Institute.