Dennis A. Dougherty

Dennis A. Dougherty is the George Grant Hoag Professor of Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology's Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. He earned a B.S. and M.S. from Bucknell University in 1974 and a Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1978, followed by a career at Caltech where he was promoted to Professor in 1989 and Hoag Professor in 2002.

• B.S./M.S.: Bucknell University (1974)
• Ph.D.: Princeton University (1978)

The Dougherty Research Group investigates:

• Chemical-scale mechanisms of ion channels and neuroreceptors
• Development of ion channel-based biosensors
• Cation-π interactions in structural biology

Harnessing organic synthesis, molecular biology, and computational modeling, his team explores how ion channels transduce chemical signals into electrical responses for applications in drug discovery and molecular sensing. Their 2022-2024 publications demonstrate expertise in nicotine biosensors, serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and engineered protein sensors.

Laboratory members collaborate on projects involving:

• Membrane protein engineering
• Neuroreceptor pharmacology
• Noncovalent binding interactions
• Translational neuroscience tools