Fabio Sterpone

Fabio Sterpone is a Research Director 1st Class at CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), based at the Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique (LBT/IBPC) in Paris, France. Previously serving as Research Director 2nd Class from 2018-2024, he leads a research group focused on computational biophysics and multi-scale modeling of biological systems.

His educational background includes a PhD from UPMC and CEA, Saclay (2000-2004), a Laurea in Physics from La Sapienza University, Rome (1999), followed by postdoctoral work at UT Austin (2004-2006) and High Performance Computing CASPUR in Rome (2006-2008). He was a Fellow of the P-G de Gennes Foundation at ENS Paris (2009-2010) before joining CNRS in 2010.

Sterpone's research centers on multi-scale modeling of biophysical processes, particularly protein stability and function across different environments. His work spans from atomistic to coarse-grained/nanoscale descriptions, with key interests in protein-protein interactions in crowded cellular environments, thermal adaptation mechanisms, amyloid aggregation related to neurodegenerative diseases, and fluid dynamics in biological systems including mucus clearance and brain interstitial flow. He has made significant contributions to the development of the OPEP coarse-grained force field for protein simulations.

Analyzing his recent publications reveals a strong focus on the intersection of fluid dynamics and biological processes. His work connects fundamental protein physics with critical health issues including Alzheimer's disease, respiratory pathologies, and cellular thermal adaptation. The research demonstrates increasing sophistication in multi-scale modeling approaches that bridge molecular, cellular, and tissue-level phenomena.

• ERC Starting Grant THERMOS (2011-2016)
• PRACE award CELLPHY for 'Diffusion and Stability of Proteins in Cell-like environments'
• Multiple Big-Challenge computational awards (2015-2022)
• Supervision of Best PhD Thesis GGMM Prize winner (Marina Katava, 2017)

Sterpone actively mentors PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, with notable contributions to understanding protein thermal stability, amyloid aggregation mechanisms, and cellular response to extreme conditions. His laboratory collaborates extensively with experimental groups across Europe and the United States, creating a strong bridge between computational predictions and experimental validation. The research group utilizes advanced computational techniques including lattice Boltzmann molecular dynamics to investigate complex biological phenomena that are difficult to probe experimentally.