Gaurav Bhardwaj

Gaurav Bhardwaj is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy. He is affiliated with the Institute for Protein Design and leads the Bhardwaj Lab, focusing on computational and experimental tools for peptide-based therapeutics.

• Education:
• B.Tech in Biotechnology, GGS Indraprastha University, Delhi
• PhD in Integrative Biosciences, Pennsylvania State University
• Postdoctoral work at University of California, Davis and University of Washington, Seattle

His research spans computational peptide design, structural biology, and drug discovery, targeting challenges in membrane permeability, oral bioavailability, and blood-brain barrier traversal. Current projects address antibiotic resistance, chronic pain, and neurodegenerative disorders.

Recent publications highlight de novo macrocycle design, AlphaFold-based modeling, and cyclic peptide libraries, emphasizing computational methods and deep learning applications in drug design. His work integrates molecular biophysics and structural validation to enhance therapeutic efficacy.

The Bhardwaj Lab promotes diversity and offers opportunities for undergraduate researchers, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and technicians, with a focus on interdisciplinary collaboration at the interface of chemistry, biology, and computational sciences.