Jeffery Klauda

Jeffery Klauda is a Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park, and an Affiliate Professor at the Institute for Physical Science and Technology (IPST). He serves as Co-Director of the Biophysics Program, leading a multidisciplinary research group focused on molecular simulations and machine learning applied to biological systems. His lab explores cellular membrane structures, protein interactions, and drug design, with particular emphasis on Alzheimer's disease mechanisms and SARS-CoV-2 accessory proteins. Key collaborations include work with Dr. Antonio Cardone (NIST) on CDK5 inhibition and Dr. Bryan Berger's lab at UVA on COVID-19 viral proteins.

• Research Interests: Molecular simulations, enhanced sampling, lipid force field development (CHARMM36), enzyme design, membrane protein oligomers, and drug delivery systems.
• Lab Members: Supervises ~30 researchers across graduate, undergraduate, and high school levels, with ongoing projects in ion channel modeling, peptide inhibitor design, and bacterial membrane asymmetry.
• Funding: NSF EAGER Grant for SARS-CoV-2 membrane protein research (2021), and NIH collaborations on lipid modeling.

Research achievements include advancing CHARMM force fields for lipid systems, elucidating drug-membrane interactions, and developing AI-driven antimicrobial peptide design frameworks. His lab's work has been recognized through student awards (e.g., Biophysics Research Excellence Awards for Jiyeon Min and Jessica Bodosa) and media coverage from UMD and NSF.

Lab activities span from fundamental membrane biophysics to applied projects like fouling-release coatings and carbon sequestration via gas hydrates. Collaborations bridge computational and experimental teams across academia and government labs.