Lois Pollack

Lois Pollack is a Professor in the Department of Applied and Engineering Physics at Cornell University's College of Engineering. She joined the faculty in 2000 after a postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell's Microkelvin Laboratory and has held leadership roles including Director of Undergraduate Studies (2005-2010) and Department Director (2014-2020). Her research focuses on determining dynamic structures of RNA, DNA, and proteins using advanced experimental tools like x-ray free electron lasers and microfluidic devices.

• B.A. Physics, Brandeis University (1983)
• Ph.D. Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1989)

Research Themes:
1. Instrumentation Development - Creating microfluidic and x-ray-based tools for time-resolved studies of biomolecules
2. Electrostatic Interactions - Investigating how charge affects nucleic acid structure and function

Scientific Contributions:
• Pioneered methods coupling microfluidics with x-ray and laser technologies
• Advanced understanding of RNA structural dynamics through WAXS and MD simulations
• Developed techniques for enzyme reaction characterization at X-ray free electron lasers

• AAAS Fellow
• Dorothy and Fred Chau Excellence in Teaching Award (2012)
• NSF Career Award (2004)
• NIH EUREKA R01 Grant