Maria Josefina Marcaida Lopez

Maria Josefina Marcaida Lopez is a Researcher at the Laboratory for Biomolecular Modeling (UPDALPE) within the School of Life Sciences (SV) at EPFL. Her primary role involves structural and computational studies of biomolecules, with a focus on protein-nucleic acid interactions and drug design. She holds a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Cambridge (2005) and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Bern, CNIO (Spain), and the University of Cambridge.

Education:

• M.Sci. Physics (Imperial College London, 2001)
• PhD Biochemistry & Protein Crystallography (University of Cambridge, 2005)

Research Interests: Her work bridges structural biology and computational modeling, focusing on:

• Protein dynamics and interactions in disease mechanisms
• Design of novel therapeutics targeting membrane proteins
• Structural basis of kinase-small molecule interactions
• Mechanisms of membrane protein function

Awards:

• Marie Heim-Vögtlin Fellowship (SNSF)
• EMBO Long-Term Fellowship
• Wellcome Trust Prize Studentship

Her lab employs cutting-edge methods including X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, and molecular simulations. Current projects explore mitochondrial protein dysfunction and nanopore-based biosensors.