Maria Kurnikova

Maria Kurnikova is a Professor of Chemistry at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), affiliated with the Mellon College of Science. She holds concurrent roles as Co-Director of the Molecular Biophysics & Structural Biology (MBSB) Graduate Program and affiliated faculty in the Joint CMU-Pittsburgh Computational Biology Program. Her research focuses on computational chemistry, molecular modeling, and theoretical biophysics, particularly in understanding protein structure-function relationships through high-performance computing and multi-scale modeling approaches.

Education:

• M.Sc., Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 1984–1990
• Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 1998
• Postdoctoral Fellowships: University of Tel Aviv (1998–1999) and University of Pittsburgh/NIST (1999–2001)

Research Interests: Dr. Kurnikova's work spans computational modeling of membrane proteins, ion channels, and drug design. Her group develops hierarchical models to bridge atomistic and macroscale processes, with applications in understanding ligand binding, channel gating, and ion selectivity. Current projects include:

• Membrane protein receptors and ion channel dynamics
• In silico drug design using machine learning and free energy simulations
• Development of accurate force fields for molecular interactions

Awards:

• 2024 Department of Chemistry Distinguished Alumni Award (University of Pittsburgh)
• 2002 Research Corporation Innovation Award

Collaborations & Resources:

• Active user of NSF/NIH supercomputing facilities (e.g., Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center)
• Collaborations with Olexandr Isayev’s group on drug design methodologies

Labs & Teams: The Kurnikova Research Group specializes in theoretical and computational approaches to biological macromolecules, with ongoing projects in TRPM7 channel regulation, AMPA receptor allostery, and heme transfer mechanisms.