Mark P. Foster

Dr. Mark P. Foster is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at The Ohio State University. He holds roles including former Director of the Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics Division, former Chair of the Department of Biochemistry, and former Vice Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. His research focuses on understanding the structure-function relationships of biological macromolecules using NMR spectroscopy and biochemical approaches. Key areas include protein-nucleic acid interactions, enzyme catalysis, and gene regulation mechanisms.

Education: BS in Chemistry (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign); PhD in Natural Products/Medicinal Chemistry (University of Utah); Postdoctoral training at The Scripps Research Institute under Prof. Peter E. Wright.

Research Interests: Protein and nucleic acid dynamics, molecular recognition, NMR spectroscopy, and applications in medicine/biotechnology. Lab projects involve retroviral integrases, ligand-dependent binding proteins, enzyme dynamics, and RNA-mediated gene regulation.

Awards: NSF CAREER Award, Dick Maxwell Award (Office of Disability Services), grants from NIH, ACS, and others. Active roles in grant reviewing for agencies like NIH, NSF, and international foundations.

Lab Members: Trains students in Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Biophysics programs. Notable students include Brandon Crowe (PhD 2016), Weicheng Xu, Matt Morrow, and Claire Chandler. Collaborates widely, emphasizing interdisciplinary training.

Labs/Teams: Leads the Foster Lab, part of OSU’s Center for RNA Biology and Biophysics Program. Lab activities include NMR facility development (e.g., upcoming 1.2 GHz NMR).