معرفی
Olga Dudko is a Professor of Physics at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), specializing in the intersection of physics and biology. Her research focuses on theoretical and computational biophysics, particularly the application of statistical mechanics to study biological systems. She holds a Ph.D. from the Institute for Low Temperature Physics and Engineering in Kharkiv, Ukraine (2001). Her work explores fundamental principles governing biological processes such as single-molecule mechanics, chromosome dynamics, and viral entry mechanisms.
- Affiliations: Department of Physics, UCSD; Director of the Dudko Lab.
- Education: Ph.D., Institute for Low Temperature Physics and Engineering, Kharkiv, Ukraine (2001).
Her research interests include: single-molecule force spectroscopy, genomic interactions, and the statistical mechanics of biological systems. She has developed theoretical frameworks to interpret experiments involving mechanical manipulation of biomolecules, such as DNA and proteins, and investigates how cellular processes like viral entry are influenced by physical principles.
In her recent work, she has explored the role of phase transitions in chromosome organization, synaptic transmission mechanisms, and overcoming kinetic barriers in biological fusion processes. Her lab employs methods like first-passage theory and stochastic modeling to predict experimental outcomes.
- Awards:
- NSF CAREER Award (2009)
- UCSD Hellman Faculty Fellowship (2009)
- National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellowship (2003)
Dr. Dudko has mentored multiple graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, including Yaojun Zhang, Bin Wang, and Christopher Pierse. She currently leads a research group at UCSD, focusing on advancing theoretical models for understanding complex biological systems. Her lab's work bridges disciplines, combining biophysics, statistical mechanics, and computational methods to address questions in molecular and cellular biology.
