Tanja Kortemme

Tanja Kortemme is a Professor and Vice Dean of Research at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Pharmacy, with primary appointments in the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences. She leads research at the intersection of computational biology, protein engineering, and synthetic biology, focusing on designing novel molecular functions and unraveling cellular network principles through predictive modeling and experimental validation.

Research Interests: Her work integrates robotics-inspired computational methods with experimental approaches to solve challenges in protein design, including:

• Developing predictive algorithms for protein structure and function (Rosetta software)
• Engineering light/phosphorylation-activated protein switches
• Mapping allosteric regulation in cellular networks
• Designing SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing receptor traps

Publication Trends: Recent articles emphasize machine learning for protein design, multi-input drug-controlled gene expression systems, and structural analysis of SARS-CoV-2 interactions. Collaborations with Nevan Krogan's lab and the QBI Coronavirus Research Group highlight her interdisciplinary impact.

Scientific Awards:

• Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator (2022, 2017)
• AIMBE Fellow (2019)
• NSF CAREER Award (2008)
• Sloan Research Fellow (2005)
• W.M. Keck Medical Research Award (2013)

Grants & Collaborations: Leads NIH-funded research on protein interaction networks, participates in QBI's $67.5M coronavirus therapeutic initiative, and contributes to structural biology consortia like QCRG. Her lab's work on protein design principles has been continuously supported by federal and foundation grants.