Taras V Pogorelov

Taras V Pogorelov serves as Visiting Assistant Professor at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) and Research Assistant Professor at the School of Chemical Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he leads scientific computing initiatives.

His academic journey includes:

• Diploma in Biomedical Engineering from Bauman Moscow State Technical University (1995)
• M.S. in Mathematics from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1996)
• Ph.D. in Chemical Physics from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2006)

Dr. Pogorelov's research program integrates physics, chemistry, biology, and computer science to address fundamental questions in molecular biology and the physical chemistry of cell signaling in health and disease. His team develops innovative computational methods by combining molecular dynamics, quantum chemistry, and molecular evolution frameworks with multi-resolution experimental data. Current research focuses on cell signaling mechanisms, protein dynamics in complex environments, and functional lipids in membrane-associated phenomena.

His recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate strong emphasis on protein folding dynamics, enzyme organization in cytoplasmic environments, and membrane interactions of bioactive molecules, with applications spanning antimicrobial development to climate change research.

Dr. Pogorelov's scholarly contributions have been recognized with:

• Faculty Fellow at NCSA (2014)
• Illinois Research Board Award (2012)
• RSOCR Award (2016)
• Scialog Fellowship (2018)

His work has garnered significant academic and public attention, with research featured in 8 news outlets, referenced in 2 Wikipedia pages, shared across social media by numerous X users, and accessed by researchers worldwide through academic platforms.

Leading a multidisciplinary research group, Dr. Pogorelov continues to advance computational approaches to understanding complex biological systems with implications for health, disease mechanisms, and environmental science.