Vera Moiseenkova-Bell

Vera Moiseenkova-Bell is a Professor in the Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics at the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, where she also serves as the Director of the Institute of Structural Biology. Her research focuses on the structure and function of ion channels, particularly TRP channels, using cutting-edge cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET).

• Education: MS in Laser Biophysics, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (1999); PhD in Cellular Physiology & Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch (2004).
• Postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine and Yale University.
• Established independent lab at Case Western Reserve University (2009–2018), then moved to the University of Pennsylvania (2018–present).

Her research centers on understanding TRP channels—key players in pain, neuronal development, cardiovascular and renal physiology, and cancer. Using cryo-EM and single-particle analysis, her lab determines high-resolution structures of membrane proteins to elucidate activation, inhibition, and desensitization mechanisms. She also employs cryo-ET to visualize these proteins in their native cellular environments, bridging molecular and cellular biology.

Recent publications highlight structural insights into TRPV2, TRPV5, and associated complexes, including modulation by ligands, pore block mechanisms, and interactions with calcium and lipids. Her work also extends to antigen presentation (MHC-I/TAPBPR) and lysosomal membrane proteins, demonstrating broad relevance across immunology and cell biology.

Her scientific awards, though not listed in the text, are implied by her leadership roles and sustained funding. She has mentored numerous graduate students and postdocs, many of whom now hold academic and industry positions. She leads a vibrant research team and directs major cryo-EM facilities at Penn, underscoring her national impact in structural biology.

She actively collaborates with experts in computational biophysics and electrophysiology, and her lab integrates quantitative mass spectrometry, patch-clamp, and calcium imaging to validate structural findings. Her ongoing work continues to push the boundaries of understanding membrane protein function in health and disease.