Stephen Levene is a Professor of Bioengineering at The University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas), affiliated with the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science. His research focuses on the physical and functional genomics of DNA structure, protein-DNA interactions, and DNA topology in biological systems. He holds a PhD from Yale University (1985) and an AB from Columbia University (1979). Levene’s laboratory investigates genome organization, chromatin dynamics, and the role of circular DNA (eccDNA) in health and disease. His work employs advanced biophysical techniques, including hydroxyl radical probing, gel electrophoresis, and single-molecule analysis. Key areas include DNA supercoiling, topoisomerase function, and the interplay between DNA structure and cellular processes. His research has led to innovations in DNA topology simplification, Cre recombination kinetics, and methodologies for analyzing circular DNA populations in organisms like C. elegans and humans. Levene’s lab also develops tools for genomic studies, such as shallow-learning models for DNA fragmentation analysis and unmasking hidden topological activities in recombination systems. Levene’s contributions span over 40 years, with publications addressing DNA looping, knotting, and the thermodynamics of nucleoprotein assemblies. His work bridges biophysics, molecular biology, and engineering, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to genomic challenges.









