Professor Robert Parton is an ARC Laureate Fellow and Group Leader at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), University of Queensland, where he also serves as Deputy Director of the Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis. His research focuses on cellular membrane dynamics, including caveolae, lipid droplets, and nanoparticle delivery systems. He holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from the University of Edinburgh and a PhD from the University of Leicester. His work explores how cells sense mechanical/oxidative stress, defend against pathogens, and maintain membrane integrity in diseases like muscular dystrophy and cancer. Recent publications emphasize membrane biology, organelle function, and therapeutic delivery. Major awards include Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and ARC Laureate Fellowship. He actively supervises PhD students (4 current) and leads projects on nanoparticle delivery, muscle disease mechanisms, and organelle biology.
Dr. Anna Akinshina is a Lecturer at the School of Science, Engineering & Environment , University of Salford. Her research focuses on molecular modeling, lipid membranes, drug-membrane interactions, and self-assembly phenomena. She holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry (2005) and has extensive experience in computational and theoretical studies of biophysical systems. Education: Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, 2017–2018 PhD in Physical Chemistry, 2000–2005 MSc in Physics, 1996–1999 BSc in Physics, 1992–1996 Research interests span computational biophysics, including simulations of lipid bilayers, drug interactions, and colloidal systems. Notable contributions include studies on keratin intermediate filaments, protein-polysaccharide interfacial layers, and chromonic liquid crystals. Her work often employs advanced techniques like self-consistent field theory and molecular dynamics. Advising & Grants: Supervised a PhD thesis on childhood cancer drug repurposing (2022). Active in biomedical research collaborations. Labs/Teams: Affiliated with the Biomedical Research center at the University of Salford, contributing to interdisciplinary projects in biophysics and drug delivery.
Ivan Lomakin is a Research Scientist in Dermatology and Affiliated Faculty at the Yale Institute for Global Health, affiliated with Yale University's Yale School of Medicine. He holds a PhD in Genetics from the Institute of Genetics and Selection of Industrial Microorganisms (1993) and an MSc in Physics from Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (1986). His research focuses on structural biology of ribosomes, bacterial protein synthesis inhibition, and skin diseases. Key areas include mechanisms of antibiotic action (e.g., sarecycline and clindamycin), viral pathogenesis (SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV), and intermediate filament structures in skin disorders. Research Interests: Acne Vulgaris, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Infections, Molecular Biology, Protein Synthesis Inhibitors, and Antimicrobial Resistance. Notable collaborations include work with Christopher Bunick, Swapnil Devarkar, and Minh Ho. He received the Special Award for High-Impact Science in 1993. His lab (Bunick Lab) explores structural biology of skin-related proteins and bacterial ribosomes. Recent work includes cryo-EM studies of Cutibacterium acnes ribosomes and vimentin filament architectures. Key grants and funding: Unspecified, but active in translational research. No listed students, but frequent co-authorship with postdocs and junior researchers.
Stephanie Portet is a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Science, specializing in mathematical biology and cellular biophysics. Her research focuses on cytoskeletal network organization, particularly intermediate filament assembly, using computational models to analyze mechanical properties and organizational dynamics. She leads an active research group including PhD students and postdoctoral fellows. Her laboratory employs multidisciplinary approaches combining: Stochastic dynamical modeling Biophysical characterization Computational analysis of filament assembly Current research examines how cytoskeletal misorganization contributes to disease pathogenesis. Dr. Portet maintains international collaborations and has secured significant external funding including €26,000 from multiple foundations for original research proposals.
Minh Ho is a Researcher at the Yale School of Medicine within the Department of Dermatology . He is affiliated with the Bunick Lab , where his work focuses on structural biology, molecular interactions, and cellular regulation. His research examines ubiquitous proteins like vimentin, keratin, and ubiquitin, using structural biology, biochemical assays, and systems-level analyses to understand their roles in cellular function and disease. Cross-disciplinary applications span dermatology , inflammatory disorders , and translational medicine . Recent publications highlight structural studies on intermediate filaments , IL-4Rα inhibition , and PDE4 inhibitors , with implications for therapeutic design and disease mechanisms. Minh Ho has made significant contributions to understanding keratin gene evolution , profilaggrin binding , and ubiquitin pathway modulation , though no scientific awards are explicitly listed. He earned a Master of Science in Molecular Cell Biology from Sungkyunkwan University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Green Mountain College . His work involves collaborations with researchers like Christopher Bunick , Ivan Lomakin , and Jimin Wang .
Professor Frank Grutzner is a distinguished academic at the University of Adelaide, where he serves as Professor in the School of Biological Sciences within the Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology. He is also the associate Head of Research and group leader, with his work focused on comparative genome biology of egg-laying mammals. Dr. Grutzner received his PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin in 2001. After moving to the Australian National University where he led an international team that resolved the longstanding controversy about the complex sex chromosome system in the platypus, he joined the University of Adelaide in 2005. His research has established monotremes as key species for research in comparative genomics and mammalian evolution. Professor Grutzner's research focuses on understanding how different animal genomes evolved, how they are organized, and how this affects their function. His primary research subjects are the duck-billed platypus and short-beaked echidna, which represent the oldest surviving mammalian lineage and provide valuable insights into mammalian evolution and human disease. His current research areas include sex chromosome evolution, sex determination in monotremes, evolution of genes involved in metabolic control, and non-coding RNAs in reproduction. His work with the Monotreme Resource Centre, which houses a world-wide unique collection of over 1000 specimens of tissues from platypus and echidna, has enabled breakthrough research in monotreme biology. Professor Grutzner has published extensively in leading international journals including Nature, Nature Genetics and Science. His research has been recognized with several prestigious awards: Eppendorf Medal for the Young Australian Investigator (2005) Tall Poppy Science Award (2007/8) SA Science Excellence awards in Citizen Science (2021) Professor Grutzner is passionate about community engagement and established the award-winning community-based research project EchidnaCSI, which combines citizen science with echidna conservation research. His research has been supported by competitive ARC research fellowships and grants since 2003, and he is eligible to supervise Masters and PhD students.
Sergei Strelkov is a full professor at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven. He leads the Biocrystallography unit and actively contributes to structural biology and drug discovery research. Head of Biocrystallography unit Member of multiple doctoral school committees Expert in structural biology and pharmaceutical research His research focuses on structural biology applications to human disease, including: Intermediate filament architecture HIV-cellular cofactor interactions Targeted cancer therapies Fragment-based drug design Machine learning in QM/MM He supervises multiple PhD students and contributes to projects involving: Molecular structure analysis Pharmacological activation studies Antimicrobial development
Tom Golde is a Researcher leading the Integrative Cell and Tissue Dynamics group at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), where he investigates the mechanical principles governing cellular and tissue behavior. His work bridges biophysics, bioengineering, and cancer biology through innovative experimental and theoretical approaches. His research focuses on mechanobiology and tissue dynamics , particularly examining how mechanical forces regulate epithelial morphogenesis, tumor-stroma interactions, and biopolymer network mechanics. Key interests include stress mapping in curved tissues, microfluidic immunotherapy models, and the physics of semiflexible polymer networks. His group employs advanced techniques like microfabrication, live-cell imaging, and computational modeling to unravel how physical cues influence cellular decision-making in development and disease. Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal trends in tumor microenvironment engineering and curved tissue mechanics , with breakthroughs in microfluidic immunotherapy testing platforms and epithelial stress mapping. Earlier work (2015-2019) established foundational principles in motor-free contractility and semiflexible polymer rheology , demonstrating how molecular crowding and filament entanglement generate biological forces without molecular motors. Golde directs the Integrative Cell and Tissue Dynamics laboratory, which integrates biophysical experimentation with computational modeling to study cellular mechanics across scales. The group collaborates extensively with cancer biologists and clinicians to translate mechanobiological insights into therapeutic applications, particularly in immunotherapy development and tissue engineering.
Glen Liszczak is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, focusing on understanding how genetic mutations and aberrant protein modifications drive human diseases. His lab integrates chemical biology and structural approaches to study epigenetic mechanisms, chromatin dynamics, and transcriptional regulation in cancer and neurodegeneration. Education: B.S. in Chemistry and Biology from Ramapo College of New Jersey, Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania at the Wistar Institute. Research interests include epigenetics, chromatin structure, protein post-translational modifications (e.g., ADP-ribosylation), and their roles in disease states. His work has uncovered mechanisms in cancer development and neurodegenerative disorders. Recent publications highlight his interdisciplinary approach, combining chemical synthesis with cellular studies to dissect chromatin remodeling, DNA damage responses, and enzyme specificity. Key themes span structural biology, enzymology, and epigenetic regulation. Scientific awards include the CPRIT Recruitment Award, UT System Rising STARs Award, and multiple fellowships. The Liszczak lab employs chemical biology tools to investigate signaling cascades and collaborates on mechanistic studies of disease-related proteins.
Ophir Shalem, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Genetics at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on developing and applying functional genomics tools to study proteome dynamics in health and neurodegenerative diseases. B.Sc. in Computer Science and Biology (Bioinformatics Track), Ben Gurion University M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Bioinformatics/Biology, The Weizmann Institute Postdoctoral Fellow at the Broad Institute and McGovern Institute (Dr. Feng Zhang) Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley (Prof. Andrew Dillin) Shalem’s lab specializes in CRISPR-based technologies for endogenous protein manipulation, with applications in neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s disease. His work bridges computational biology and experimental genomics to address protein quality control and stress responses. Recent publications highlight his leadership in CRISPR screening for unfolded protein responses, aggresome assembly, and alpha-synuclein regulation. His studies often involve iPSC models of neurodevelopmental diseases and mitochondrial stress pathways. Kimmel Scholar Award Ellison Medical Foundation New Scholar in Aging Eli and Edythe L. Broad Postdoctoral Fellow Helen Hay Whitney Fellow Shalem’s research emphasizes translational applications, including AAV production optimization and ribosome-associated quality control mechanisms. His team collaborates on international consortia for tracking health status during pandemics.
Karen M. Ridge, PhD is the Ernest S. Bazley Professor of Pulmonary Sciences and Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care) and Cell and Developmental Biology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She leads a research laboratory focused on the molecular mechanisms of lung injury and repair, with particular emphasis on the role of intermediate filaments in inflammatory responses and tissue recovery following viral pneumonia. Dr. Ridge earned her PhD from the University of Illinois, Chicago in 1998. Her academic journey has positioned her as a leading researcher in pulmonary sciences, with appointments spanning both the Department of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care) and the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology. She is actively involved in multiple research centers including the Center for Human Immunobiology, Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS), Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics, and the Skin Biology and Diseases Resource-Based Center. Dr. Ridge's primary research interest centers on intermediate filaments (IFs), cytoskeletal structures crucial for maintaining cellular and tissue integrity. Her laboratory specifically investigates the non-mechanical roles of the IF cytoskeleton, including how IFs regulate cell migration, cell survival, and serve as scaffolds for stress-activated kinases and adaptor proteins. Recent work has focused on vimentin, a type III intermediate filament, and its role as a scaffold for the assembly and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Her team has demonstrated that optimal localization and activity of the inflammasome requires the vimentin IF network, suggesting a broad biological role for vimentin in regulating NLR proteins in the lung. Current research examines how vimentin modulates regulatory T cell receptor-ligand interactions and impacts recovery from viral pneumonia. Her work has been supported by a $14 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to study mechanisms promoting lung tissue repair in patients with severe viral pneumonia. Analysis of Dr. Ridge's recent publications reveals a strong focus on viral pneumonia, particularly influenza and post-COVID complications, with emphasis on immune cell function, lung repair mechanisms, and the role of intermediate filaments. Her work bridges basic science and clinical applications, with several studies examining age-related differences in immune responses to respiratory infections. The research demonstrates how cytoskeletal proteins like vimentin and keratins regulate inflammatory pathways, macrophage function, and tissue repair following lung injury. Dr. Ridge has received notable recognition for her work, including the Giles F. Filley Memorial Award for Excellence in Respiratory Physiology and Medicine from the American Physiological Society (2009). She serves as Deputy Editor for the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and holds editorial board positions with several prestigious journals including American Journal of Physiology, American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, and The FASEB Journal. She co-chairs the Gordon Research Conference (since 2020) and serves on the American Thoracic Society Working Group on Aging (since 2017). As a mentor, Dr. Ridge supervises multiple graduate students and research staff in her laboratory. Her team includes Research Professor Ruihua Ma, Physician Scientist Andrew Prigge, graduate students, and research technologists. She maintains extensive collaborations with both internal Northwestern colleagues such as Scott Budinger, Navdeep Chandel, and Alexander Misharin, and external researchers including John Eriksson at Åbo Akademi University and Paul Janmey at University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Ridge is an active member of several professional societies including the American Society for Cell Biology, Biomedical Engineering Society, American Thoracic Society, and American Physiological Society. The Ridge Lab, housed at The Louis A Simpson and Kimberly K Querrey Biomedical Research Center, operates as a multidisciplinary research hub focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms driving repair and recovery from viral pneumonia. The lab's work has significant implications for treating acute lung injury, pulmonary fibrosis, and post-viral complications, particularly in vulnerable populations such as children and the elderly.
Dr. Patricia A. Loomis is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology at Rosalind Franklin University's Chicago Medical School and School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. She also serves as Director of the Confocal Microscopy Laboratory and Co-director of the Live Cell Imaging Facility, providing critical research infrastructure for cellular imaging studies. Dr. Loomis's research focuses on the molecular mechanisms controlling auditory hair cell stereocilia assembly and maintenance, with particular emphasis on the Espin family of proteins. Her work investigates how alternative splicing of Espin pre-mRNA regulates isoform selection and how these isoforms affect actin cytoskeletal organization in the inner ear. She employs both mouse and zebrafish model systems to study these processes. Analysis of Dr. Loomis's publication record from 1990-2007 reveals a consistent research trajectory focused on cytoskeletal proteins, particularly in neuronal and sensory cells. Her early work examined neurofilaments and tau proteins, while her more recent research has centered on Espin proteins and their role in hearing. Her publications span high-impact journals in cell biology, neuroscience, and molecular biology. Dr. Loomis has made significant contributions to understanding how Espin proteins function as multifunctional actin cytoskeletal regulatory proteins, with implications for deafness and vestibular dysfunction. Her research provides foundational knowledge for potential gene therapy applications in hearing restoration. As Director of the Confocal Microscopy Laboratory and Co-director of the Live Cell Imaging Facility, Dr. Loomis supports a wide range of research activities at Rosalind Franklin University, providing expertise in advanced cellular imaging techniques that are essential for modern cell biological investigations.
