Computational Biophysics

Kerry Bloom, PhD

Distinguished Professor of Biology

Resource Faculty
Phone: 919-962-1182 | Office: 623 Fordham Hall
Email: Kerry_bloom@unc.edu | Website: http://labs.bio.unc.edu/Bloom/

Research Areas: Computational Biophysics, Image Analysis
Research Interests: Chromosome dynamics in living cells

Timothy Elston, PhD

Professor of Pharmacology

Core Faculty
Phone: 919-843-7670 | Office: 4092 Genetic Medicine Bldg.
Email: telston@med.unc.edu | Website: http://www.med.unc.edu/pharm/elstonlab/

Research Areas: Computational Biophysics, Computational Systems Biology, Image Analysis
Research Interests: Mathematical modeling of signaling pathways and regulatory networks

Flavio Frohlich, PhD

Professor of Psychiatry, Cell Biology and Physiology, Biomedical Engineering, Neurology

Core Faculty
Phone: 919-966-4584 | Office: 4109F Neurosciences Research Bldg.
Email: flavio_frohlich@med.unc.edu | Website: http://www.frohlichlab.org

Research Areas: Computational Biophysics
Research Interests: Our goal is to revolutionize the treatment of psychiatric and neurological illness by developing novel brain stimulation paradigms. We identify and target network dynamics of physiological and pathological brain function. We combine computational modeling, optogenetics, in vitro and in vivo electrophysiology in animal models and humans, control engineering, and clinical trials. We strive to make our laboratory a productive, collaborative, and happy workplace.

Boyce E. Griffith, PhD

Professor of Mathematics and Biomedical Engineering

Core Faculty
Phone: 919-962-7110 | Office: 306 Phillips Hall
Email: boyceg@email.unc.edu | Website: http://griffith.web.unc.edu

Research Areas: Computational Biophysics
Research Interests: Mathematical modeling and computer simulation in physiology, especially cardiovascular mechanics, fluid dynamics, and fluid-structure interaction and cardiac electrophysiology.

Klaus Hahn, PhD

Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology; Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry

Resource Faculty
Phone: 919-843-2775 | Office: 4043 Genetic Medicine Bldg.
Email: khahn@med.unc.edu | Website: http://www.hahnlab.com

Research Areas: Computational Biophysics, Computational Systems Biology, Image Analysis
Research Interests: visualization and control of protein function in living cells and animals, using protein engineering and small molecule synthesis; signaling dynamics; motility, megakaryocyte and immune cell function

Brian Kuhlman, PhD

Professor of Biochemistry & Biophysics

Core Faculty
Phone: 919-843-0188 | Office: 3096 Genetic Medicine Bldg.
Email: bkuhlman@email.unc.edu | Website: https://sites.google.com/site/kuhlmanlabwebpage/

Research Areas:
Research Interests: Protein Engineering and Design

Wesley R Legant, PhD

Joint Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Pharmacology

Resource Faculty
Phone: (919) 966-4816 | Office: 4047 Genetic Medicine Building
Email: legantw@email.unc.edu | Website: https://www.med.unc.edu/pharm/people/primaryfaculty/wesley-r-legant/wesley-r-legant

Research Areas: Computational Biophysics, Image Analysis
Research Interests: Microscopy, 3D image analysis, biomaterials, cell migration, cancer metastasis, tissue engineering

Karin Leiderman, PhD

Associate Professor of Mathematics

Core Faculty
Phone: 919-962-5962 | Office: Mary Ellen Jones Building 11212A
Email: karinlg@unc.edu | Website: https://sites.google.com/view/leiderman-research-group

Research Areas: Computational Biophysics, Computational Systems Biology
Research Interests: I am a mathematical biologist interested in the biochemical and biophysical aspects of blood clotting and emergent behavior in biological fluid-structure interaction problems. I especially love mathematical modeling, where creativity, biological knowledge, and mathematical insight meet. My research typically includes the integration of mathematical and experimental approaches together with statistical analyses and inference, to determine mechanisms underlying complex biological phenomena.

Amy Shaub Maddox, PhD

Professor of Biology

Resource Faculty
Phone: 919-843-3228 | Office: 407 Fordham Hall
Email: asm@unc.edu | Website: http://asmlab.web.unc.edu

Research Areas: Computational Biophysics, Image Analysis
Research Interests: Molecular and mechanical mechanisms of cell shape changes in cell division and development

Yinglong Miao, PhD

Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Computational Medicine

Core Faculty
Phone: 919-962-5696 | Office: 11004C Mary Ellen Jones Building
Email: yinglong_miao@med.unc.edu | Website: http://miaolab.org/

Research Areas: Bioinformatics, Computational Biophysics, Image Analysis
Research Interests: Dr. Miao develops novel theoretical and computational methods and Deep Learning techniques, which speed up molecular simulations by orders of magnitude, and applies these methods for unprecedented simulations of biomolecular dynamics and cellular signaling events. In collaboration with leading experimentalists, the Miao Lab combines complementary simulations and experiments to uncover functional mechanisms and design drugs of important biomolecules, including G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), membrane-embedded proteases, RNA-binding proteins and RNA.

Ehssan Nazockdast, PhD

Assistant Professor of Applied Physical Science

Resource Faculty
Phone: (919) 962-5097 | Office:
Email: ehssan@email.unc.edu | Website: http://nazockdastlab.com/

Research Areas: Computational Biophsyics
Research Interests:

Elisa Pieri, PhD

Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Core Faculty
Phone: 919-962-1619 | Office: 118 Caudill Labs
Email: elipieri@unc.edu | Website: https://www.pierilab.com/

Research Areas: Computational Biophysics
Research Interests: We seek to understand, predict and tune the events triggered by photon absorption in small biomimetic molecules and proteins, and develop rational design principles to build bio-imaging and optogenetics agents. In particular, we focus on tuning the fluorescence and photochromic properties of molecules and proteins using computational photoreaction discovery techniques.

Jan F. Prins, PhD

Professor of Computer Science

Core Faculty
Phone: 919-590-6213 | Office: FB334 Brooks Computer Science Building
Email: prins@cs.unc.edu | Website: http://www.cs.unc.edu/~prins/

Research Areas: Bioinformatics, Computational Biophysics, Computational Genomics
Research Interests: RNA sequencing and analysis; Parallel Computing

John Sondek, PhD

Professor of Pharmacology, and Biochemistry & Biophysics

Resource Faculty
Phone: 919-966-7530 | Office: 4060 Genetic Medicine Bldg.
Email: sondek@med.unc.edu | Website: http://www.med.unc.edu/pharm/sondeklab

Research Areas: Bioinformatics, Computational Biophysics, Computational Systems Biology
Research Interests: Signaling networks controlled by GTPases; structural biology; chemical biology; biosensors design and use; cancer therapeutics

Brian Strahl, PhD

Professor and Vice-Chair of Biochemistry & Biophysics

Resource Faculty
Phone: (919) 843-3896 | Office: 3060 Genetic Medicine
Email: brian_strahl@med.unc.edu | Website: http://www.med.unc.edu/~bstrahl/

Research Areas: Bioinformatics, Computational Biophysics, Computational Genomics
Research Interests: Our lab is interested in the role that histone post-translational modifications have in chromatin biology. Specifically, we are studying how enzymes that ‘write’ and ‘read’ histone modifications contribute to the function of chromatin and DNA-templated functions like gene transcription. To do so, we are employing a range of model organisms (yeast to mammalian cells) and approaches (genomics, genetics, biochemistry, biophysics as well as proteomics) that, together, are elucidating how readers and writer enzymes function to sculpt the chromatin landscape and regulate gene transcription. Students who join our lab would be involved in multiple UNC collaborations (as well as have individual projects) that would provide wide exposure these model systems and techniques.

Kevin M. Weeks, PhD

Kenan Distinguished Professor of Chemistry

Resource Faculty
Phone: 919-962-7486 | Office: 3258 Genome Sciences Building
Email: weeks@unc.edu | Website: http://www.chem.unc.edu/rna/

Research Areas: Bioinformatics, Computational Biophysics, Computational Genomics
Research Interests: Chemical Biology, Structural Biology, and Bioinformatics of the Transcriptome

Pew-Thian Yan, PhD

Professor of Radiology

Core Faculty
Phone: (919) 843-8712 | Office: 3117 Bioinformatics Building
Email: ptyap@med.unc.edu | Website: https://www.yaplab.io/

Research Areas: Image Analysis, Bioinformatics, Computational Biophysics, Computational Systems Biology
Research Interests: Image acquisition, reconstruction, quality control, harmonization, processing, and analysis with application to neuroscience.