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2020-21 Bulletin
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Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics

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  • Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
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The faculty of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics perform research in a broad spectrum of biomedically relevant areas, including DNA and RNA structure and enzymology; protein folding, misfolding and aggregation; cellular mechanics; membrane receptor-mediated signaling; and hemostasis, thrombosis and vascular biology. The department offers training opportunities at the crossroads of biochemistry, biophysics, systems biology, computational science and pharmacological sciences.

The department's approaches to research focus on understanding the energetics, structure and mechanisms of biological processes. Investigators employ a variety of experimental methods (e.g., X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance, optical spectroscopy, thermodynamics, rapid kinetics) in combination with computational approaches to unravel the molecular underpinnings of processes of relevance to health and disease. Novel single-molecule methods are providing new insight into the molecular details of enzyme mechanisms and macromolecule dynamics. The high-throughput screening of chemical libraries and the use of synthetic medicinal chemistry to develop small-molecule probes of biological systems provide new avenues for translational research and the development of experimental therapeutics.

The faculty in the department organize and teach basic science courses in the medical school curriculum. In the Graduate School curriculum, the faculty teach courses in Nucleic Acids & Protein Biosynthesis (Biol 548), Chemistry and Physics of Biomolecules (Biol 5357), and Macromolecular Interactions (Biol 5312). The overarching theme of these courses is to understand the principles of the molecular interactions that underlie the biological process of health and disease. Students in the School of Medicine and the Graduate School are eligible for these courses and may elect to pursue biomedical research under the direction of our faculty. A full listing of advanced course topics can be found on our website.

Website:http://biochem.wustl.edu

Department Chair

John A. Cooper, MD, PhD

Visit our website for more information about our faculty and their appointments.


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B

Wayne Morris Barnes, PHD
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
BA University of CA Riverside 1969
PHD Univ of Wisconsin Madison 1974

Gregory R. Bowman, PHD
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Associate Director of the CSELS
BS Cornell University 2006
PHD Stanford University 2010

Melissa Diane Stuchell Brereton, PHD, PHD
Instructor in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
BS University of MO St Louis 2000
BS University of MO St Louis 2001
PHD University of Utah 2007
PHD University of Utah 2006

Peter M Burgers, PHD, MS
Marvin A. Brennecke Professor of Biological Chemistry (primary appointment)
BS Leiden University 1969
PHD Leiden University 1977
MS Leiden University 1972

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C

John A Cooper, MD, PHD
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
Head of the Department of Biochemistry
Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology
MD Johns Hopkins University 1982
PHD Johns Hopkins University 1983
BS Brown University 1977

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D

Greg Dekoster, PHD
Instructor in Biochemistry & Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
PHD University of Iowa 1997
BA Monmouth College 1990

Roland Ellwood Dolle, PHD, MS
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
PHD University of Pennsylvania 1984
MS State University of New York 1980
BS Arizona State University 1978

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E

Elliot L Elson, PHD
Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
BA Harvard University 1959
PHD Stanford University 1966

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F

Carl Frieden, PHD
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
BA Carleton College 1951
PHD Univ of Wisconsin Madison 1955

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G

Eric A Galburt, PHD
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
PHD University of Washington 2002

Roberto Galletto, PHD, MS
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
PHD University of Texas Galveston 2002
MS University of Genova 1996

Lina Greenberg, PHD
Instructor in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
PHD Tufts University 2010
BS Brandeis University 2004

Michael Jonathan Greenberg, PHD
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
BS Brandeis University 2004
PHD Boston University 2010

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H

Kathleen Hall, PHD
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
BS University of Minnesota 1974
PHD University of CA Berkeley 1985

Alexander Steven Holehouse, PHD
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
PHD Washington Univ in St. Louis 2017

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I

Maxenia Garcia Ilagan, PHD
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
Associate Professor of Developmental Biology
BS School Not Listed 1992
PHD University of Missouri 2000

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J

James W Janetka, PHD
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
PHD Univ of Wisconsin Madison 1996
BS University of Illinois 1990

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K

Michael S Kinch, PHD
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
Associate Vice Chancellor and Director Center Research Innovation in Biotechology
Professor of Radiation Oncology
PHD Duke University 1993
BS Ohio State University 1989

Alexander Kozlov, PHD, MS
Instructor in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
PHD Moscow State University 1994
MS Moscow State University 1983

Andrzej Modest Krezel, PHD, MS
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (Pending Executive Faculty Approval) (primary appointment)
PHD Univ of Wisconsin Madison 1991
MS University of Warsaw 1986

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L

Weikai Li, PHD, MS
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
PHD Yale University 2004
BS East China Univ of Sci & Tech 1993
MS University of Tenn Chattanooga 1998

Timothy M Lohman, PHD
Brennecke Professor of Biophysics in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
BA Cornell University 1973
PHD Univ of Wisconsin Madison 1977

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M

Garland R Marshall, PHD
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
Professor of Biomedical Engineering
BS California Institute Technolo 1962
PHD Rockefeller University 1966

Joseph B Monahan, PHD
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
PHD Univ South Carolina Columbia 1983
BS State Univ of NY Buffalo 1977

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N

Natalie Marie Niemi, PHD
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
BS University of Michigan 2005
PHD Van Andel Research Institute 2012

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O

Michael D Onken, PHD
Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
PHD Washington Univ in St. Louis 2000
BA Washington Univ in St. Louis 1990

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P

Linda J Pike, PHD
Alumni Endowed Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
BS University of Delaware 1975
PHD Duke University 1980

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R

Janice Lee Robertson, PHD
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
BS University of Toronto 2002
PHD Cornell University 2009

Ana Maria Ruiz Manzano, PHD
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
PHD Universidad Automoma de Madrid 2004

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S

Andrea Soranno, MS, PHD
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
MS University of Milan 2005
PHD University of Milan 2008

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W

Gabriel Waksman, PHD, MS
Adjunct Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
BS School Not Listed 1979
PHD School Not Listed 1982
MS School Not Listed 1980

Katherine Anne Henzler Wildman, PHD
Adjunct Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
PHD University of Michigan 2003
BS Cornell University 1998

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Z

Rui Zhang, PHD
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (primary appointment)
PHD Baylor University 2010
BS Nanjing Medical University 2005

Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Research Electives

During the fourth year, opportunities exist for many varieties of advanced clinical or research experiences.


Wayne M. Barnes, PhD
McDonnell Sciences Building, 2nd Floor
Phone: 314-362-3351

Inventing a new way to sequence DNA; PCR at one temp; RT-enabled Taq pol


Greg Bowman, PhD
South Building, 2nd Floor
Phone: 314-362-7433

The Bowman lab seeks to understand how protein dynamics gives rise to functional processes like allosteric communication between distant sites and to exploit our insight into this shape-shifting to design new drugs and proteins.


Peter M.J. Burgers, PhD
South Building, 1st Floor
Phone: 314-362-3872

Molecular biology of DNA replication and damage response in yeast and humans


John Cooper, MD, PhD
South Building, 2nd Floor
Phone: 314-362-0287

Molecular mechanisms of cell motility and cytoskeleton assembly


Carl Frieden, PhD
McDonnell Sciences Building, 2nd Floor
Phone: 314-362-3344

Protein folding, aggregation, intrinsically disordered proteins, fluorescence methods, ApoE lipoproteins and Alzheimer's disease


Eric A. Galburt, PhD
McDonnell Sciences Building, 2nd Floor
Phone: 314-362-5201

Biophysical studies of transcription initiation in eukaryotes and mycobacterial tuberculosis


Roberto Galletto, PhD
McDonnell Sciences Building, 2nd Floor
Phone: 314-362-4368

Mechanistic studies of DNA motor proteins


Michael Greenberg, PhD
McDonnell Sciences Building, 2nd Floor
Phone: 314-362-8670

Our lab is focused on cytoskeletal molecular motors in health and disease. We are currently studying the effects of mutations that cause heart disease.


Kathleen Hall, PhD
South Building, 2nd Floor
Phone: 314-362-4196

We study RNA folding and RNA binding to proteins.


Alex Holehouse, PhD
McDonnell Sciences Building, 2nd Floor
Phone: 314-273-8371

Understand how function is encoded into disordered sequences using a combination of computational and experimental approaches


Jim Janetka, PhD
Cancer Research Building, 2nd Floor
Phone: 314-362-0509

Rational structure-based drug design and synthesis for cancer and infectious disease


Andrzej Krezel, PhD
McDonnell Sciences Building, 2nd Floor
Phone: 314-362-8482

Structural biology of transcriptional regulation in the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori


Weikai Li, PhD
McDonnell Sciences Building, 2nd Floor
Phone: 314-362-8687

Structural and biochemical studies of membrane proteins supporting blood coagulation


Timothy M. Lohman, PhD
North Building, 2nd Floor
Phone: 314-362-4393

Mechanisms of DNA-protein interactions; DNA motor proteins (helicases) and SSB proteins


Garland R. Marshall, PhD
Cancer Research Building, 2nd Floor
Phone: 314-935-7911

A major focus is molecular recognition: the basis of intermolecular interactions and specificity seen in drug and hormone receptors and in antigen-antibody and substrate-enzyme systems.


Linda Pike, PhD
McDonnell Sciences Building, 2nd Floor
Phone: 314-362-9502

Our focus is on the mechanisms of action of growth factors and polyphosphoinositide metabolism.


Janice Robertson, PhD
McDonnell Sciences Building, 2nd Floor
Phone: 314-273-7758

Our goal is to understand how and why membrane proteins fold, form stable complexes, and achieve conformational stability inside of the oil-filled cell membrane.


Andrea Soranno, PhD
South Building, 2nd Floor
Phone: 314-273-1632

Our main research interests are the physical principles and molecular mechanisms that determine biomolecular function.


Rui Zhang, PhD
McDonnell Sciences Building, 2nd Floor
Phone: 314-273-1663

We combine single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy and concepts from polymer physics to investigate intrinsically disordered proteins. We also develop innovative methods to study macromolecular conformations and dynamics within cells and in membraneless organelles.


The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics also offers courses through the Graduate School. For a full listing of courses offered, please visit the university online course catalog.

Visit online course listings to view offerings for M15 Biochem.


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