Faculty Research

Faculty Members

  • John Spudich, Ph.D., Center Director
    Structure and function of photoactive membrane receptors and signal transduction triggered by light; rhodopsins and related heptahelical receptors.
  • Misha Bogdanov, Ph.D.
    Folding and assembly of membrane proteins
  • Peter Christie, Ph.D.
    Macromolecular transport across prokaryotic and eukaryotic membranes; bacterial pathogenicity.
  • Carmen Dessauer, Ph.D.
    G protein mediated signal transduction; regulation of adenylyl cyclase and production of cyclic AMP; regulators of G protein signaling (RGS proteins)
  • William Dowhan, Ph.D.
    Structure, function and assembly of cell membranes; lipid-assisted protein folding.
  • Alemayehu Gorfe, Ph.D.
    Use of computer simulations to study the organization of cell signaling components, interfacial interactions and allostery to aid in the development of treatments for unsolved health challenges
  • John Hancock, Ph.D.
    Plasma membrane nanostructure and signal transduction
  • Vasanthi Jayaraman, Ph.D., Center Co-Director
    Structure and function of ligand gated ion channels; spectroscopic investigations of membrane proteins.
  • John Putkey, Ph.D.
    Structural and molecular biology of calcium-signaling mechanisms including cardiac muscle contraction, Ca2+ channels, and calmodulin and regulators of calmodulin signaling.
  • Irina Serysheva, Ph.D.
    Structure and function of integral membrane protein complexes; structural basis of ion transport across cell  membranes; calcium channels.
  • Lei Zheng, Ph.D.
    Structural biology of membrane proteins; ion transport and regulation; X-ray Crystallography.

Research Faculty