Overview
I am a biophysicist, Associate Professor of Neurobiology, and Director of Neurobiology Graduate Studies at Duke University. I received my PhD from the Ecole Polytéchnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland and completed an NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Fellowship with Nobel Laureate Ardem Patapoutian at Scripps, La Jolla.
My research investigates the biophysics of force-gated ion channels and cellular mechanotransduction. This work produced over 30 publications, including in Nature, Nature Neuroscience, Neuron, and eLife. My past trainees have continued scientific training at academic institutions such as Harvard, The Broad Institute, MD Anderson, and Yale, or in the private biomedical sector. Further, I served on study sections for NIH R01, R03, R35, R00/K99, F32 and P20 awards, and for the German Research Foundation (DFG) Emmy Noether Award, and I regularly peer-review manuscripts for Nature, Science, Neuron, eLife, PNAS, and others.
As the Director of Duke Neurobiology Graduate Studies, I currently serve 47 intellectually diverse faculty from 15 Departments, who hold over $42M (or $900K per investigator) in research support, and 67 graduate trainees, who over the past 5 years have published 130 research articles and won 31 individual fellowships. In this capacity I oversee, coordinate, and direct all daily aspects of the Duke Neurobiology Graduate Training Program.
My research investigates the biophysics of force-gated ion channels and cellular mechanotransduction. This work produced over 30 publications, including in Nature, Nature Neuroscience, Neuron, and eLife. My past trainees have continued scientific training at academic institutions such as Harvard, The Broad Institute, MD Anderson, and Yale, or in the private biomedical sector. Further, I served on study sections for NIH R01, R03, R35, R00/K99, F32 and P20 awards, and for the German Research Foundation (DFG) Emmy Noether Award, and I regularly peer-review manuscripts for Nature, Science, Neuron, eLife, PNAS, and others.
As the Director of Duke Neurobiology Graduate Studies, I currently serve 47 intellectually diverse faculty from 15 Departments, who hold over $42M (or $900K per investigator) in research support, and 67 graduate trainees, who over the past 5 years have published 130 research articles and won 31 individual fellowships. In this capacity I oversee, coordinate, and direct all daily aspects of the Duke Neurobiology Graduate Training Program.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Associate Professor of Neurobiology
·
2018 - Present
Neurobiology,
Basic Science Departments
Associate Professor of Cell Biology
·
2022 - Present
Cell Biology,
Basic Science Departments
Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences
·
2012 - Present
Duke Institute for Brain Sciences,
University Institutes and Centers
Recent Publications
A closed-loop system for millisecond readout and control of membrane tension.
Journal Article Biophys J · March 30, 2025 Characterizing the function of force-gated ion channels is essential for understanding their molecular mechanisms and how they are affected by disease-causing mutations, lipids, or small molecules. Pressure-clamp electrophysiology is a method that is estab ... Full text Link to item CitePiezo1 ion channels are capable of conformational signaling.
Journal Article Neuron · September 25, 2024 Piezo1 is a mechanically activated ion channel that senses forces with short latency and high sensitivity. Piezos undergo large conformational changes, induce far-reaching deformation onto the membrane, and modulate the function of two-pore potassium (K2P) ... Full text Link to item CiteSubconductance states add complexity to Piezo1 gating model.
Journal Article Trends Biochem Sci · July 2024 Piezos are force-gated ion channels that detect and communicate membrane tension to the cell. Recent work from Ullah, Nosyreva, and colleagues characterizes partial channel openings, known as subconductance states, and develops a new gating model of Piezo1 ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
Neurobiology Training Program
Inst. Training Prgm or CMECo-Director · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2029Investigating mechanisms of cell volume regulation in the zebrafish notochord
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institute of General Medical Sciences · 2024 - 2028Biophysical characterization of the human force-gated ion channel Piezo2
FellowshipPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2026View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Switzerland) ·
2006
Ph.D.