Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations
Adjunct Professor in the Department of Biochemistry
·
2022 - Present
Biochemistry,
Basic Science Departments
Recent News Items
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Recent Scholarly Works
Thermodynamic prediction of RNA cellular activity from sequence via conformational ensembles.
Journal article Cell · May 14, 2026 Despite advances in structure prediction from sequence, predicting cellular activity requires conformational ensembles that capture propensities to form functionally active states. Such ensembles remain difficult to measure and even harder to predict. Here ... Full text Link to item CiteAssessing the contribution of rare DNA states to cancer mutational signatures using sequence-specific conformational fingerprinting.
Journal article Nat Commun · April 23, 2026 Rare and short-lived DNA conformations are proposed to be key drivers of mutagenesis, yet assessing their contribution to mutational signatures found in human cancers remains challenging. Here, we develop an approach that quantifies the sequence-dependent ... Full text Link to item CiteRevealing hidden protonated conformational states in RNA dynamic ensembles.
Journal article Nucleic Acids Res · November 26, 2025 Identifying protonated states within RNA ensembles, quantifying their pKas, and elucidating the kinetic mechanisms by which they form is essential for understanding protonation-coupled biochemical reactions and how RNAs sense and adapt to pH fluctuations. ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
The Center for HIV RNA Studies (CRNA)
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Regents of the University of Michigan · 2014 - 2022Deep Topological Sampling of Protein Structures - non-competing renewal for Year 4
ResearchSignificant Contributor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2017 - 2022Medical Scientist Training Program
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1997 - 2022View All Grants
Education
Yale University ·
2000
Ph.D.