DNA model

Biophysics at

Stony Brook
Updated June 22, 2000

The University at Stony Brook Biophysics Faculty is an interdisciplinary group of scientists from the university departments of Anesthesiology, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chemistry, Medicine, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Neurobiology and Behavior, Neurological Surgery, Orthopaedics, Pharmacological Sciences, Physics and Astronomy and Physiology and Biophysics. Several staff scientists from Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory are also members of the Biophysics Faculty. The basis of the teaching program is the faculty's interest in understanding the molecular structure and function of biological molecules.

Research in Biophysics at Stony Brook places particular emphasis on structural biophysics and membrane biophysics. In structural biophysics, we seek to relate the molecular structure of biomolecules (especially proteins) to the function of the molecule. In membrane biophysics, we study the lipids and proteins of cell membranes using electrical and chemical techniques.

Although the major focus is basic science research, several projects relate to clinical science, with faculty investigating such diseases as diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's disease and Lyme disease. Also, some of our faculty members are developing new tools for use in medical diagnosis.

An interdepartmental Institute for Structural Biology is being created within the Center for Molecular Medicine, due to open in 1999. The Institute includes laboratories dedicated to x-ray crystallography, molecular graphics, NMR spectroscopy and structural microscopy. Several new faculty members have been recruited for this initiative.

To request application forms, contact:

Further information about the Biophysics Program

 Further information about the University at Stony Brook

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FACULTY RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Paul R. Adams, Ph.D., Department of Neurobiology & Behavior.
Electrical activity of vertebrate nerve cells.

William R. Bauer, Ph.D., Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology.
Energetics of DNA and DNA-protein interactions.

Maria Bewley, Ph.D., Department of Biology, Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Mechanisms of DNA repair and electron transport systems.

Peter R. Brink, Ph.D., Department of Physiology & Biophysics.
Biophysical properties of gap junctions.

Chris Clausen, Ph.D., Department of Physiology & Biophysics.
Ion transport mechanisms in epithelia.

Ira S. Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Physiology & Biophysics.
Physiology and pharmacology of cardiac cells.

James P. Dilger, Ph.D., Departments of Anesthesiology, and Physiology & Biophysics.
Effects of general anesthetics on ion channels.

Moshe Eisenberg, Ph.D., Department of Pharmacological Sciences.
Computer-assisted modeling of biomolecules.

John M. Flanagan, Ph.D., Department of Biology, Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Mechanisms of Protein Folding.

Arthur P. Grollman, M.D., Department of Pharmacological Sciences.
Mechanisms of DNA damage and repair.

Chris Jacobsen, Ph.D., Department of Physics.
Applications of X-ray optics to biological imaging.

Leemor Joshua-Tor, Ph.D., Cold Spring Harbor Labs.
X-ray crystallography, Structural biology and molecular recognition.

Janos Kirz, Ph.D., Department of Physics.
Microscopy and microanalysis using soft X-rays.

Caroline Kisker, Ph.D., Department of Pharmacological Sciences.
Structure/function relationships of macromolecules utilizing x-ray crystallography and biochemistry.

Catherine L. Lawson, Ph.D., Department of Biology, Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Structure of macromolecules determined by X-ray diffraction.

William J. Lennarz, Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology.
Biosynthesis and function of glycoproteins in development.

Erwin London, Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology.
Mechanisms of membrane penetration by protein toxins.

Walter Mangel, Ph.D., Department of Biology, Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Proteinase-targets for anti-viral and anti-bacterial agents.

Richard T. Mathias, Ph.D., Department of Physiology & Biophysics.
Biophysical properties of lens and cardiac muscle.

Gary Matthews, Ph.D., Department of Neurobiology & Behavior.
Neurotransmitter secretion in CNS neurons.

David McKinnon, Ph.D., Department of Neurbiology & Behavior.
Molecular control of neuron firing properties.

Stuart McLaughlin, Ph.D., Department of Physiology & Biophysics.
Electrostatic properties of membranes and second messengers.

Kenneth J. McLeod, Ph.D., Department of Orthopedic Surgery.
Effects of low frequency electric fields in living tissue.

Lorne Mendell, Ph.D., Department of Neurobiology & Behavior.
Physiology and plasticity of spinal neurons and synapses.

Harold Metcalf, Ph.D., Department of Physics.
Physical analysis of biological systems.

W. Todd Miller, Ph.D., Department of Physiology & Biophysics.
Molecular mechanisms of signal transduction in cells.

Leon Moore, Ph.D., Department of Physiology & Biophysics.
Biophysical mechanisms of renal function.

Andrew J. Morris, Ph.D., Department of Pharmacological Sciences.
Roles of phospholipids in intracellular signaling.

Nicolas Nassar, Ph.D., Department of Physiology & Biophysics.
X-ray structures of signal transduction components.

Clifford Patlak, Ph.D., Department of Neurosurgery.
Theoretical biology; blood-brain barrier.

Daniel Raleigh, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry.
Experimental studies of protein folding and amyloid formation.

Mario Rebecchi, Ph.D., Departments of Anesthesiology and Physiology & Biophysics.
Regulation of phospholipases.

Clinton T. Rubin, Ph.D., Department of Orthopedic Surgery.
Cellular mechanisms of adaptation in bone.

John R. Sachs, M.D., Department of Medicine - Hematology.
Structure of ion transport proteins.

Nicole S. Sampson, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry.
Structure and function of proteins.

Carlos de los Santos, Ph.D., Department of Pharmacological Sciences.
NMR structural studies of nucleic acids and proteins.

Suzanne F. Scarlata, Ph.D., Department of Physiology & Biophysics.
Lipid-protein interactions in cell membranes.

Hermann Schindelin, Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology.
Structure and Function of Enzymes, Protein Crystallography, Metalloenzymes.

Richard Setlow, Ph.D., Department of Biology, Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Mechanisms of DNA damage and repair.

Sanford R. Simon, Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology.
Interaction of neutrophil elastase with connective tissue.

Steven O. Smith, Ph.D., Department of Biochemistry & Cell Biology.
Membrane protein structure and function.

Charles Springer, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry, Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Development of in vivo NMR techniques.

George Stell, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry.
Theory of osmotic properties of ionic solutions and membranes.

Joel L. Sussman, Ph.D., Department of Biology, Brookhaven National Laboratory.
X-ray crystal structure of proteins.

John C. Sutherland, Ph.D., Department of Biology, Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Ultraviolet photochemistry and spectroscopy of DNA.

Peter Tonge, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry.
Enzyme mechanisms in antitubercular drugs and Alzheimer's Disease.

William Van der Kloot, Ph.D., Department of Physiology & Biophysics.
Synaptic transmission at the neuromuscular junction.

Benjamin Walcott, Ph.D., Department of Neurobiology & Behavior.
Neural control of the immune system.

Rui-Ming Xu, Ph.D., Cold Spring Harbor Labs.
Structural biology; protein-RNA interactions.

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