Members of the Lab

Current

Research Assistant Professor

Michael Kio

Ph.D. Cranfield University, United Kingdom (2015)
Aerospace Research (Computational Fluid Dynamics)

Research Topics

Dr Kio’s current research focuses on developing enhanced fouling release coating formulation. His research interests also include surface wettability and nanoparticle interaction with lipid bilayers for studies of drug delivery implementing molecular dynamics.

Postdoctoral

Min-Kang Hsieh

Ph.D. Columbia University (2018)
Chemical Engineering M.S. National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (Chemical Engineering, 2008)

Research Topics

Min-Kang's research focuses on two areas of interest. He is doing research on some COVID-19 associated proteins that form oligomers that are important for the virus infection and he is probing the mechanism and structure in collaboration with Dr. Berger's lab at UVA. Min-Kang is also doing work on lipid membrane asymmetry with a focus on the inner membrane of Gram Negative bacteria.

Kyle Kihn

Ph.D. Univeristy of Maryland - Baltimore
Pharmaceutical Sciences (2023)
B.A. Goucher College (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2018)

Research Topics

Kyle is a postdoc in Dr. Tina Brelidze's lab at Georgetown University and is part of the lab in this joint experimental and computational postdoc focusing on ion channel research and machine learning of these channels.

Graduate Students

	Jessica Bodosa Ph.D. student at University of Maryland, College Park (Biophysics, 2020-) B.S./M.S. Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (Biology, 2015-2020) Research Topics Jessica has been a Biophysics rotation student in the lab focusing on the dimerization of the EmrE protein. She will also be starting research on metal ion binding to cell membranes.
	Joshua Lucker M.S./Ph.D. student at University of Maryland, College Park (Biophysics, 2020-) UM-Baltimore County (B.S. Chemistry, B.A. Math and minor in Music, 2014-2018) Research Topics Joshua is working on extending the CHARMM36UAr model to sphingolipids and testing this force field with bilayer mixtures containing cholesterol.
	Anthony Pane Ph.D. student at University of Maryland, College Park (Biophysics, 2021-) B.S./B.A. University of Rochester (Computational Biology/History, 2015-2019) Research Topics Anthony is co-Advised by Dr. Richard Pastor (NIH/NHLBI) and is working on optimizatation of the phosphoserine lipid force field as his first project.
	Kinjal Mondal Ph.D. student at University of Maryland, College Park (Biophysics, 2022-) B.S./M.S.. Indian Institute of Science Education and Resarch (IISER)-Prune, Chemistry, 2017-2022) Research Topics Kinjal started as a rotation student Fall 2022 and has joined the Klauda lab in Spring 2023. His work focuses on developing data on Lyase proteins to understand how these are involved in bacterial infections and how these can be used to reduce feed stock to produce chemicals. His work utilizes molecular simulation and machine learning for enzyme design.
	Marlen Toktomamatov Ph.D. student at University of Maryland, College Park (Biochemistry, 2023-) B.S. University of Rochester (Computational Biology, 2019-2023) Research Topics Marlen started as a rotation student Spring 2024 and has joined the Klauda lab April 2024. His work currently focuses on determining the free energy of model peptide bindings to cellular membranes.

Undergraduate Students

	Dai-Bao Van B.S. Chemistry (May 2021) Postbac at UMD Research Topics Dai-Bao is working on modeling archeal membranes with ether-branched lipids as well as simulating AQP0 and its cataract forming mutants
	Nicholas Dadzie Biochemistry Class of 2024 Research Topics Nicholas has been working on modeling cell membranes with a future research project TBD
	Abhi Senthikumar Chemical Engineering Class of 2026 Research Topics Abhi initially worked on simulations of cancer cell membranes with Dr. Kio. He has sense focused on membrane-active peptides in collaboration with Prof. Karlsson
	Emily Davies Computer Science Class of 2025 Research Topics Emily is currently working with Kinjal on using machine learning to predict ligand binding affinities to a protein using Graph Neural Networks with more sparse data.
	Daniel Erickson Bioengineering Class of 2025 Research Topics Dan is focused on developing models membranes of microglia towards interest in interactions with the Abeta-peptide and Alzheimer's Disease with Neelay.
	Om Tailor Computer Science (Minor in Computational Finance) Class of 2026 Research Topics Om has been working with Kyle on collecting data and developing a machine learning model toward drug design to an ion channel protein..
	Arnav Srivastava Computer Science & Math Class of 2027 Research Topics Arnav has been working with Kinjal on developing a machine learning model for enzyme design.
	Adam Teixeira Biochemistry Class of 2025 Research Topics Adam has been developing work on Alzheimer's Disease and oligomers of A-beta peptide with Cu ions.
	Evan Roeteringa Bioengineering Class of 2025 Research Topics Evan has been looking at developing membrane models for leukemia and understanding their biophysical properties.
	Nic Kalbaugh Bioengineering Class of 2026 Research Topics Nic has been looking at how certain accessory proteins of SARS-CoV-2 associate (ORF7b) in a more native membrane bilayer.
	Tanish Anandababu Computer Science Class of 2027 Research Topics Tanish has been working with Kyle on some machine learning topics on drug development.
	Sanjana Ranasinghe Bioengineering Class of 2028 Research Topics Sanjana is currently learning how to simulate model membranes of bacteria.
	Snehi Vijaywargiya Bioengineering Class of 2028 Research Topics Snehi is working with Nida on peptide inhibitors for CDK5 as potential drug targets for Alzheimer's Disease.
	Terra Pickett Chemical Engineering Class of 2026 Research Topics Terra is working on a project in collaboration with Drs. Srini Raghavan and Faraz Burni to study some unique phase behavior of polymers.
	Joel Thomas Biocomputational Engineering Class of 2027 Research Topics Joel is finishing up the training for the lab and will be starting research associated with PlexinA1 and pancreatic cancer.
	Rudra Thakkar Chemical Engineering Class of 2028 Research Topics Rudra is currently finishing up the training on membrane modeling and will be starting a project soon.
	Rohit Chintala Biochemistry & Mathematics Class of 2028 Research Topics Rohit is currently finishing up the training on membrane modeling and will be starting a project soon.
	Kamila Abdukadirova Chemistry Class of 2026 Research Topics Kamila is researching how a protein associated with neurons interacts and binds to cellular membranes (p35). She is using protein structural predicition methods and molecular simulations to probe membrane attachement with applications to Alzheimer's Disease.
	Cynthia Gwan Biology (Physiology & Neurobiology) Class of 2026 Research Topics Cynthia is currently finishing up the training on membrane modeling and will be starting a project soon.