Research Summary

The research group led by Prof. Anatoly Kolomeisky is theoretically investigating the fundamental properties of biological and chemical systems using methods of statistical mechanics. It concentrates on uncovering mechanisms and dynamics of various complex phenomena such as cellular transport, motor proteins and molecular motors, cytoskeleton proteins, error corrections processes in biology, biological signaling, protein-DNA interactions, enzymatic catalysis and dynamics of cancer development. Multi-scale theoretical methods, including analytical calculations, fast numerical computations and extensive computer simulations are utilized in order to obtain a comprehensive molecular picture of underlying processes.

Biography 

Anatoly Kolomeisky is a Professor of Chemistry and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University. He also serves as Department Chair of the Department of Chemistry. After receiving his BS/MS in Chemistry from Moscow State University in Russia, he came to the US and completed his PhD from Cornell University in 1998. After a brief postdoctoral stay at the University of Maryland he joined the Chemistry Department at Rice University in 2000. Dr. Kolomeisky's lab has been working on elucidating molecular mechanisms of complex chemical and biological systems using methods of statistical mechanics. More than 20 graduate students and postdoctoral research associates have graduated from his lab, and now work in industry, academia, national labs and finance. Dr. Kolomeisky’s research has been recognized by multiple awards that include NSF CAREER, Camille and Henry Dreyfus New Faculty Award, Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, Hamill Innovation Award and Humboldt Research Fellowship. He is also a Fellow of the American Physical Society.