I joined Queens' in 2021. In my current project, I am using single-particle cryo-electron microscopy to understand fundamental mechanisms underlying the activation of important drug targets - human G-protein coupled receptors. This project lies at the intersection of biochemistry, physics, engineering and material science. The research is conducted at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in the group of Chris Tate and is greatly facilitated by internal and external collaborations with leaders in the field of cryo-EM method development.
My interest to approach biological problems by means of physics comes from my degrees obtained at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. As a graduate student there in the laboratory of Prof. Vadim Cherezov, I applied protein crystallization and X-ray diffraction to the structure resolution of important human drug targets, cysteinyl leukotriene receptors type 1 and 2. These PhD project results already helped to suggest new drug candidates against a particular type of cancer and are potentially useful for creating better asthma treatment.
- Postdoctoral Research Associate