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Congratulations to Nikolay Dokholyan, Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics who was named a Michael Hooker Distinguished Professor effective March 1, 2014.

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Nikolay Dokholyan, PhD

Dr. Dokholyan received his PhD in Physics from Boston University and then trained with Dr. Eugene Shakhnovich at Harvard University for his postdoctoral studies. He was recruited to UNC as an Assistant Professor upon completing his postdoctoral work in 2002, promoted to Associate Professor in 2008 and became a Full Professor in 2011. Dr. Dokholyan currently serves as the Graduate Director of the UNC Molecular and Cellular Biophysics Program, Director of the Center for Computational and Systems Biology at UNC, and is a faculty member at multiple centers across campus – namely, the Cystic Fibrosis and Pulmonary Research and Treatment Center and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Dokholyan began his research career investigating biological problems from an approach of statistical physics when he was a graduate student at Boston University. As a postdoctoral fellow he focused on protein misfolding and has enhanced his work since coming to UNC by developing new approaches to better predict protein folding and aggregation, and applying these to protein engineering. The underlying focus of his group centers on the physical nature of interactions between atoms, molecules, cells, and organisms. The aim throughout their research is how these interactions shape the complex organization, behavior, and evolution of biomolecules and organisms. Dr. Dokholyan has built his career advancing the understanding of physical interactions within and between biological molecules and is a recognized international leader in the field of protein structure. Importantly, his methods have been applied to understanding numerous biological systems, including heart disease, cancer, cystic fibrosis, and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Huntington disease.

The nomination for Dr. Dokholyan’s endowed professorship praised his outstanding reputation and leadership in serving the University and his field. He has authored more than 170 peer-reviewed publications, has received continuous research funding from the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Defense and serves in a multitude of teaching and administrative roles on campus.

The Michael Hooker Distinguished Professorship was previously held by the late John Shehan, PhD, a renowned cystic fibrosis expert.