Greetings from the NYSBC Executive Director
I am often asked: What is structural biology? Simply, it is a way to understand life at its most fundamental – how the 3-D structures of molecules and their interactions determine their behavior, creating the complex biological processes that define life. Importantly, structural biology also provides an unmatched understanding of links between molecular structure and disease…making it critical for creating new medicines, therapies, diagnostics, and vaccines.
From a personal standpoint, structural biology is the passion that has driven my scientific career for more than two decades. There is nothing like the thrill of discovery that comes from seeing the structure of a molecule for the first time. Sometimes, it is like the curtain is pulled back and life reveals a secret in such clarity that I get chills; those are the moments structural biologists live for.
This passion for structural biology is what brought me to NYSBC, and I am thrilled to be leading it. We are unique, with world-known NMR facilities, a cutting edge cryoEM center, a state-of-the art X-ray beamline, and support staff with deep and broad expertise. Due to generous grants from the Simons Foundation and center grants from the NIH, we are a “Center of Centers” that does more than collect data for our users. We train, we integrate, we collaborate, we innovate. We want to imagine where the field can go, then lead it there.
Given NYSBCs deep legacy of scientific excellence and a stunningly bright future of continued innovation, discovery, and service, I am truly honored to be entrusted with this position. I look forward to helping this talented team push the envelope of structural biology…and have fun doing it! I invite you to become part of our community!