Walter Chazin, Ph.D.

Walter Chazin, Ph.D.

Professor, Biochemistry & Chemistry
Chancellor's Chair, Medicine
Senior Associate Dean, Biomedical Research Education & Training (BRET)
Director, Chemical & Physical Biology PhD Program
Director, Molecular Biophysics Training Program

Areas of Interest: Cancer Biology; Infectious Diseases and Immunity; Cell Signaling; Protein Structure & Function; Spectroscopy; X-ray Crystallography

Member: CSB; VI4; VICC

Our laboratory investigates the structural basis for recognition, biochemical function and biological specificity of proteins and nucleic acids. Specifically, we study systems involved in bacterial pathogenesis, cell signaling, and cancer at the molecular level. Rather than focusing on specific techniques, we take a problem-oriented approach and use whichever techniques are necessary to answer the question at hand. Often, this requires complementary application of structural approaches including spectroscopy, scattering, crystallography and microscopy. We also prioritize tight coupling of our research to functional analysis. This strategy is by nature very collaborative and collegial, and has stimulated involvement in many multi-investigator projects.