Author: km206

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Welcoming Álvaro, Sneha, and Ishita — Our New Rotation Students!

We’re delighted to welcome Álvaro Sierra Valverde, Sneha Samui, and Ishita Bhattacharya to the Wittung-Stafshede lab as new rotating graduate students in chemistry.

As part of their graduate programs at Rice University, Álvaro, Sneha, and Ishita will each explore different facets of our research in protein biophysics and metal biology. Through their rotations, they’ll gain hands-on experience in studying how protein folding, aggregation, and metal interactions connect to cellular function and disease mechanisms.

What they’ll explore

  • Biophysical characterization of protein misfolding and aggregation pathways
  • Experimental and computational tools to probe metal–protein interactions
  • Connections between protein structure, metal homeostasis, and disease biology

We’re excited to see their curiosity in action and look forward to supporting their scientific growth during their rotations. Welcome to the team!

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Welcome Sayuri and Meika, New Rotating Students

We’re delighted to welcome Sayuri and Meika to the Wittung-Stafshede lab as new rotating graduate students in Biosciences.

As part of their graduate training, Sayuri and Meika will spend their rotation periods exploring different aspects of our research program. Their projects will give them hands-on experience with our approaches in protein biophysics, metal biology, and amyloid research, while helping define potential directions for their future PhD work.

What they’ll explore

  • Experimental approaches to study protein misfolding and amyloid formation
  • Methods for investigating metal–protein interactions
  • Exposure to a broad toolkit of biophysical and biochemical techniques

We’re excited to support their training, see their ideas develop, and warmly welcome them to the team!

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Welcome Giovana – New Postdoctoral Researcher from Brazil

We’re delighted to welcome Giovana to the Wittung-Stafshede lab as a postdoctoral researcher!

Joining us from Brazil, Giovana brings expertise in protein misfolding, amyloids, and metal biology. Her research will help clarify how protein aggregation and metal interactions drive disease mechanisms in cancer and neurodegeneration.

What she’ll work on

  • Mechanistic links between protein aggregation and metal interactions
  • Pathways that contribute to cancer and neurodegeneration
  • Biophysical and biochemical tools to probe molecular consequences

We’re excited to see the impact of her work and warmly welcome her to the team!

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Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede Joins Rice to Boost Cancer Research

We’re proud to share that Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede has been featured in Rice University News!

The article, “Rice recruits biophysicist to boost cancer research efforts”, highlights Pernilla’s arrival at Rice and her plans to expand the university’s biophysics and cancer research initiatives.

This feature celebrates a major step forward for Rice’s growing life sciences community and the exciting new directions of the Wittung-Stafshede Lab. Read the full story on Rice News.

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Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede Writes on the Biophysical Society Blog: Going Against the Tide

In her essay, “Going Against the Tide: I Am Moving to the USA”, Pernilla reflects on her decision to return to the United States after two decades leading research in Sweden. She describes the scientific, personal, and institutional challenges that shaped this move—and her vision for building a diverse, ambitious, and collaborative biophysics environment at Rice University.

This piece offers a candid look into the motivations behind major scientific transitions and the human side of academic leadership. You can read the full article on the Biophysical Society Blog.