Plenary Speakers

Robert Tycko – National Institute of Health

Robert Tycko is a Distinguished Investigator in the Laboratory of Chemical Physics, NIDDK, a biophysics/biophysical chemistry research department on the main NIH campus near Washington, DC. His lab has made numerous contributions to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and its applications in physical and biological sciences. Structural studies of amyloid-b fibrils associated with Alzheimer’s disease, including fibrils derived from human brain tissue, have been a major effort for the past 25 years. Recent work focuses on “time-resolved solid state NMR” techniques for studying unidirectional processes such as protein folding, peptide/protein complex formation, and amyloid self-assembly. Tycko’s lab also explores the application of low-temperature dynamic nuclear polarization in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), recently setting a new record for spatial resolution in inductively detected MRI (1.7 microns in three dimensions). Tycko is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and Past President of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance.

Nikolas Sgourakis – University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Sgourakis’ earned his PhD in Biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with Angel Garcia in 2009, focusing on blending simulation and experimental approaches to study intrinsically disordered proteins. Under mentorship from Nobel Laureate

David Baker, he focused on modeling the structures of protein complexes using sparse data, and completed his training with Adriaan Bax at the NIH, he explored uses of biomolecular NMR spectroscopy for understanding viral immune evasion mechanisms. These experiences laid the foundation for his independent research program focusing on deciphering and targeting the MHC-I antigen progressing and presentation pathway.

During his 5-year tenure at the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Dr. Sgourakis has steered his work toward immunotherapy applications against pediatric solid tumors, ensuring that his discoveries have real-world therapeutic impact. Dr. Sgourakis’ Lab is part of two international Teams that were selected by the international Cancer Grand Challenges consortium in 2022, and 2024 aiming to develop T cell-based therapeutics. His lab blends structural biology, with computational and protein engineering approaches aiming to restore immune surveillance of intracellular driver oncoproteins in solid tumors.

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Invited Speakers

Moriah Beck – Witchita State University

Sarah Keane – University of Michigan

Catherine Musselman – University of Colorado

Ishwar Radharkishnan – Northwestern University

Tuo Wang – Michigan State University

Joshua Ziarek – Northwestern University