Taras Pogorelov

Research Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemistry, the Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, a Faculty Affiliate at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, and Senior Research Scientist at the School of Chemical Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

EDUCATION

Postdoctoral Research Associate, 2009-2012,
NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Prof. Emad Tajkhorshid  Lab, Development and application of methods to study membrane-associated phenomena

Postdoctoral Research Associate, 2006-2009,
Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Prof. Todd Martinez Lab, Studies of proton transfer in proteins with  quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) multiresolution methods

Ph. D., Chemical Physics, 2006
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Advisor: Prof. Zan Luthey-Schulten
Thesis: “Application and development of molecular dynamics methods to examine the energy landscapes of protein folding and transient protein-protein complexes”

M.S., Mathematics, 1996
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Advisor: Prof. Wolfgang R.G. Haken

Diploma, Biomedical Electrical Engineering, 1995
Moscow State Technical University Bauman, Russia
Advisor: Prof. Sergey I. Schookin
Thesis: “An expert system for cardiovascular diagnostics”

HONORS AND AWARDS

    • Scialog Fellow, Research Corporation for Science Advancement, 2019
    • Outstanding Mentor, National Center for Supercomputing Applications, 2019
    • RSOCR Award, Office of Vice-Chancellor for Research, University of Illinois, 2016-2018
    • Faculty Fellow, National Center for Supercomputing Applications, 2014-2015
    • Illinois Research Board Award, University of Illinois, 2012-2013
    • Richard I. Gumport Travel Award in Biochemistry, University of Illinois, 2011
    • NIH Travel award to attend the NIGMS Workshop for Postdocs Transitioning to Independent Positions, Bethesda, MD, 2010
    • List of Teachers Ranked Excellent by Students, University of Illinois, 1998 (Mathematics), 2004 (Chemistry)
    • Commencement Speaker, Upward Bound Academy, US Dept. Ed. TRIO, Office of Minority Student Affairs, University of Illinois, 2002
    • Excellence in Instruction Award (Calculus), Upward Bound Academy, US Dept. Ed. TRIO, University of Illinois, 2000, 2001
    • Fellowship, Graduate College, University of Illinois, 1999-2000
    • Graduate Teaching Certificate, University of Illinois, 1998
    • Excellence in Instruction Award (Geometry), Upward Bound Academy, US Dept. Ed. TRIO, University of Illinois, 1997, 1998
    • Excellence in Instruction Award (Physics), Upward Bound Academy, US Dept. Ed. TRIO, University of Illinois, 1996

PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS

    • Reviewer, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Biophysical Journal, PLOS Computational Biology, Journal of Physical Chemistry, Journal of Chemical Physics, Langmuir, and Chemical Biology and Drug Design
    • Reviewer, grant proposals, The National Science Foundation (NSF), The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO)
    • Co-president, Society of Postdoctoral Scholars, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2011-2013
    • Co-organizer, Panel, Graduate Student to Postdoc: Negotiating the Transition, Biophysical Society Meeting, Baltimore, MD, 2011
    • Co-chair, Platform session, Biophysical Society Meeting, Baltimore, MD, 2011
    • Organizer, School of Chemical Sciences Science Image Challenge, UIUC, 2011
    • Member, Early Careers Committee, Biophysical Society, 2006-2012
    • Member, Career in Academia Student Committee, School of Chemical Sciences, UIUC, 2004/5
    • Assisted in organizing a US-Japan Cooperative Science Workshop on Folding, Function, and Funnels, Hawaii, USA, 2002
    • Assisted in organizing a US-Japan Cooperative Science Workshop on Folding, Function, and Funnels, Hawaii, USA, 2002
    • Member of the organizational team, Worldwide Mathematica Conference, Chicago, IL, 1998

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

    • Biophysical Society
    • American Chemical Society
    • Association for Computing Machinery
    • Protein Society