Dr. Chekmenenev: Research Interests

Being in graduate school at the University of Louisville, Louisville, KY I joined Prof. Richard J. Wittebort research effort to study small biomolecules by means of solid state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy and by theoretical quantum calculations. I received my Ph.D. degree in physical chemistry in 2003. The focus of my Ph.D. studies was the NMR chemical shielding properties of protein backbone in the solid state. These properties are now widely used for protein structural and functional studies. We completed the novel fundamental experimental work in correlating NMR properties of ¹³C, ¹⁷O and ¹⁵N with local structure in model peptides with implementation of our results for proteins.

I pursued my post-doctoral research in Prof. Timothy Cross's lab at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, FL to work in exciting field of biophysical research of membrane proteins, the field that will revolutionize our understanding of cell function and drug design. I focused on a variety of biologically important targets including M2 protein of Influenza A virus and transmembrane proteins of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, ion channels and antimicrobial membrane proteins responsible for defense mechanism of mammalian cells. Most of them are the drug targets and pursued by the pharmaceutical companies. Solid-state NMR experiments pioneered in Prof. Cross's laboratory are the most powerful tools to study transmembrane proteins. In addition, I initiated collaborations with Prof. Alex Smirnov from NCSU to develop a new nanoporous support for membrane proteins and with Prof. Myriam Cotton from PLU (now in Hamilton college, NY) dedicated to the study of piscidins - newly discovered antimicrobial peptides.

Currently, I work in the field of bio-medical research at Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science on implementation of novel hyperpolarized MRI contract agents and hyperpolarized MRI methods. The prospects and benefits of this research are enormous and will revolutionize our knowledge of human biochemistry and treatment of many deadly diseases including cancer and heart diseases by using real time metabolic imaging.