Biophysics is the application of quantitative principles and methods to biological systems. Biophysics is thus interdisciplinary, and has much overlap with tools and ideas used in Chemistry. One can argue that there is no more interesting and important object than a biological one. Biological systems are interesting because of the novel behavior that emerges from their complexity, important because an understanding of biology relates directly to us as humans, and can lengthen our lives. Sir Peter Medawar, Nobel Laureate, writes in his book Advice To a Young Scientist, "Any scientist of any age who wants to make important discoveries must study important problems... It is not enough that a problem should be interesting." Our biophysics group spans the discipline from pure to applied science, from theoretical to experimental work, and from curiosity-driven science to health-based research.

Research projects in biophysics cover a wide array of topics, from microsystems instrumentation, computer simulation and theory of biomolecular behaviours, to the study of structure-properties-function relationships in a wide variety of bio-materials. Visit individual researcher's profiles and website below for more information.

Banner image: Structure of the TNF receptor associated factor, or TRAF6, a protein involved in marking other proteins for degradation. Both the solvent-accessible surface and a ribbon diagram showing the secondary structure are shown. Regions are colored by their predicted likelihood to interact with another protein called SOD1, with blue being more likely. The likely interaction regions form a kind of "belt" around the protein. Credit: Steven Plotkin.

Faculty Engaged: Biophysics

Name Position Research
Sabrina Leslie Associate Professor, Biophysics The Leslie Lab (Michael Smith Laboratories)
Research Field: Single-molecule biophysics
Topics Include: DNA, RNA and protein interactions and dynamics
Therapeutic oligonucleotides
Nano-characterization and analytics
DNA super-structure
Polymers under confinement
Carl Michal Professor, Biophysics Research Website
Research Field: Biophysics and Materials,Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, biological and energy storage materials
Topics Include: Biological Materials, ionic conductors, relaxation and magnetization transfer in brain tissue, NMR Instrumentation & Methods
Steven Plotkin Professor, Biophysics Research Website
Research Field: Theory, Computation, and Experiment
Topics Include: Evolutionary Developmental Biology, Protein Misfolding & Aggregation, Molecular origins of neurodegenerative disease, Genetic networks, Coarse-graining in biomolecular modelling
Joerg Rottler Professor, Condensed Matter Research Website
Research Field: Condensed Matter/Computational Physics, Soft Condensed Matter
Topics Include: Nonequilibrium statistical physics, polymer science, deformation and flow of disordered solids, nanoscale transport phenomena, computational materials physics

Postdoctoral Fellows & Research Associates Engaged in Biophysics Research

Name Position Research
Andrew Leung Research Associate, Biophysics
Santanu Sasidharan Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Biophysics