Principal Investigator: Feng Ding, PhD
Dr. Feng Ding is a tenured full professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Clemson University. He received his BS degree in Physics from the Department of Intensive Instruction at Nanjing University (NJU) in 1997. After two years as a graduate student in the Physics Department of NJU under the supervision of Prof. Naiben Min, he joined the Center for Polymer Studies in the Department of Physics of Boston University. Dr. Ding obtained his PhD in Physics in January 2004, supervised by Prof. Eugene Stanley. From 2004 to 2012, Dr. Ding worked with Prof. Nikolay Dokholyan at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a postdoctoral fellow (2004-2006), research associate (2006-2008), and later research assistant professor (2008-2012). Dr. Ding joined Clemson in August 2012. He is Wallace R. Roy Distinguished Professor (2024), Science Dean’s Distinguished Professor (2022), and the recipient of a Board of Trustee Award for Excellence (Clemson, 2018), Outstanding Young Researcher (Clemson, 2017), CAREER Award (US National Science Foundation, 2016), and Postdoctoral Award for Research Excellence (UNC, 2005).
Email: fding@clemson.edu
Office Phone: 864-656-0459
Office: 208 Kinard
Postdoctoral Fellows
Two open positions
Graduate Students
Zhiyuan Song
Mr. Song got his BS degree from Sun Yat-sen University. His current project is to understand the cross-talk between tau and Abeta.
Zhenzhen Zhang
Ms. Zhang joined Clemson in 2017. She got her BS degree from Nankai University. Her current research project focuses on RNA folding and RNA design.
Email: zhenzhz@g.clemson.edu
Office: 109 Kinard
Gangtong Huang
Mr. Huang joined Clemson in 2019. He got his BS degree from Sun Yat-sen University. His current research project focuses on RNA folding and RNA design.
Email: gangtoh@g.clemson.edu
Office: 109 Kinard
Undergraduate Students
Mr. Adam Gatch , undergrad researcher
LinkedIn
High school Students
Yun Xu , high school volunteer
Sunny Xu is an 11th grader at the Bishop Strachan School in Toronto, Canada, with a passion for biology, chemistry, and drama. She loves conducting lab work and research, especially on topics that could revolutionize the medical field and benefit both people and animals. In free time, Sunny enjoys reading, creative writing, horseback riding, and volunteering at local animal shelters and hospitals. Aspiring to be a veterinarian, Sunny is eager to help animals lead fulfilling lives and is dedicated to learning about medical diseases and disorders affecting both humans and animals.
Max Yu , high school volunteer
Maxwell B. Yu is currently a sophomore at Tompkins High School, Katy, Texas. He is a cello player and the president of Interact Club of Tompkins High School and also enjoys swimming and tutoring. He is interested in STEM and business subjects.
Alumni
Yanting Xing, PhD
Dr. Yanting Xing graduated in December 2021 with a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering. Her research project focused on understanding the formation of “amyloid corona”, where proteins bind to amyloid fibrils, the modulation of amyloid aggregation by various biomolecules, and the relationship of LLPS and amyloid aggregation.
Linkedin
Chi Zhang, MS
Mr. Zhang graduated from Clemson with a MS degree of Physics in May 2021. He got his BS degree from Peking University. His research project focused on studying the effects of nanoparticles and star polymers on IAPP aggregation.
Linkedin
Xinwei Ge, PhD
Dr. Xinwei Ge graduated in May 2018. Dr. Ge got his BS from University of Science and Technology of China and joined Clemson in 2012. His PhD project included Nano-assembly, interactions between nanoparticles and biomolecules at the Nano-Bio interface, and the inhibition of hIAPP aggregation.
Linkedin
Bo Wang, PhD
Dr. Bo Wang graduated in August 2017. His PhD projects included soft condensed matter, nanoparticle-protein interactions, and protein aggregations. Bo did his postdoctoral training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Vanderbilt School of Medicine. He is currently working as a staff scientist at NIH.
Linkedin
Slaven Radic, PhD
Dr. Radic graduated in March 2015. Slaven’s PhD project focused on understanding the interactions between nanoparticles and biomolecules. Dr. Radic is now working at Wells Fargo.
Linkedin
Nicholas K. Geitner, PhD
Dr. Geitner graduated in 2014, and currently, is working as a postdoctoral researcher with Dr. Mark Wiesner at Duke.
Linkedin
Dr. Huayuan Tang
Dr. Huayuan Tang’s research focuses on understanding the effects of various biomolecules on amyloid aggregation and co-aggregation of different amyloid proteins and peptides. He is now a lecturer (Assistant Professor) at Hohai University, Nanjing. ResearchGate
Dr. Myeongsang Lee
Dr. Myeongsang Lee’s research focused on bacterial amyloids, crowding effects of amyloid aggregation by cellular and extra-cellular molecules, and the effects of amyloids on inter-cellular tight junction. He is currently a research fellow at NIH.
Linkedin
Dr. Nabanita Saikia
Dr. Nabanita Saikia’s research focused on uncovering the structure and dynamics of biomolecules and molecular complexes, and using the obtained structural and dynamic insights to understand their biological functions. Her research projects included RNA riboswitches, intrinsically disordered proteins, and multi-domain proteins. She is now a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Chemistry at New Mexico Highlands University.
Linkedin
Dr. Yunxiang Sun
Dr. Sun worked in the lab a Postdoctoral Research Fellow from Oct. 2016 to Nov. 2019. His research focused on computational modeling of IAPP aggregation under different conditions, such as the presence of different kinds of biomolecules – lipids, small molecule drugs, proteins, or nanoparticles. He is now an Associate Professor at the Department of Physics of Ningbo University.
Google Scholar
Dr. Praveen Nedumpully
Dr. Nedumpully-Govindan worked in the lab as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow from Jun 2013 to Jan 2016. Praveen’s research focused on nano-bio interface, protein aggregation, and protein-ligand recognition.
Linkedin
Dr. Ye Yang
Dr. Yang studied the dependence of IAPP aggregation on the relative concentrations of zinc ions, the co-aggregation between IAPP and Abeta, and the inhibition of IAPP by fullerenols.
Linkedin
Mikael Toye, BS
Mr. Toy graduated in May 2019. He studied the recognition of peptides with carbon-based nanoparticles in the lab. He is now joining Georgia Tech as a graduate student.
Linkedin
Domen B. Jemec , BS, Genetics Major, undergrad researcher
LinkedIn
Rachel Andorfer, BS, Physics Major, senior thesis
LinkedIn
Robin Conner, BS, Physics Major, senior thesis
LinkedIn
Mr. Anish Jha , summer research 2020, BS, Physics Major, Senior Thesis 2023
LinkedIn
Ms. Sarah Fields , summer research 2020
Ms. Emma Sargent , NSF Biophysics REU 2022 LinkedIn
Mr. Nadav Benhamou Goldfajn, Biophysics REU 2021
Mr. Richard Ricketts, Biophysics REU 2020
Mr. Jake Ribich , Biophysics REU 2019