Vasanthi Jayaraman is a professor of molecular biology in the department of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Texas Health Science Center.

Background

Jayaraman was born in India. In 1988, she received her B.S. from Meenakshi College, Madras University, in Chennai, India and her M.S. in 1990 from Indian Institute of Technology in Chennai, India. She received her Ph.D. from Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey in 1995.[1] For her doctoral work, Jayaraman explored the allosteric mechanism of hemoglobin under the mentorship of Thomas G. Spiro.[2]

From 1995-1997, Jayaraman worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York under George Paul Hess.[2] For her postdoctoral work, she used caged compounds to study sub-millisecond kinetics of ligand gated ion channels.[3] During this time, Jayaraman's work was funded by a Fellowship from the Cancer Research Fund of the Damon Runyon-Walter Winchell Foundation.

Career and research

Jayaraman received her first academic appointment as an assistant professor in the department of chemistry at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1997.[4] Since 2002, she has worked at the University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHealth) in Houston, Texas. During her time at UTHealth, Jayaraman has held positions as an assistant (2002-2006) and associate professor (2006-2007) in the department of integrative biology. From 2007 to 2012, Jayaraman was an associate professor in the department of biochemistry and molecular biology. As of 2012, she holds the title of professor in that same department.[1] As of 2022, Jayaraman will hold the position of editor-in-chief for Biophysical Journal; she is currently an associate editor for the same journal.[5]

Research

Jayaraman's current research focuses on the structure and function of ligand-gated ion channels. She uses spectroscopy and imaging methods to understand the role of conformational dynamics in mediating function by agonists, and understanding the fine-tuning of the function of the proteins by small molecule modulators and accessory proteins.[6]

Awards

Dean’s Teaching Excellence Award, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX in years 2005, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021[7][8][9][10][11]

2020 - Oldham Faculty Award Recipient[12]

2018 - Women Faculty Forum Research Excellence Award, McGovern Medical School, Houston TX[13]

2017 - UT System Regents Teaching Award, TX[14]

Personal life

Jayaraman is married to Ramanan Krishnamoorti, chief energy officer and professor, University of Houston, Houston, Texas.[15] They have two children.

References

  1. 1 2 School, McGovern Medical. "Vasanthi Jayaraman, PhD". Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Jayaraman, Vasanthi | University of Texas System". www.utsystem.edu. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  3. Jayaraman, Vasanthi; Thiran, Shalita; Hess, George P. (1 August 1999). "How Fast Does the γ-Aminobutyric Acid Receptor Channel Open? Kinetic Investigations in the Microsecond Time Region Using a Laser-Pulse Photolysis Technique". Biochemistry. 38 (35): 11372–11378. doi:10.1021/bi990454c. ISSN 0006-2960. PMID 10471287.
  4. "Search Marquette.edu // Marquette University". www.marquette.edu. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  5. "BPS Appoints New BJ Editor-in-Chief". The Biophysical Society. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  6. School, McGovern Medical. "Vasanthi Jayaraman, PhD". Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  7. School, McGovern Medical (4 May 2021). "2021 Dean's Teaching Excellence Awards - McGovern Medical School". John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  8. School, McGovern Medical (13 May 2020). "2020 Dean's Teaching Excellence Awards". John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  9. School, McGovern Medical (2 May 2019). "Dean's Teaching Excellence Awards". John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  10. School, McGovern Medical (2 May 2018). "Dean's Teaching Excellence Awards". John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  11. School, McGovern Medical (4 May 2017). "Dean's Teaching Excellence Awards". John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  12. Barnett, Tracey. "Jayaraman named 2020 Oldham Faculty Award recipient". www.uth.edu. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  13. School, McGovern Medical (7 June 2018). "Women Faculty Excellence". John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  14. "Awards by Institution | University of Texas System". www.utsystem.edu. 29 January 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  15. "krishnamoorti-ramanan". www.uh.edu. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
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