Dr. Stephanie Tristram-Nagle

My role as Research Professor of Biological Physics is to guide students in understanding how to study the biophysics of lipid model membranes (LMMs), as mimics of real cell membranes.  The students learn how to use circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy to obtain secondary structure of proteins that interact with LMMs, and also x-ray diffuse scattering to obtain material properties and structure of LMMs with/without proteins.  The students participate in data collection as well as data analysis for CD and x-ray data.  I have taught a few courses, both at CMU and at Pitt, and I have regularly attended the Biophysical Society meeting since 1980. I was chair of the Membrane Structure and Function subgroup and a recipient of the Avanti Award in Lipids at the Biophysical Society meeting.  I also received the third annual Kaufmann science award.