Brian Bender PhD

Dr. Bender uses computational modeling and biophysical techniques to understand how proteins interact with their binding partners such as small molecules, peptides, or large proteins. The Meiler Lab actively develops the Rosetta software for protein structure prediction. Bender complements this software with biophysical techniques such as X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). Bender has a particular focus on G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Bender is interested in how ligand binding induces a conformational change in the receptor to lead to activation and signaling through cellular binding proteins such as heterotrimeric G-protein and arrestin.