Ellinor Haglund
My research is focused on the folding event in proteins, utilizing both computational and experimental techniques to understand the molecular details of how proteins fold into biologically active molecules. Through my postdoctoral study I discovered a new class of “knot-like” motifs called pierced lasso topologies (PLTs). Interestingly, these threaded topologies exist in all kingdoms of life, and populate 18% of known protein structures containing one disulphide bridge. I am in particular interested in the pleiotropic hormone leptin, the founding member of the PLTs, and the biological relevance of its PLT in human health and disease. I am inspired by how nature works and utilize my multidisciplinary training to answer questions at the interface of chemistry, biology, and physics.
I was born and raised in Sweden, received my Master of Science in Molecular Biology and Chemistry from Umeå University, Sweden, and obtained my Ph.D. at Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden, under the supervision of Professor Mikael Oliveberg. I joined Professor José Onuchic at University of California, San Diego, CA, and the Center for Theoretical Biological Physics (CTBP), and Professor Patricia Jennings in May 2010 as a postdoctoral research associate. I moved with Professor Onuchic to Rice University, and CTBP, TX, in May 2015.