The department welcomes talented biochemist Dr. Stefan Petrovic, who will join the UCLA faculty as an Assistant Professor on November 1, 2024.
Petrovic received a B.S. degree in cell biology and biochemistry from Bucknell University (Lewisburg, PA). Afterwards, he received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics from the California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, CA), working with Professor André Hoelz as both a graduate student and postdoctoral scholar. His work at Caltech employed a multidisciplinary integrative approach to study the structure and function of the nuclear pore complex (NPC), the large and intricate macromolecular assembly responsible for transport between of nucleus in cells and the surrounding cytoplasm. The results of this work are of significant medical importance as mutations in the NPC are responsible for a range of cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, and for heart conditions such as atrial fibrillation.
“We are super excited to welcome our new colleague, Dr. Petrovic,” said Department Chair Professor Alex Spokoyny. “I look forward to seeing all of the exciting science that emerges from his brand-new laboratory.”
The NPC is a massive subcellular assembly with over 1000 individual protein subunits, a total mass in excess of 100 megadaltons and a diameter of 100 nm. Petrovic’s structural and biochemical characterization studies culminated in a near-atomic resolution composite structural model for the symmetric core and the cytoplasmic face of the NPC. His work, reported in two first-author publications in the prestigious journal Science, represents a huge advance in our understanding of the architecture and function of the NPC. “Having determined its structure, we can now focus on working out the molecular bases for the NPC’s functions, such as how mRNA gets exported and the underlying causes for the many NPC-associated diseases with the goal of developing novel therapies,” as explained by his Ph.D. advisor, Professor Hoelz, in a 2022 article about the research in Pasadena Now.
At UCLA, Petrovic’s goal will be to use his skills in biochemical reconstitution, X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy, computational methods, fluorescence microscopy, and cell-based assays to explore the molecular architecture of tight junctions (TJs), tunable gatekeepers that control the passage of molecules between neighboring cells in epithelial and endothelial tissues. A better understanding of the physiological roles of TJs could facilitate the design of treatments for diseases associated with TJ dysfunction — cancers, neurological disorders, cardiac issues, chronic inflammation, autoimmune conditions, allergies, and pathogen invasion.
Professor Joseph Loo, chair of the search committee that selected Petrovic from a large pool of outstanding applicants, commented that “his addition will continue the department’s long tradition of world-class structural biology research.”
In addition to his research, Petrovic is deeply committed to training the next generation of scientists and fostering an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity and collaboration. At Caltech’s Hoelz lab, he mentored a diverse group of students, including volunteers, undergraduates, graduate students, and visiting scientists. His dedication to education is reflected in his active roles as a teaching assistant and tutor at both his undergraduate and graduate institutions. His efforts have been recognized with teaching awards from Bucknell University and Caltech. Petrovic is passionate about inspiring and mentoring students to become well-rounded scientists, emphasizing intellectual growth, ethics, and leadership.
“My research is driven by fundamental curiosity for molecular mechanisms,” Petrovic said. “I am keen on lecturing topics related to biochemistry, cell biology, biophysics, and structural biology. I enjoy learning by understanding the process of discovery: how key experiments and controls were designed based on previous knowledge, and what conceptual advances they brought on. I find, however, that students with different career goals respond differently to how the course material is motivated. In such instances, I have asked myself: What motivates my students to learn about this subject? What should the outcomes of my teaching be? How do I know when I have taught successfully?”.
Petrovic has received numerous prestigious awards in recognition of his exceptional academic achievements and contributions to teaching. In 2022, he was honored with the Herbert Newby McCoy Award for the most outstanding research achievement by a graduate student in Caltech’s Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, as well as the Teaching Assistantship Award for his exemplary work as a teaching assistant within the same division. During his undergraduate studies at Bucknell University, Petrovic’s outstanding performance earned him the 2014 Prize in Cell Biology and Biochemistry, the Teaching Assistant Excellence Award, and the Phi Beta Kappa Award for Academic Excellence, reflecting his commitment to both research and education.
“I look forward to establishing a research group that will operate at the highest level of excellence and uphold the utmost degree of scholarship, while fostering a community that celebrates diversity, open dialogue, physical and mental well-being, and the abolition of barriers to entry and retention in science,” Petrovic said.
[X/Twitter: @petroviclab]
Penny Jennings, UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, penny@chem.ucla.edu.