Parisa HosseinzadehParisa Hosseinzadeh's work integrates computational and experimental methods to design proteins and peptides, driven by the goal of making these tools accessible everyone. My scientific path began in Dr. Yi Lu’s lab, where I contributed to 19 publicaions on metalloprotein and enzyme engineering. Among my most notable achievements was redesigning 2V Azurin (Hosseinzadeh*, Marshall* et al., PNAS, 2015), modifying its active site across multiple variants and metals. Another highlight was co-authoring a Science paper (Mirts et al., 2018) with a mentee, underscoring my commitment to mentorship.
Shortly before my postdoctoral work, I initiated an independent collaboration that led to my first solo publication (Journal of Molecular Biology, 2020). During my postdoc with David Baker, who received the 2024 Nobel Prize, I adopted computational protein design using tools like (Py)Rosetta, co-authoring five papers—three as co-first author. A key milestone was our 2017 Science publication (Hosseinzadeh*, Bhardwaj*, Mulligan* et al.), which demonstrated accurate cyclic peptide design and opened doors to widespread collaborations. It also introduced me to the Rosetta Commons, a network at the forefront of protein and peptide research.
In my lab, we target fundamental and applied challenges in protein and peptide design, focusing on three main areas. First, we advance cyclic peptide design through both computational techniques and wet-lab validation, with multiple papers published and additional manuscripts forthcoming. Our efforts include designing inhibitors and activators for GPCRs and streamlining peptide design workflows. Second, we explore metalloproteins and enzymes, bridging established methodologies with new technologies to tackle structural and functional questions. These projects build on my PhD experience but employ an expanded toolkit, resulting in one published paper and several ongoing endeavors involving Type 1 copper proteins and novel enzymatic activities. Third, we engage in interdisciplinary collaborations on constrained peptides for diverse targets like BMP-2 and MMP-1, leading to published results and ongoing studies.
Mentorship is integral to my approach: I measure success through both scholarly achievements and personal growth. I also promote science outreach via Pacific mentorship programs, STEM initiatives for women, and peer-mentorship networks. My perspective was profoundly reshaped 2 years ago by a stroke that caused partial vision loss and limited use of one hand. Sharing this experience in Nature (2024) reinforced my resolve to cultivate an inclusive scientific environment, where resilience and empathy drive innovation, collaboration, and meaningful progress. Read More Read Less