Benjamin Barad, Ph.D.

I am a structural biologist with a special interest in emerging computational and experimental methods in electron microscopy. I am working as a postdoc with Danielle Grotjahn, using cryo-electron tomography of focused ion beam-thinned cells to quantify mitochondrial morphology and solve in situ protein structures. In particular, I am excited about the power of electron tomography to contextualize the structure, dynamics, and interactions of proteins as they perform their physiolocal function in the cell.
I received my PhD in biophysics from UCSF in the lab of James Fraser, where I developed methods for the building and validating atomic models generated from single particle electron microscopy, as well as investigating the mechanisms of activity of mammalian chitinases. Before that, I was an undergraduate at Stanford University studying Biological Chemistry, where I worked with Elizabeth Sattely investigating bacterial degradation of the plant polymer lignin.
Beyond my scientific interests, I am excited about food and cooking, coffee, 3D printing, and games.