The team
Marcelo C. R. Melo
Assistant Professor – PI
I am a biophysicist with a passion for exploring biology using computational models. Working on models spanning broad time- and length-scales, I focus on integrating large-scale experimental data into predictive in silico models to gain mechanistic insight. Within the broad field of Computational Biochemistry, I aim to expand our understanding of cell-scale phenotypes by revealing the atomic-scale details of regulatory hubs and metabolic complexes.
Educational Background
- Ph.D. Biophysics and Computational Biology
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – USA
- M.S. Biophysics
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
- B.S. Biophysics
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
Olivia Gaweda
Graduate Student
I am a graduate student with a professional background in pharmaceuticals R&D and healthcare. During my time in industry, I developed an interest in data science and modern computational approaches as applied to the life sciences, and consequentially a desire to explore these topics in grad school. Now, I am excited to be experimenting with MD methodologies to unveil the structural complexities dictating protein binding & signaling. I received my bachelor’s in biology from CSU in 2021 and couldn’t have had a better educational experience, so I am happy to be back!
Milo Maddocks
Undergraduate Student
I am an undergraduate student here at Colorado State University. I am majoring in Neuroscience with a cellular and molecular concentration and minoring in bioinformatics. I hope to pursue graduate programs focused on neurochemistry and its applications to pharmacological technologies. In the Melo lab, I am working to understand binding of protein complexes that form catch bonds, with an interest in cell adhesion.
Becca Uhlik
Undergraduate Student
Former Members
Amoy Myers
REU Visiting Student
I am an undergrad honors student at Arizona State University studying biochemistry with a minor in data science on the pre-medical track. My interests lie in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of biochemistry and computational approaches. My research experience spans a theoretical physics and optics lab to my current work in an organic chemistry and sustainability lab studying the environmental impact of sunscreen chemicals in Arizona waterways. During my time in the Melo Lab, I investigated how mechanical forces influence spider silk peptides used in molecular tension sensors.
Zoey Mikol
Undergraduate Student
Maria Eduarda Alves Esteves
Visiting PhD Student
I have a degree in biomedicine, and I discovered my passion for computational biology because I believe it is the most exciting way to understand biological systems. Have you ever thought about how combinations of 0s and 1s can represent data and calculate complex mathematical expressions so that they can simulate molecular interactions? It may sound crazy, but I find it completely fascinating! Currently, I’m a Ph.D. candidate at the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, in Brazil, and I came to CSU to learn new ways to analyze data and apply these methodologies to better understand how certain viral proteins, from harmful pathogens, interact with each other.
Bartek Morawski
Graduate Student
I am a biotechnology masters student, with a passion for data science and understanding of mathematical algorithms. I ran protein visualization for my lab in undergrad, and now I want to focus on the dynamic aspects of in silico simulation. My goal is to look at data science problems from a first principles perspective, using my background in applied mathematics as a means of gaining mechanistic insight into the biological systems that the lab is investigating.
BS APMT-Biological Science (Texas A&M University College Station)