• Leading Structural Biology Group (Lead Discovery) to leverage internal capacity and efficient CROs for crystallography and CryoEM• Providing comprehensive structural biology support for several programs to guide structural biology strategy, lead discovery, and lead optimization• Leading an early-stage first-in-class program (Project Team Lead). Applying principles learned from UVa Leadership courses to enhance team efficiency and productivity through cross-functional collaboration, transparency, empowerment, regular alignment with leadership, and strategic agility

• Provided broad structural biology support for several projects to guide medchem lead optimization and advance the understanding of the mechanism of action of precision medicine oncology drugs• Delivered a robust stream of co-crystal structures to drive fast structure-based drug design cycles across several projects• Significantly enhanced internal capacity by procuring equipment and software, and by developing robust data management workflows, including data storage, transfer, and ELN integration• Identified and onboarded high-performing CROs for crystallography and CryoEM, driving a rapid expansion of efficient outsourcing• Served as an early co-PTL and later as a Lead Discovery representative in a core team

• Co-authored 35 peer-reviewed publications in the field of structural biology (1600+ citations: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=6QPLRkMAAAAJ&hl=en), including expert-opinion publications, guidelines for crystal structure refinement, and a protocol for characterizing metal-binding sites in proteins with X-ray crystallography • Crystallized and determined structures for 60+ proteins. Developed an integrative protocol for highly efficient protein crystallization (45% success rate for a set of 95 proteins) and rapid structure determination with high quality• Coordinated 5 collaborative research projects performed by 15+ participants at UVa and other institutions• Mentored 5 PhD, 2 MSc, and 7 undergraduate students. Taught and supervised protein crystallization and structure refinement (80+ structures, 25+ participants). Organized synchrotron trips• Presented 7 invited lectures on best practices in data processing, structure refinement, and structure validation at workshops and conferences. Developed and instructed two courses/tutorials on protein crystallography• Supervised structural and biophysical characterization of serum albumin as a major transporter of metals, hormones, and drugs in mammalian blood plasma, including structural characterization of serum albumin as a major transporter of dexamethasone in COVID-19 therapy. Albumin complexes with 15 FDA-approved drugs solved• Conducted evaluation and re-refinement of 160+ previously deposited structures of protein-ligand complexes (drug targets or complexes with drugs) and contributed to the public resource for expertly validated SARS-CoV-2 structures for drug discovery• Performed purification and conducted biochemical and biophysical characterization (ITC, TSA, DLS, Enzyme kinetics) of proteins from pathogens• Surveyed Mg binding sites in RNA crystal structures. Co-developed a protocol for Mg sites validation and employed a classification system available as MgRNA server

• Performed maintenance of Rigaku CrystalMation system (Minstrel HT, two Gallery 700 Incubators, Alchemist II, Phoenix RE)• Performed crystallization studies for 10 proteins, including crystallization in space

• Crystallized and determined 7 structures of formate dehydrogenase from 3 organisms• Co-investigated formate dehydrogenase mechanism of action with QM/MM and docking• Performed protein crystallization in microgravity in collaboration with JAXA (Japan). Crystals for 5 proteins grown on the International Space Station