Biochemist to serve on the NIH Molecular Structure and Function A Study Section

May 31, 2016 --

Pablo Sobrado, an associate professor of biochemistry in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has been appointed to the National Institutes of Health Center for Scientific Review.

He will serve as a member of the Molecular Structure and Function A Study Section, which focuses on the structure-function relationships of enzymes and their complexes, catalysis and regulation, and drug development.

Beginning July 1, Sobrado will review grant applications submitted to the NIH and make recommendations to the appropriate national board or council. His appointment will last four years.

Sobrado was invited to participate based on his competence and achievement in the field of biochemistry, publications, and honors, according to Richard Nakamura, director of the Center for Scientific Review at NIH, in his invitation letter.

Sobrado’s research focuses on determining the chemical mechanisms, 3D-structure, and identification of inhibitors of enzymes that contribute to disease in Aspergillus fumigatus, Trypanosoma cruzi, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. He is affiliated with the Fralin Life Science Institute and the Virginia Tech Center for Drug Discovery.

“This is a great honor and responsibility as the study section, in collaboration with mail reviewers, selects the research programs that will receive federal funding,” said Sobrado. “Since I’ll be reviewing a variety of innovative and significant research projects, I know I will learn a lot from other great scientists.”