Erik Martin

Erik did his Ph.D. work in biophysics and physical chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. His work there focused on the light reactions in photosynthesis, specifically, the impact of protein scaffolding on electron transfer rates. Desiring to apply physical principles to dynamic biological systems, Erik moved on to do his postdoc work with Dr. Tanja Mittag at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Here he focused on the conformations and dynamics of disordered proteins and how these are linked to biomolecular condensates. At St. Jude, Erik helped pioneer experimental methodologies for studying biomolecular condensates, focusing on inferring properties of condensates from simplified systems and isolated molecules.

In addition to working on biomolecular organization and phase separation, Erik tries to spend as much of his time outdoors as possible running on trails throughout the world, camping, and exploring.