Contact Information
Noyes Lab 150, Box 2-1, MC-712
600 South Mathews Ave
Urbana, IL 61801
Biography
Professor Pogorelov received a Diploma in Biomedical Engineering from Bauman Moscow State Technical University in 1995, an M.S. in Mathematics in 1996, and a Ph.D. in Chemical Physics in 2006 (with Zan Luthey-Schulten), both from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. From 2006 to 2009 he was a postdoctoral research associate in Chemistry Department (with Todd Martinez) and from 2009 to 2012 he was a postdoctoral research associate at the Beckman Institute (with Emad Tajkhorshid). In 2012 he was appointed a research assistant professor of Chemistry and a senior research scientist at the School of Chemical Sciences in charge of scientific computing. Since 2025 he is an assistant professor of biochemistry.
Research Description
Physical Biochemistry of Complex Cellular Environments
We are biophysicists, chemists, biologists, and computer scientists, who address pressing questions in molecular biology and physical biochemistry of the cell signaling in health and disease. We develop computational methods and workflows by combining frameworks of molecular dynamics, quantum chemistry, and molecular evolution with multi-resolution experimental data. Current emphasis is on cell signaling, protein dynamics and interactions in complex environments, and functional lipids in membrane-associated phenomena.
Awards and Honors
Scialog Fellow, Research Corporation for Science Advancement (2019-2021)
Outstanding Mentor, National Center for Supercomputing Applications (2019, 2020, 2021, 2024)
RSOCR Award, Office of Vice-Chancellor for Research, University of Illinois (2016)
Faculty Fellow, National Center for Supercomputing Applications (2014-2015)
Illinois Research Board Award, University of Illinois (2012)
Richard I. Gumport Travel Award in Biochemistry, University of Illinois (2011)
NIH NIGMS Travel Award, Workshop for Postdocs Transitioning to Independent Positions (2010)
List of Teachers Ranked Excellent by Students, University of Illinois (1998, 2004)
Commencement Speaker, Upward Bound Academy, University of Illinois (2002)
Courses Taught
Introduction to Biophysics (BIOP401)
Physical Biochemistry I & II (BIOC440/446)
Physical Chemistry I (CHEM442)
Biochemical & Physical Basis of Life (MCB354)
Additional Campus Affiliations
Affiliate Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Affiliate Assistant Professor of Chemistry
Cancer Center at Illinois
National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA)
External Links
Recent Publications
Cheng, K. J., Shastry, S., Campolargo, J. D., Hallock, M. J., & Pogorelov, T. V. (2025). Charge, Hydrophobicity, and Lipid Type Drive Antimicrobial Peptides’ Unique Perturbation Ensembles. Biochemistry, 64(7), 1484–1500. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biochem.4c00452
Samuel Russell, P. P., Rickard, M. M., Pogorelov, T. V., & Gruebele, M. (2025). Enzymes in a human cytoplasm model organize into submetabolon complexes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 122(5), Article e2414206122. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2414206122
Cheng, K. J., Shi, J., Pogorelov, T. V., & Capponi, S. (2024). Investigating the Bromoform Membrane Interactions Using Atomistic Simulations and Machine Learning: Implications for Climate Change Mitigation. Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 128(50), 12493-12506. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c04930
Samuel Russell, P. P., Maytin, A. K., Rickard, M. M., Russell, M. C., Pogorelov, T. V., & Gruebele, M. (2024). Metastable States in the Hinge-Bending Landscape of an Enzyme in an Atomistic Cytoplasm Simulation. Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 15(4), 940-946. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c03134
Scaletti, C., Russell, P. P. S., Hebel, K. J., Rickard, M. M., Boob, M., Danksagmüller, F., Taylor, S. A., Pogorelov, T. V., & Gruebele, M. (2024). Hydrogen bonding heterogeneity correlates with protein folding transition state passage time as revealed by data sonification. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(22), Article e2319094121. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2319094121