Nicholas Levinson
,
Credentials
PhD

Associate Professor
Faculty, MS and PhD Programs in Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics (MPaT)
Faculty, PhD Program in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics (BMBB)
Biography

Bio

Dr. Levinson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and a member of the Masonic Cancer Center's Genetic Mechanisms Program. Dr. Levinson received his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Biochemistry from Cambridge University, and his PhD degree from the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied the structural basis of protein kinase function. After postdoctoral training at Stanford University in the Department of Chemistry, he joined the University of Minnesota as an Assistant Professor in 2014.

Research Summary

The Levinson Lab studies the structural and dynamic basis for protein kinase function. We use a diversified range of methods spanning crystallography, magnetic resonance, and ultrafast spectroscopy to dissect the role of kinase conformational dynamics in catalytic function and drug targeting. Our work has revealed the existence of dynamic water networks in kinase active sites that are important for catalytic function, and shown that large-scale conformational changes play a critical role in selective recognition of kinase inhibitor drugs. We have also shown that kinase engagement with different regulatory partners modulates these dynamic effects to alter inhibitor recognition. We aim to leverage these approaches and insights for the design of next-generation cancer therapeutics that modulate kinase allosteric functions by tuning conformational dynamics.

Contact

Contact

Address

3-121 Nils Hasselmo Hall
312 Church Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455-0215