Medical College of Wisconsin
Medical College of Wisconsin Medical College of Wisconsin
protein structures and brain images
Biophysics
Fabrizio Marinelli, PhD

Fabrizio Marinelli, PhD

Assistant Professor

Locations

  • Biophysics
  • MFRC 3040G

Contact Information

Education

Postdoctoral Fellow, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, Department of Theoretical Molecular Biophysics, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 2009-2013
Visiting Fellow, NHLBI, NIH, Theoretical Molecular Biophysics Section, Bethesda, MD, 2013-2046
PhD in Statistical and Biological Physics, International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, Italy, 2009
MS in Chemistry, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy, 2005

Biography

I earned my PhD in statistical and biological physics from the International School for Advanced Studies in Trieste, Italy, where I developed innovative molecular simulation techniques to explore protein structure, dynamics, and function. My postdoctoral work at the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics in Frankfurt, Germany, and later at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), focused on advancing computational methods to study transport across biological membranes.

In 2016, I was appointed staff scientist at NHLBI/NIH, where I led an interdisciplinary research program aimed at understanding the mechanisms of key membrane transport proteins and developing computational approaches to integrate simulations with experimental data, such as EPR/DEER and HDX-MS. During my time at the NIH, I was also actively involved in teaching and mentoring. In July 2024, I joined the Medical College of Wisconsin as assistant professor of biophysics and data science, and have been approved for promotion to associate professor effective July 2025. I also hold an adjunct senior investigator position at the Versiti Blood Research Institute. My current research at MCW focuses on developing computational models to tackle key biological and medical problems.

Research Interests

My lab investigates how cells function at the molecular level, with a focus on membrane transport, signaling, and morphological changes. This research relies on state-of-the-art and advanced molecular simulation techniques, grounded in statistical mechanics and machine learning. A core aspect of our research is the development of novel methodologies to integrate molecular simulations with diverse experimental data sources, such as NMR, EPR, FRET, cryo-EM, and HDX-MS. Our team also pioneers enhanced sampling methods and new approaches for rationalizing simulation and experimental data. This highly interdisciplinary work often involves close collaboration with leading experimental labs. By bridging structure and dynamics, our research aims to advance our understanding of proteins and cellular membranes across both molecular and supramolecular scales, with the goal of discovering new therapies for diseases, particularly in the areas of infectious diseases, drug resistance, and cancer.

Lab Members
Emmanuel Barbosa, Postdoctoral Researcher

Marinelli_Academic Profile Content_Scheme

Publications

Publications of Fabrizio Marinelli PhD from the Faculty Collaboration Database