Department of Chemistry and Medical Scientist Training Program
Luka Pocivavsek
Department of Chemistry and Medical Scientist Training Program,
The University of Chicago, 929 E. 57th St. GCIS ESB 31, Chicago, IL, 60637
Tel: 1-864-706-8258
e-mail:
I. Personal:
DOB – 2/5/1981 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Citizenship: Slovenia
II. Education:
- B. Sc. Chemistry with American Chemical Society Certification
Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 2001 – Magna Cum Laude
- B.A. History
Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 2001 – Magna Cum Laude
- M. Sc. Chemistry
University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 2005
- Ph.D. Chemistry
University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 2009
- M.D. projected for June 2011.
University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois (completed first two years of medical school in 2003-2005 before taking a leave of absence from Pritzker to complete my Ph.D., currently I am doing my 3rd year clinical, expected M.D. degree in June 2011.)
III. Research Experience:
A. Undergraduate Research Assistant (Duke University) 1998-2001:
- Department of Chemistry
Advisor: Prof. Eric J. Toone –
Undergraduate Honors Thesis in Chemistry: Development of a Bacterial Selection Method for Mutants of 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate Aldolase
- Department of History
Advisor: Prof. Caludia Koonz -
Undergraduate Honors Thesis in History: Gracanica’s Path to War: Extremism vs. Normality (available in book format from the Duke University Library 904 D877, 2001-PO c.1)
B. Research Assistant, Surgical Oncology Research Facility, Duke University Medical Center 2001-2003
Research Project: Role of HIV Membrane Protein gp41 in Viral Fusion
Advisor: Dr. Celia C. LaBranche
C. Graduate Research Assistant (University of Chicago) 2003-2008
Department of Chemistry
Advisor: Prof. Ka Yee C. Lee –
Ph.D. Thesis in Chemistry: Mechanical and Thermodynamic Focusing at Membrane Interfaces (successfully defended on December 8th, 2008)
D. Graduate Research Intern, National Science Foundation Chicago-Chile Materials Collaboration 2005 and 2009
Research Project: Membrane Stability at Lung and Artery Interfaces
Advisors: Prof. Thomas Witten at University of Chicago - and Prof. Enrique Cerda at Universidad de Santiago de Chile -
IV. Awards and Scholarships:
Undergraduate:
Duke University Center for International Studies Research Grant
CRC Press LLC Freshman Chemistry Achievement Award
Kenneth Gordon Fellowship for Advanced Independent Study in Chemistry
Graduation with Distinction in History – Duke University 2001
Graduation with Distinction in Chemistry – Duke University 2001
Graduate:
Medical Scientist Training Program Scholarship – This scholarship pays in full for my tuition to both the Pritzker School of Medicine and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Chicago in pursuit of my M.D. and Ph.D. degrees. It also provides an annual living stipend. In total, the scholarship amount is on the order of $700,000 for the eight years of my training at the University of Chicago.
National Science Foundation (NSF) Chicago-Chile Materials Collaboration Internship – This scholarship provides funding for the collaborative work with Prof. Enrique Cerda at Universidad de Santiago de Chile – $7,000 total thus far.
Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research in Materials (CIMAT – Chile) - $3000 award from Chilean funding agency to further collaboration with Prof. Enrique Cerda.
V. Peer Reviewed Publications:
1. L. Pocivavsek, R. Dellsy, A. Kern, S. Johnson, B. Lin, KYC Lee, and E. Cerda, Stress and Fold Localization in Thin Elastic Membranes, Science, 320, 912 (2008). (cited 17 times)
2. L. Pocivavsek, S.L. Frey, K. Krishan, K. Gavrilov, P. Ruchala, A.J. Waring, F.J. Walther, M. Dennin, T.A. Witten, and KYC Lee, Lateral stress relaxation and collapse in lipid monolayers, Soft Matter, 4, 2019-2029 (2008). (cited 3 times)
3. L. Pocivavsek, B. Leahy, N. Holten-Andersen, B. Lin, KYC Lee, and E. Cerda, Geometric tools for complex interfaces: from lung surfactant to the mussel byssus, Soft Matter, 5, 1963-1968 (2009).
4. L.V. Buchanan, N. Mehta, L. Pocivavsek, S. Niranjanakumari, E.J. Toone, and J.H. Naismith, Initiating a structural study of 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate aldolase from Escherichia coli, Acta Cryst. D, 55, 1946 (1999). (cited 3 times)
5. N. Wymer, L.V. Buchanan, D. Henderson, N. Mehta, C.H. Botting, L. Pocivavsek, C.A. Fierke, E.J. Toone, and J.H. Naismith, Directed evolution of a new catalytic site in 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate aldolase from Escherichia coli, Structure, 9, 1 (2001). (cited 34 times)
6. J.S. Griffiths, M. Cheriyan, J.B. Corbell, L. Pocivavsek, C.A. Fierke, and E.J. Toone, A bacterial selection for the directed evolution of pyruvate aldolases, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, 12, 4067 (2004). (cited 16 times)
VI. Invited Talks:
1. L. Pocivavsek, “Wrinkling to Folding Transition in Thin Elastic Sheets”, 11th International Workshop on Instabilities and Nonequilibrium Structures, Vina Del Mar, Chile, December 2007.
2. L. Pocivavsek, “Beyond Wrinkles: Stress and Fold Localization in Thin Elastic Membranes”, Recent Advances in Soft Complex Materials Using Neutron Scattering, American Physical Society March Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, March 2008.
3. L. Pocivavsek, B. Lin, J. Majewski, KYC Lee, “Phase Separation of Water/Glycerol Binary Mixtures Next to Lipid Monolayers: An X-ray and Neutron Reflectivity Study”, Los Alamos User Group Meeting (LUG), Santa Fe, New Mexico, Sept. 30, 2009.
VII. Submitted Talks/Posters:
1. L. Pocivavsek, S. Frey, J. Kurutz, K. Krishan, A. Waring, KYC Lee, “Lipid Monolayer Response to Lateral Stress – The Role of Lung Surfactant Protein B”, Biophysical Society Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, January 2006.
2. L. Pocivavsek, S. Frey, E. Chi, KYC Lee, “Lung Surfactant Collapse on Viscous Subphases”, Biophysical Society Meeting, Baltimore, Maryland, January 2007.
3. K. Krishan, L. Pocivavsek, S. Frey, H. Diamant, , KYC Lee, M. Dennin, “Role of Compression Geometry on Monolayer Structure”, Biophysical Society Meeting, Baltimore, Maryland, January 2007.
4. L. Pocivavsek, E. Cerda, KYC Lee, “Modulating Stress Relaxation in Lipid Monolayers: Effects of Surface Composition and Subphase Viscosity”, American Chemical Society Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, March 2007.
5. L. Pocivavsek, B. Lin, E. Cerda, KYC Lee, “Wrinkles/Folds and the Role of Interfacial Thermodynamics”, American Physical Society March Meeting, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, March 16-20, 2009.
6. L. Pocivavsek, B. Lin, J. Majewski, KYC Lee, “Phase Separation of Water/Glycerol Binary Mixtures Next to Lipid Monolayers: An X-ray and Neutron Reflectivity Study”, American Physical Society March Meeting, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, March 16-20, 2009.
VIII. Professional Certifications:
United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 1 – passed 2005
IX. Professional Organizations:
American Physical Society
Biophysical Society
American Chemical Society
X. Languages
English, Slovenian, Croatian, Serbian, French