David D. Thomas
William F. Dietrich Professor of Structural Biology
Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics Department
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-625-0957 (Office), 624-0632 (Fax)
E-mail: David.Thomas@PhotonicPharma.com
http://ddt.umn.edu/PI.html
Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics Department
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-625-0957 (Office), 624-0632 (Fax)
E-mail: David.Thomas@PhotonicPharma.com
http://ddt.umn.edu/PI.html
Education
1971 B.S. Stanford University - Physics
1975 Ph.D. Stanford University (H. McConnell) - Biophysics
Post Graduate Education
1976 - 1977 Postdoctoral Fellow BBRI, Harvard Medical School (J. Gergely)
1977 - 1979 Postdoctoral Fellow Stanford University (L. Stryer)
1971 B.S. Stanford University - Physics
1975 Ph.D. Stanford University (H. McConnell) - Biophysics
Post Graduate Education
1976 - 1977 Postdoctoral Fellow BBRI, Harvard Medical School (J. Gergely)
1977 - 1979 Postdoctoral Fellow Stanford University (L. Stryer)
Academic Appointments
1979 - 1983 Assistant Professor University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry
1983 - 1987 Assistant Professor University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry
1987 - Present Professor University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry
1995 - 1998 Associate Dept. Head University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry
1998 - Present Head, Division of Structural Biology & Biophysics
2004 - Present William F. Dietrich Professor
1979 - 1983 Assistant Professor University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry
1983 - 1987 Assistant Professor University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry
1987 - Present Professor University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry
1995 - 1998 Associate Dept. Head University of Minnesota, Department of Biochemistry
1998 - Present Head, Division of Structural Biology & Biophysics
2004 - Present William F. Dietrich Professor
Professional Affiliations
1976 - Present Biophysical Society
1981 - Present American Heart Association Council
1982 - Present American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
1976 - Present Biophysical Society
1981 - Present American Heart Association Council
1982 - Present American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
National Professional Responsibilities
1983 - Present Editorial Board, Biophysical Journal
1984 - 1986 Chair, Contractility Subgroup, Biophysical Committee
1984 - 1992 American Heart Association Research Committee
1984 - Present NIH Study Section (BBCB) and Site Visits
1985 - 1998 Associate Editor, Biophysical Journal
1989 - 1993 Council, Biophysical Society
1989 - 1994 Organizer, FASEB Conference on Cell Membranes
1992 - 1994 NSF Advisory Panel, Biophysics Program
1996 - 1997 NSF Biological Instrumentation Panel
1997 Organizer, US/Japan Symposium on Actin, Maui
2011 Chair, Gordon Conference on Muscle
1983 - Present Editorial Board, Biophysical Journal
1984 - 1986 Chair, Contractility Subgroup, Biophysical Committee
1984 - 1992 American Heart Association Research Committee
1984 - Present NIH Study Section (BBCB) and Site Visits
1985 - 1998 Associate Editor, Biophysical Journal
1989 - 1993 Council, Biophysical Society
1989 - 1994 Organizer, FASEB Conference on Cell Membranes
1992 - 1994 NSF Advisory Panel, Biophysics Program
1996 - 1997 NSF Biological Instrumentation Panel
1997 Organizer, US/Japan Symposium on Actin, Maui
2011 Chair, Gordon Conference on Muscle
Honors & Awards
1967 - 1971 Alfred P. Sloane Scholarship
1968 Outstanding Freshman Award, Stanford University
1971 Outstanding Student-Athlete Award, PAC 8
1971 NCAA All American, Wrestling
1971 - 1973 NSF Predoctoral Fellowship
1974 Kent Fellowship, Danforth Foundation
1975 Josephine de Karman Fellowship
1976 - 1977 Muscular Dystrophy Association Postdoctoral Fellowship
1977 - 1979 Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Fellowship
1981 - 1982 NIH Research Career Development Award
1982 - 1987 Established Investigator, American Heart Association
1987 Visiting Professor, Osaka University, Japan
1993 - Present NIH MERIT Award
2000 All-University Teaching Award
2004 William F. Dietrich Professor
2005 Fellow of the Biophysical Society
2011 NIH Director's Pioneer Award Finalist
2011 - 2021 NIH MERIT Award, NIA
2013 Academy for Excellence in Health Research, UMN
2014 Outstanding Mentor of Postdoctoral Associates, UMN
1967 - 1971 Alfred P. Sloane Scholarship
1968 Outstanding Freshman Award, Stanford University
1971 Outstanding Student-Athlete Award, PAC 8
1971 NCAA All American, Wrestling
1971 - 1973 NSF Predoctoral Fellowship
1974 Kent Fellowship, Danforth Foundation
1975 Josephine de Karman Fellowship
1976 - 1977 Muscular Dystrophy Association Postdoctoral Fellowship
1977 - 1979 Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Fellowship
1981 - 1982 NIH Research Career Development Award
1982 - 1987 Established Investigator, American Heart Association
1987 Visiting Professor, Osaka University, Japan
1993 - Present NIH MERIT Award
2000 All-University Teaching Award
2004 William F. Dietrich Professor
2005 Fellow of the Biophysical Society
2011 NIH Director's Pioneer Award Finalist
2011 - 2021 NIH MERIT Award, NIA
2013 Academy for Excellence in Health Research, UMN
2014 Outstanding Mentor of Postdoctoral Associates, UMN
Physical Facilities
Office 5-124 Nils Hasselmo Hall (NHH)
Wet Laboratory 5th Floor NHH
Spectroscopy Lab 1st Floor NHH
Office 5-124 Nils Hasselmo Hall (NHH)
Wet Laboratory 5th Floor NHH
Spectroscopy Lab 1st Floor NHH
Current University of Minnesota Committees
Biophysical Spectroscopy Center, Director
NIH Minnesota Muscle Training Grant, Director
Biophysical Spectroscopy Center, Director
NIH Minnesota Muscle Training Grant, Director
Supervision of Research Students and Postdocs:
Current: 8 B.S., 1 M.S., 9 Ph.D., 1 M.D., 3 Postdoc
Total (1980 - Present): 49 B.S., 9 M.S., 42 Ph.D., 10 M.D., 28 Postdoc
Current: 8 B.S., 1 M.S., 9 Ph.D., 1 M.D., 3 Postdoc
Total (1980 - Present): 49 B.S., 9 M.S., 42 Ph.D., 10 M.D., 28 Postdoc
Current Teaching
BIOC/PHSL/BMEN 5444 Muscle (Spring)
BIOC 5528 Spectroscopy and Kinetics (Spring)
BIOC/PHSL/BMEN 5444 Muscle (Spring)
BIOC 5528 Spectroscopy and Kinetics (Spring)
Patents
U.S. patent 8,431,356: Fluorescence resonance energy transfer assays for sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase and phospholamban. Inventors: David D. Thomas, Razvan L. Cornea, and Krisztina M. Zsebo.
Patents Pending
U.S. patent application no. 14/565,811: FRET-based high-throughput screening methods to discover modulators of RyR calcium channels (other inventors Donald Bers, David Thomas, Gregory Gillispie). Filed Dec.10, 2014.
U.S. patent application no. 14/598,707: High-throughput, high-precision methods for detecting protein structural changes in living cells (other inventors, David Thomas, Simon Gruber, Gregory Gillispie, Seth Robia). Filed Jan. 16, 2015.
U.S. patent 8,431,356: Fluorescence resonance energy transfer assays for sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase and phospholamban. Inventors: David D. Thomas, Razvan L. Cornea, and Krisztina M. Zsebo.
Patents Pending
U.S. patent application no. 14/565,811: FRET-based high-throughput screening methods to discover modulators of RyR calcium channels (other inventors Donald Bers, David Thomas, Gregory Gillispie). Filed Dec.10, 2014.
U.S. patent application no. 14/598,707: High-throughput, high-precision methods for detecting protein structural changes in living cells (other inventors, David Thomas, Simon Gruber, Gregory Gillispie, Seth Robia). Filed Jan. 16, 2015.