Welcome to the Cheung Group
(Left to right) Millad Ghane, Jacob Tinnin, Hoa Trinh, Dr. Margaret Cheung, Andrei Gasic, Fabio Zegarra, Yossi Eliaz, Jake Ezerski
Theoretical Biological Physics and Computational Materials Science
Dr. Cheung engages in theoretical and computational research in the field of biological physics. Her research mostly focuses on the molecular level of protein dynamics inside a cell. Macromolecules and cytosolic scaffolds crowd the interior of a cell. Their intriguing interactions form robust networks of smart matter that is capable of making collective decisions for cellular survival. It is our long-term research goal to understand how the fidelity of information, built from macromolecules, travels across a noisy environment in a cell. The challenge of understanding them lies in the complexity of the systems where the experimental measurements for quantitative modeling is scarce.
The Cheung group also participates in collaborative research projects that require a multidisciplinary approach at the Center for Theoretical Biological Physics at Rice University. The major effort is to develop molecular models of protein motors such as kinesin and dynein for understanding their unique gaits in transporting cargo. The other project that has started recently focuses on the molecular origin of synaptic plasticity of a dendritic spine in a neuron relating to memory and learning.
Recently, we focus on the computational design of organic photovoltaic materials for better quantum efficiency under ambient conditions. We are interested in solving scientific problems with scalable computational tools and multiphysics principles.
Several research positions for graduate students are available.