Samiron Kumar Saha | Biophysics | Best Researcher Award 

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Samiron Kumar Saha | Biophysics | Best Researcher Award 

Pabna University of Science and Technology | Bangladesh

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Samiron Kumar Saha, Ph.D. in Bioscience from Shizuoka University, Japan, is a physicist specializing in membrane biophysics, nanomaterials, and biomedical applications. Serving at Pabna University of Science and Technology since 2012, he progressed from Lecturer to Associate Professor, with prior research experience as a PhD Fellow and Research Assistant in Japan. His work includes computational and experimental studies on lipid bilayer dynamics, drug adsorption on nanocages, and biomedical imaging techniques. Dr. Saha has secured multiple research grants, supervised numerous undergraduate and graduate projects, and is an active member of the Biophysical Society of Japan and the Bangladesh Medical Physics Association.

Author Profiles
Early Academic Pursuits

Associate Professor Dr. Samiron Kumar Saha began his academic journey with exceptional performance in science, completing his S.S.C. in 2000 with First Division and H.S.C. in 2002 with First Division from Notre Dame College, Dhaka. He went on to pursue higher education in physics, earning his B.Sc. (Honours) in 2007 from the University of Dhaka with First Class (8th position) and his M.S. (Thesis) in Physics in 2008 (held in 2010) with First Class (5th position). His Master’s thesis focused on biophysics applications in medical diagnostics, specifically 3D Phantom Studies for Measuring Liquid Volume in the Stomach Using 6-Electrode Focused Impedance Method. Dr. Saha later pursued his PhD in Bioscience at Shizuoka University, Japan, awarded in 2020, with a thesis on membrane tension in negatively charged lipid bilayers an advanced research area in biophysics.

Professional Endeavors

Dr. Saha’s professional career spans over a decade at Pabna University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh. Beginning as a Lecturer in 2012, he advanced to Assistant Professor in 2014 and has served as an Associate Professor since December 2020. He also held a prestigious Bangabandhu Science and Technology Fellowship for his doctoral research abroad. Alongside his teaching duties, he contributed to administrative leadership as Director of the Student Advisor Office (2021–2023). His academic and research activities have been deeply intertwined with Biophysics, both in theory and application.

Contributions and Research Focus

Dr. Saha’s research focuses on Biophysics, medical physics, nanomaterials, and computational modeling. His M.S. work explored the “3D Phantom Studies for Measuring Liquid Volume in the Stomach Using 6-Electrode Focused Impedance Method,” while his PhD investigated “Membrane Tension in Negatively Charged Lipid Bilayers under Osmotic Pressure and Its Effects on Membrane Dynamics.” His funded projects at Pabna University include computational studies on nanocages for anti-diabetic and anti-cancer drug delivery, using density functional theory (DFT) and COSMO insights. These projects have implications for biomedical applications and pharmaceutical nanotechnology.

Impact and Influence

Dr. Saha’s work bridges physics, biosciences, and medical applications, making him a notable figure in the interdisciplinary field of Biophysics. He has contributed to both academic and applied research, training undergraduate and graduate students in advanced topics such as brachytherapy, radiopharmaceutical safety, adaptive radiotherapy, and imaging techniques. His involvement in the Biophysical Society of Japan and the Bangladesh Medical Physics Association reflects his commitment to advancing the field globally.

Academic Cites

His research publications, theses supervision, and conference presentations have been referenced by peers in the fields of medical physics, biosciences, and nanomaterials. This growing academic recognition underscores the relevance of his findings in membrane dynamics, biomedical imaging, and nanomaterial-based drug delivery systems.

Legacy and Future Contributions

Dr. Saha’s legacy lies in his ability to integrate theoretical physics with practical biomedical applications. His continued research is expected to further advance nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems and membrane biophysics. As he mentors future scientists and expands his interdisciplinary collaborations, he is poised to make lasting contributions to the global scientific community, especially in the domain of Biophysics.

Notable Publications

The role of membrane tension in the action of antimicrobial peptides and cell-penetrating peptides in biomembranes

Authors: M. Hasan, M.M.R. Moghal, S.K. Saha, M. Yamazaki
Journal: Biophysical Reviews
Year: 2019
Citations: 51

Role of membrane potential on entry of cell-penetrating peptide transportan 10 into single vesicles

Authors: M.M.R. Moghal, M.Z. Islam, F. Hossain, S.K. Saha, M. Yamazaki
Journal: Biophysical Journal
Year: 2020
Citations: 49

Membrane tension in negatively charged lipid bilayers in a buffer under osmotic pressure

Authors: S.K. Saha, S.U. Alam Shibly, M. Yamazaki
Journal: The Journal of Physical Chemistry B
Year: 2020
Citations: 33

Effect of osmotic pressure on pore formation in lipid bilayers by the antimicrobial peptide magainin 2

Authors: M.M. Billah, S.K. Saha, M.M.O. Rashid, F. Hossain, M. Yamazaki
Journal: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics
Year: 2022
Citations: 28

Effect of membrane tension on transbilayer movement of lipids

Authors: M. Hasan, S.K. Saha, M. Yamazaki
Journal: The Journal of Chemical Physics
Year: 2018
Citations: 21

Effect of transmembrane asymmetric distribution of lipids and peptides on lipid bilayers

Authors: V. Levadnyy, M. Hasan, S.K. Saha, M. Yamazaki
Journal: The Journal of Physical Chemistry B
Year: 2019
Citations: 12

Conclusion

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Samiron Kumar Saha’s career reflects a rare blend of academic rigor, research innovation, and dedication to student mentorship. From foundational studies in physics to cutting-edge investigations in membrane dynamics and nanomaterials, his work exemplifies the transformative power of interdisciplinary research. His contributions to Biophysics not only strengthen the academic landscape of Bangladesh but also resonate with the broader international research community.

Shu-ou Shan – Biochemistry – Best Researcher Award 

Prof. Shu-ou Shan - Biochemistry - Best Researcher Award 

California Institute of Technology - United States 

Author Profile

Scopus

Orcid

🎓 Early Academic Pursuits

Prof. Shu-ou Shan embarked on her academic journey at the University of Maryland, where she earned a B.S. in Chemistry and Biochemistry from 1991 to 1994. Her early research under Dr. R. N. Armstrong focused on substrate specificity in Glutathione-S-Transferase. She then pursued her Ph.D. at Stanford University (1994-2000) under Dr. Daniel Herschlag, exploring the energetics of hydrogen bonds and the role of metal ions in RNA enzyme catalysis. These formative years laid the foundation for her pioneering work in Biochemistry.

💼 Professional Endeavors

After earning her doctorate, Prof. Shan engaged in postdoctoral research (2000-2005) with Dr. Peter Walter at U.C. San Francisco, investigating the mechanism of Signal Recognition Particle (SRP)-dependent protein transport. She transitioned into academia as an Assistant Professor at the California Institute of Technology (2005-2011) and was later promoted to full Professor in 2011. Her leadership was further recognized when she was appointed Executive Officer of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (BMB) program at Caltech in 2015.

🔬 Contributions and Research Focus

Prof. Shan has made groundbreaking contributions to Biochemistry, particularly in protein biogenesis and homeostasis. Her research integrates quantitative biochemistry, structural biology, and molecular cell biology to elucidate the mechanisms of protein targeting, translocation, and modification. She has provided high-resolution molecular models for the SRP pathway, studied molecular chaperones, and discovered novel mechanisms in membrane protein biogenesis. Her work has advanced understanding of nascent protein modification enzymes and the biogenesis of aggregation-prone proteins.

🌍 Impact and Influence

Prof. Shan’s research has transformed the field of Biochemistry by uncovering how conformational changes in targeting machines drive the localization of proteins. Her discoveries related to the GET pathway and chaperone-mediated protein assembly have broad implications for understanding cellular homeostasis and proteostasis. Additionally, her work has provided new paradigms for molecular chaperone function and protein quality control, influencing researchers worldwide.

🏆Academic Cites

Prof. Shan has an extensive publication record, with her research being cited in high-impact journals, including Nature, Science, and Cell. Her contributions have been widely recognized, and she has served as an invited reviewer for prestigious journals such as Nature Communications, Journal of Cell Biology, and Molecular Biology of the Cell. She has also been a board member of various scientific publications and editorial advisory boards, shaping the direction of future research.

🌟 Legacy and Future Contributions

Prof. Shan’s legacy in Biochemistry extends beyond her research. She has mentored numerous graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, fostering the next generation of scientists. She has also played a vital role in academic service, founding the Biochemistry undergraduate track and the Chemical Biology & Molecular Biophysics graduate track at Caltech. Her recent honors, including the 2024 National Academy of Science Award in Molecular Biology, underscore her lasting influence. Moving forward, her research will continue to shape the understanding of protein biogenesis, with potential applications in biotechnology and medicine.

📝Notable Publication


📝Channel Gating in a Post-Translational Protein Translocase

Author: Shan, Shuou

Journal: Biochemistry

Year: 2024

Citations: 0


📝Dynamic Stability of Sgt2 Enables Selective and Privileged Client Handover in a Chaperone Triad 

Authors: Cho, Hyunju; Liu, Yumeng; Chung, Sangyoon; Weiss, Shimon; Shan, Shuou

Journal: Nature Communications

Year: 2024

Citations: 2


📝NAC Guides a Ribosomal Multienzyme Complex for Nascent Protein Processing

Authors: Lentzsch, Alfred M.; Yudin, Denis; Gamerdinger, Martin; Ban, Nenad; Shan, Shuou

Journal: Nature

Year: 2024

Citations: 3


📝An Ankyrin Repeat Chaperone Targets Toxic Oligomers During Amyloidogenesis

Authors: Gupta, Arpit; Lu, Chuqi; Wang, Feng; Chou, Tsuifen; Shan, Shuou

Journal: Protein Science

Year: 2023

Citations: 1


📝Dodecamer Assembly of a Metazoan AAA+ Chaperone Couples Substrate Extraction to Refolding 

Authors: Gupta, Arpit; Lentzsch, Alfred M.; Siegel, Alex R.; Cheng, Yifan; Shan, Shuou

Journal: Science Advances

Year: 2023

Citations: 4


📝Role of Hsp70 in Post-Translational Protein Targeting: Tail-Anchored Membrane Proteins and Beyond 

Author: Shan, Shuou

Journal: International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Year: 2023

Citations: 4