Srirupa Chakraborty
Assistant Professor,
Chemical Engineering
Assistant Professor,
Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Affiliated Faculty,
Physics
Office
- 224 Cullinane
- (617) 373-8258
Lab
- 001 Mugar
- (617) 373-3749
Research Focus
Theoretical biology and biophysics; Computational modeling and simulations; Structure-dynamics of complex bio-systems; Rational design of glycoprotein-based therapeutic strategies
About
Srirupa Chakraborty obtained a PhD in Biophysics from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2016, prior to which she had earned a B.S. in Physics from Presidency College, University of Calcutta, followed by M.S. in Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology – Guwahati (India). After a brief stint as a visiting scientist at IBM Watson Research Center where her research on cognitive learning platform design led to two patents, she has been a postdoctoral researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory. There, her work developing novel tools and techniques to bridge in silico results and experimental data through theoretical modeling was recognized with the Wiley Computers in Chemistry Outstanding Research Award by the American Chemical Society in 2020, and an award by the Consortia for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD) in 2019. Her research focus is in the interface of biology, chemistry and physics, where she uses computer-aided structural modeling and simulations of biomolecules. Her current research aims to elucidate the conformational dynamics of viral envelope glycoproteins and other densely glycosylated systems, ultimately designing knowledge-based therapeutic strategies and novel biomaterials.
Honors & Awards
- 2023 National Institutes of Health Maximizing Investigator’s Research Award (MIRA) for Early Stage Investigators
Research Overview
Theoretical biology and biophysics; Computational modeling and simulations; Structure-dynamics of complex bio-systems; Rational design of glycoprotein-based therapeutic strategies
SimBioSys Lab
The SimBioSys Lab focuses on structure-dynamics modeling of complex biosystems by looking at these through the virtual microscope. The goal of the lab is to solve biomedical problems at the molecular level both from first principles, as well as harnessing data-driven approaches. Our research is at the interface of biochemistry, physics, chemical engineering and computer science where we strive to bridge theoretical modeling, in silico results, and experimental data.
Selected Research Projects
- Modeling the mucosal glycopeptide mesh for improved disease understanding and mucin-inspired biomaterial design
- – Principal Investigator, NIH
Research Centers and Institutes
Department Research Areas
Apr 07, 2025
ChE PhD Student Featured as BPS Spotlight Student
Natesan Mani, PhD’26, chemical engineering, who works in ChE/COS Assistant Professor Srirupa Chakraborty’s lab, received a travel award to attend the Biophysical Society 2025 Annual Meeting where he presented a talk and poster. The organization also featured Mani in a student spotlight on its website.
Mar 31, 2025
ChE PhD Student Receives Travel Award at Biophysical Society 2025
Natesan Mani, PhD’26, chemical engineering, who works in ChE/COS Assistant Professor Srirupa Chakraborty’s lab, received a travel award to attend the Biophysical Society 2025 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, Calif., where he presented a talk and a poster on “Glycan-Mediated Regulation of IgG1 Fc-CD16a Interactions: Insights From All-Atom Simulations.”
Sep 25, 2024
Fall 2024 PEAK Experiences Awardees for Undergrad Research
Several COE, COS, and Khoury students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of the Fall 2024 PEAK Experiences Awards from Northeastern’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.
Jan 11, 2024
Spring 2024 PEAK Experiences Awardees for Undergrad Research
A record number of engineering and science students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of the Spring 2024 PEAK Experiences Awards from Northeastern’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.
Jan 11, 2024
Spring 2024 AJC Merit Research Scholars
Several engineering and science students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of the Spring 2024 AJC Merit Research Scholars from Northeastern’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, which funds a co-op in the laboratory of a Northeastern University STEM faculty member.
Dec 18, 2023
Using Computer Modeling To Treat Cystic Fibrosis
ChE/COS Assistant Professor Srirupa Chakraborty’s lab uses high-powered computing to develop proteins with a range of possible uses, from water purification to more effective drug treatments for a range of stubborn diseases.
Oct 20, 2023
$2M NIH R35 MIRA Award for Developing a Computer Model for Improved Disease Understanding
ChE Assistant Professor Srirupa Chakraborty has been awarded a $1.99 million NIH R35 MIRA Award for Early Stage Investigators to design and develop a computational model for making biomaterials that function like mucin, a naturally occurring substance in the human body that serves as a protective layer on tubular organs and surfaces exposed to external environment.
Oct 20, 2023
Developing a Computer Model to Deliver Gene Therapies for Cystic Fibrosis
ChE Assistant Professor Srirupa Chakraborty was awarded a $100K NIH SBIR award for “Computationally-Inspired Design of Non-Viral Gene Delivery Vehicles for mRNA-Based Cystic Fibrosis Therapies.”
Apr 27, 2023
Summer 2023 PEAK Experiences Awards for Undergrad Research
Several engineering and science students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of the Summer 2023 PEAK Experiences Awards from Northeastern’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.
Jan 03, 2022
New Faculty Spotlight: Srirupa Chakraborty
Srirupa Chakraborty joins the Chemical Engineering department in January 2022 as an Assistant Professor with a joint appointment in Chemistry and Chemical Biology.