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Department of Chemical Engineering |
phone: (713) 743-4315 (4300) |
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University of Houston |
fax: (713) 743-4323 |
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4800 Calhoun Ave. |
e-mail: vekilov@uh.edu |
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Houston, Texas 77204-4004, USA |
web: http://www.chee.uh.edu/faculty/vekilov/ |
Education
1991 Ph.D., Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Crystallography, Moscow, Russia
Dissertation title: Elementary processes of growth of the (101) face of ADP crystals
Advisor: Alexander A. Chernov
1985 M.S. Summa Cum Laude, Chemistry, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow University, Moscow, Russia
Valedictorian, School of Chemistry (class of 180 students)
Employment and Affiliations
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2001–present |
Associate Professor |
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Houston |
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2002–present |
Faculty Member |
Keck Center for Computational Biology, Rice Univ., Houston |
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2002–present |
Fellow |
Institute of Physical Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences |
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2003–present |
Member |
Institute of Molecular Design, University of Houston |
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2000 |
Visiting Professor |
Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan |
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1998–2001 |
Assistant Professor |
Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama in Huntsville |
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1997–98 |
Research Scientist |
Center for Microgravity and Materials Research, UAH |
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1993–96 |
Research Associate |
Center for Microgravity and Materials Research, UAH |
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1992 |
Post-doctoral Fellow |
Natnl. Inst. Bioscience & Human Technology, Tsukuba, Japan |
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1991–92 |
Researcher |
Institute of Physical Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria |
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1987–91 |
Research Assistant |
Institute of Crystallography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia |
Memberships
American Chemical Society
American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Biophysical Society
Materials Research Society
American Association for Crystal Growth
International Organization for Biological Crystallization
American Association for the Advancement of Science
Honors and Awards
· DuPont Research Award, Dupont Chemical Company, 2002
· 2001 UAH Foundation Research and Creative Achievement Award
· International Union of Crystallography Young Scientist Award, Sixth International Conference on Crystallization of Biological Macromolecules, Hiroshima, Japan, 1995
· Research Award by the International Human Frontiers Science Program, 1993 (declined)
· Research Award by the Science and Technology Agency, Government of Japan, 1992
· First Prize, Annual Research Session, Institute of Crystallography, Russian Acad. Sci., 1990
· Shubnikov Prize of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 1986
· Gold Medal, Ministry of Higher Education of the USSR, 1984
· Diploma, Twelfth International Chemical Olympiad, Linz, Austria, 1980
Service to the Scientific Community
· Vice-Chair, Gordon Conference on Thin Film and Crystal Growth Mechanisms, 2005
· Executive Committee Member, American Crystal Growth Association—West, 2005 –
· Executive Council Member, International Organization for Biological Crystallization, 2004 –
· Member, U.S. National Committee for Crystallography, 2003 –
· Topic Editor, Crystal Growth and Design, 2002 –
· Session Chair, Vth STRANSKI-KAISCHEW Surface Science Workshop, Pamporovo, Bulgaria, February 19-25, 2005
· Session Chair, 14th International Conference on Crystal Growth, Grenoble, France, August 8-14, 2004
· Lead Organizer, Symposium Q: Nucleation—dynamics and structures, 2004 Spring MRS Meeting, San Francisco, California, April 11-16, 2004
· Member, Program Committee, 15th American Conference on Crystal Growth and Epitaxy, Keystone, Colorado, July 20-25, 2003
· Session Organizer, Biological Crystallization, 15th American Conference on Crystal Growth and Epitaxy, Keystone, Colorado, July 20-25, 2003
· Member, Program Committee, 19th Conference on Crystal Growth and Epitaxy, Stanford Sierra Camp, Fallen Leaf Lake, California, June, 2002
· Session Organizer, 2002 American Crystallographic Association Meeting, San Antonio, TX, May, 2002
· Session Chair, International Meeting Particles 2002, Orlando, Florida, April, 2002
· Organizer, Symposium N: Biological and Biomimetic Materials - Properties to Function, 2002 Spring Materials Research Society Meeting, San Francisco, CA, April, 2002
· Session Chair, 2002 Spring Materials Research Society Meeting, San Francisco, CA, April, 2002
· Member, Program Committee, Ninth International Conference on Crystallization of Biological Macromolecules (ICCBM-9), Jena, Germany, March 2002
· Session Chair, ICCBM-9, Jena, Germany, March 2002
· Session Chair, 13th International Conference on Crystal Growth, Kyoto, Japan, July 30 – August 4, 2001
· Discussion Leader, Protein Crystals, Gordon Conference on Gravitational Effects in Physicochemical Systems, Colby Sawyer College, New London, New Hampshire, USA, 2001
· Lead Organizer, Symposium R: Morphology and Dynamics of Crystal Surfaces in Molecular and Colloid Systems, 2001 Spring Materials Research Society Meeting, San Francisco, CA, April, 2001
· Session Chair, 2001 MRS Spring Meeting, San Francisco, CA, April 2001.
· Editorial Board, 8-th International Conference on Crystallization of Biological Macromolecules (ICCBM-8) Sandestin, Florida, May 2000.
· Member, Program Committee, ICCBM - 8, Sandestin, Florida, May 2000.
· Session Chair, ICCBM - 8, Sandestin, Florida, May 2000.
· Session Chair, 2000 Materials Research Society (MRS) Spring Meeting, San Francisco, California, April, 2000
· Tutorial Instructor, 2000 MRS Spring Meeting, San Francisco, California, April, 2000
· Member, Program Committee, 11 American Conference on Crystal Growth and Epitaxy (ACCGE-11), Tucson, AZ, 1999
· Session Chair, Protein Crystal Growth, ACCGE-11, Tucson, AZ, 1999
· Discussion Leader, Protein Crystal Growth, Gordon Conference on Gravitational Effects in Physicochemical Systems, Henniker, New Hampshire, USA, 1999
· Discussion Leader, Atomic and Molecular Processes at Surfaces, Gordon Conference on Thin Films and Crystal Growth Mechanisms, Plymouth, New Hampshire, USA, 1999
· Member, Program Committee, 1999 American Crystallographic Association (ACA) Meeting, Buffalo, NY, 1999.
· Organizer, group of sessions of protein crystallization, 1999 ACA, Buffalo, NY, 1999
· Session Chair, International Workshop on Protein Crystallization, Fukuyama, Japan, 1995
· Councilor, General Assembly of the International Organization for Crystal Growth, 1992-95
Publicity
“UH finds own niche in health” Houston Chronicle, Jan. 28, 2005, P. B1
The Slavi Trifovov Show, bTV, Sofia, July 7, 2004
“Using powers of physics to unlock biology's secrets” Dallas Morning News, August 04, 2003, p. E1
Time Warner 24 Hours News TV Channel, June 29, 2003
“Perfect Insulin Crystals”, Physics News Update, 636 #2, May 7, 2003
“Could UAH become the MIT of the south” The Huntsville Times, March 9, 2003, P. A1
“Columbia goes deeper for ex-UAH prof” The Huntsville Times, February 9, 2003, P. A15
“Star UAH professor departs tired of education civil war” The Huntsville Times, June 10, 2001, P. A1
“Scientists Take First Pictures of Molecules Forming Crystals Nucleus” Technology Valley, Feb. 2001, p.16
“Crystal growth starts flat”, http://www.lahaaland.com/science/physics/physics255.html
“Observing the Crystallization Process” About: Composite Materials, August 2000
“First look at a crystal's "embryo"—flat, not round”, naturalSCIENCE, News, August 3, 2000
“First Images Of Crystal Nucleation Are Unexpected”, http://unisci.com/stories/20003/0803004.htm
“Caught on Film: Nucleating Crystals Make Their Debut”, Microgravity News, vol. 7, No.3, Fall 2000, p.11
“Research Hopes Grow with Crystal Discovery”, The Jackson Citizen-Patriot, August 16, 2000, p. B1
“Crystal Discovery Could Lead to Sickle Cell Cure”, Seattle Times, August 12, 2000, p. A6
“UAH Breaks Crystals’ Code”, The Huntsville Times, August 9, 2000, p. A1
“Crystal Reveals Unexpected Beginnings”, Science News, August 5, 2000, p. 84
“Catching Crystals at Birth”, Nature, vol. 406, August 3, 2000, p. 464
“Protein Crystallization at NASA: Well Grounded”, Science August 6, 1999; 285: 835
Peer Review
· Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA
· Journal of the American Chemical Society
· Journal of Physical Chemistry
· Langmuir
· Crystal Growth and Design
· Physical Review Letters
· Physical Review E
· Biophysical Journal
· Protein Science
· Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
· Colloids and Surfaces
· Chemical Physics
· Surface Science Letters
· Surface Science
· Acta Crystallographica Section D
· Journal of Crystal Growth
· Chemical Engineering Science
· Advances in Space Research
· National Science Foundation
· National Institute for Standards and Technology
· American Chemical Society – Petroleum Research Fund
· NASA/STAC program
· US Civilian Research and Development Foundation
· Canadian Space Agency
University Service
At the University of Houston
2003 Lidia Rodriguez Fernandez, PhD Dissertation Committee, Technical University of Munich
2003 Xinxia Deng, PhD Dissertation Committee
2002 Emanuelle Croze, Master’s Thesis Committee
2002 Charles H. Campbel, Honors Thesis Committee
At the University of Alabama in Huntsville
2001 Search Committee, Director of the Center for Microgravity and Materials Research
2001 Science Olympiad, UAH, Lead Organizer of Chemistry Events
2000 Alabama Science and Engineering Fair, Judge
1999 Day of Discovery, Presenter
1999–2001 University of Alabama Tri-Campus Material Science Committee Member
1999, 2000 High-school Chemistry Olympiad, Organizer
1999 Chemistry / Materials Science seminar, CH 780
1998–2001 Graduate Council Member
Teaching
At the University of Houston
2004-05 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics II, CHE3333 Evaluation 2.84 (Dept. Aver. 3.06)
Bio-physical Chemistry, CHEE3466
2003–04 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics II, CHE3333, Evaluation 3.47 (Dept. Aver. 3.15)
Bio-physical Chemistry, CHEE3466, Evaluation 3.15 (Dept. Aver. 3.17)
2002–03 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics II, CHE3333, Evaluation 2.98 (Dept. Aver. 3.06)
Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics II, CHE3333, Evaluation 3.60 (Dept. Aver. 3.13)
Bio-physical Chemistry, CHEE3466, Evaluation 2.86 (Dept. Aver. 3.13)
2001–02 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics II, CHE3333, Evaluation 3.31 (Dept. Aver. 2.97)
Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics II, CHE3333, Evaluation 3.08 (Dept. Aver. 2.87)
At the University of Alabama in Huntsville
2000–01 Nucleation and Crystal Growth Mechanisms, MTS 701, SIE Score: 75 %
Biophysical Chemistry II, CH348, SIE Score: 88 %
1999–00 Biophysical Chemistry I, CH347, SIE Score: 89.5 %
Biophysical Chemistry II, CH348, SIE Score: 88 %
1998–99 Quantitative
Analysis, CH 223, SIE Score: 89 %
Introduction to Chemistry, CH 101; SIE Score: 82 %
1993 Growth Kinetics and Morphology Concepts, MTS 604
Masters Theses Advised
Dimitra Georgiou, Why Do Protein Crystals Grow Slowly? AFM Studies of Crystallization, July 2003
Luis Filobelo, Fundamental aspects of the nucleation of protein crystals, August, 2003
Honors Theses Advised
Michael Rauschhuber, Phase behavior of proteins in non-aqueous solvents, April 2004
Lisa Bergeron, Thermodynamics of the hydrophobicity in crystallization of insulin, April 2003
Undergraduate Research Assistants
At the University of Houston
2004– Ngoc Pham: determination of the viscosity in protein solutions
2003–2004 Michael Rauschhuber: proteins in non-aqueous solvents
2003 Tony Navaro: Mechanical properties of crystals grown in silica gels
2002–2003 Lisa Bergeron: solubility and crystallization of insulin; fibril formation
At the University of Alabama in Huntsville
2000–2001 Sean Bohannon: interferometric setup for studies of the dynamics of step pattern formation
2000–2001 Boris J. Stanoev: computer software for real-time image processing
1999–2000 Hunk Dang: light scattering investigations of protein molecular interactions
Graduate Students
2003– Weichun Pan: interactions in solutions of proteins
2003– Yasser Qutub: crystallization of membrane proteins
2002– Panagyotis Katsonis: Monte Carlo simulations of phase diagrams
2002– Dimitra Georgiou: AFM characterization of protein crystals
2002– Luis Filobelo: phase behavior in protein solutions
2001– Mrinal Shah: pattern formation during phase transitions in protein solutions
1996–2001 Angela Feelings-Taylor, NIH-funded M.D./Ph.D. student: hemoglobin crystallization
1994–97 Hong Lin, UAH ME Ph.D student: numerical simulations
Post-doctoral Associates and Research Assistants
1998– Dr. Oleg Galkin: nucleation and dynamics of formation of protein solid phases
2000–2004 Dr. Olga Gliko: differential phase-shifting interferometry studies of step pattern evolution
2002–2004 Dr. Ilya Reviakine: AFM characterization of the mechanisms of defect formation
1999–2004 Dr. Nicolas Booth: stability of step trains in inorganic crystal growth
1998–2001 Dr. Dimiter Petsev: molecular interactions and aggregation in solutions
2000–2001 Kai Chen: AFM imaging of protein crystals, aggregates and polymers
2000–2001 Michelle Wu: phase transitions in protein solutions
1999–2000 Eva Rosenbach: effects of transport conditions of defect-causing kinetics instabilities
1998–2000 Dr. Siu-Tung Yau: AFM
studies of protein crystals, molecules and aggregates
(currently – Associate Professor of Physics, CUNY)
1998–2000 Dr. Hong Lin: numerical simulations of transport and crystallization processes
Fulbright and Visiting Scholars Hosted
2001–2002 Dr. Simon Brandon, The Technion, Israel: Monte Carlo simulations and modeling
1999–2000 Dr. M. Dolores Serrano, University of Madrid: polymerization of deoxy-HbS
Collaborations
Zygmunt Derewenda, University of Virginia: chemical aspects of protein crystallization
Anatoly Kolomeisky, Rice University: nucleation theory
Ehud Landau, UT-Medical Branch, Galveston: imaging of membrane proteins
Peter Gaskoyne, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston: dielectrophoresis of protein dense droplets
Alexander A. Chernov, USRA, Marshal SFC, Huntsville: step bunching
Siu-Tung Yau, City University of New York: manipulation of individual molecules
Rhoda Hirsch, Albert Einstein College of Medicine: hemoglobin C crystallization; related pathologies
Ronald Nagel, Albert Einstein College of Medicine: molecular mechanisms of sickle cell anemia
Sevil Weinkauf, TU-Munich, Germany: molecular order, defects and solution flows; protein crystals
Dimo Kashchiev, Bulgarian Acad. Sci., Sofia, Bulgaria: nucleation theory
Adelbert Bacher, TU-Munich, Germany: bio-nanotechnology; coupling of enzymes and semiconductors
Leonid Rashkovich, Moscow State Univ., Russia: molecular processes in two dimensions
Katsuo Tsukamoto, Tohoku Univ., Sendai, Japan: interferometric techniques
Christo Nanev, Bulgarian Acad. Sci., Sofia, Bulgaria: solubility and nucleation
Personal
US Citizen