Dr. Anna Panchenko

Biography

Anna Panchenko is a Professor and Canada Research Chair Tier 1 Senior Investigator at Queen's University in the School of Medicine. Her research focuses on the causes of disease progression, specifically in cancer. She aims to identify both extrinsic and intrinsic factors that contribute to disease mutation occurrences in DNA, as well as discover the molecular mechanisms through which mutations affect proteins, their interactions, and the dynamical behavior of chromatin. Panchenko applies computational methods to integrate hypothesis-driven and data-driven approaches, particularly utilizing machine learning, molecular modeling, and molecular dynamics simulations. She collaborates closely with experimental groups, using techniques such as hydroxyl radical footprinting and chemical crosslinking, alongside cryo-electron microscopy to guide the design of new hybrid approaches. From a practical perspective, her work provides predictive insights into system behavior in response to diseases, offering leads for identifying driver mutations in genes and designing drugs that impact protein interactions and pathways.

Research Interests