Professor Dr. Judith Klinman

Biography

Judith P. Klinman is a Professor in the College of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. Born in 1941, she earned her A.B. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1962 and her Ph.D. in Physical-Organic Chemistry from the same institution in 1966. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the Weizmann Institute of Science in 1967, she worked as a Research Scientist at the Institute Cancer Research in Philadelphia until 1978. Klinman’s research focuses on biochemistry, biophysical chemistry, bioorganic, and bioinorganic chemistry, especially enzyme catalysis. Her lab investigates the mechanisms underlying enzymatic reactions, employing methods such as site-specific mutagenesis and H/D exchange to gain insight into substrate-protein interactions and the influence of protein dynamics on tunneling processes. In recent years, her work has led to the discovery of a new class of proteins known as quino-enzymes, which involve unique cofactors and have implications for cellular signaling and protection against oxidative damage. Addressing the challenges of enzyme catalysis in aerobic environments, her research aims to elucidate the principles guiding the functions of various enzyme classes.

Research Interests

Experience