Dr. Magnus Wolf Watz

Biography

Magnus Wolf-Watz is a Professor of Biophysical Chemistry at Umeå University, where he heads a research group focusing on protein dynamics and its implications in biological functions. His research interests include the mechanisms and energetics that control protein dynamics, which are critical for understanding how proteins change shape to perform their biochemical roles. Utilizing solution state NMR spectroscopy as the primary technique in his lab, he investigates a broad spectrum of protein dynamics, from fast events in the picosecond to nanosecond range to slower processes lasting seconds or even minutes. His work combines various structural biology techniques, including X-ray crystallography and molecular dynamics simulations, to design functional assays that establish links between protein dynamics and biological functions. Magnus obtained his master's degree in Biochemistry from KTH in 1996 and completed his doctorate in Structural Biology in 2001. He has expanded his expertise through a postdoctoral fellowship at Brandeis University in Boston, USA. Since 2005, he has led research initiatives at Umeå University, becoming an Associate Professor of Biological Chemistry in 2010 and achieving his current professorship in Biophysical Chemistry in 2018.

Research Interests

Experience