Dr. Manu Ben Johny

Biography

Manu Ben Johny is an Assistant Professor in Physiology and Cellular Biophysics at Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University. His research interests lie at the intersection of quantitative physiology and molecular biophysics, where he employs engineering principles to study and manipulate ion channel signaling complexes critical for neurological and cardiovascular function. His work specifically seeks to elucidate sophisticated spatiotemporal feedback regulatory mechanisms of cytosolic signaling molecules that tune the activity of voltage-gated sodium and calcium channels. He aims to exploit a deep understanding of emerging protein engineering methods to devise a next-generation optogenetic synthetic modulatory toolkit, which can effectively customize the function of these channels. Furthermore, he seeks to delineate the role of ion channels in normal physiology and clarify how their misregulation contributes to complex human diseases such as cardiac arrhythmias and neurological disorders. To achieve these goals, he utilizes a variety of methods including state-of-the-art fluorescence microscopy, photouncaging, low-noise single-channel whole-cell electrophysiology, quantitative modeling, and molecular simulations.

Research Interests

Experience