Dr. Stephen Mayo

Biography

Stephen L. Mayo is the Bren Professor of Biological Engineering at the California Institute of Technology. He completed his B.S. in Biology from Pennsylvania State University in 1983 and obtained his Ph.D. from Caltech in 1987. Over the years, Professor Mayo has held several significant positions at Caltech, including Assistant Professor and Associate Professor, moving through to his current role as Bren Professor and Merkin Institute Professor since 2021. His research focuses on computational protein design, aiming to understand and manipulate the structural biology of protein functions. He has developed innovative methods for protein design, creating strategies such as 'protein design automation' which leverages computational approaches to optimize the design of novel catalytic proteins. Among his various research interests are enzyme design, protein sequence evolution, and the mechanisms behind protein-protein recognition. His work has contributed immensely to the field, particularly in advancing enzyme functionalities and understanding the intricate evolutionary pathways of protein sequences. Throughout his career, Mayo has significantly affected the understanding of protein interactions essential for various cellular activities, leading to numerous practical applications in biotechnology and therapeutic development.

Research Interests

Experience