Tarun K. Dam

Tarun K. Dam

Contact

  • Professor, Chemistry
  • Director, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) Program
  • PhD, University of Calcutta, India
  • Postdoctoral, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York
  • Faculty, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York

Biography

Tarun Dam started his research in the area of Glycobiology as a graduate student of Professor Amalesh Choudhury. He was trained in the laboratories of Dr. Manju Sarkar (Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata) and Professor Avadhesha Surolia (Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore). Dr. Dam joined the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, as a postdoctoral fellow to work with Professor C. Fred Brewer, where he focused on molecular and structural Glycobiology. Dr. Dam joined the faculty of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine after completing his postdoctoral training. Subsequently, he joined the Chemistry Department of Michigan Technological University, where he is now a Professor and the Director of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Graduate program. Dr. Dam received several awards including Young Scientist Award, Bhakta Rath Research Award, Distinguished Teaching Award, and Exceptional Mentor Award. Research work in his lab, (the Laboratory of Mechanistic Glycobiology) is focused on (i) the multi-functional and cancer-associated human protein galectin-3, (ii) novel bioactive natural products from plants, and (iii) formulation and validation of new detection/purification methods.

Research Interests

  • Molecular basis of glycan (carbohydrate)-mediated biological functions
  • Glycan binding proteins or lectins
  • Glycan detection
  • Mechanistic glycobiology
  • Macromolecular communication
  • Biomolecular thermodynamics