Vahe Bandarian - Department of Chemistry

BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY

Professor

B.S., California State University-Los Angeles, 1992
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1998
NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Michigan

Phone: (801) 581-6366
Office: 3625 TBBC
Email: vahe@chem.utah.edu
Research Group

Research Interests

My research interests are centered in developing molecular level understanding of biosynthesis of complex natural products. Specifically, my lab has reconstituted the key steps in the biosynthesis of the modified transfer RNA base, queuosine, which is found in all kingdoms of life. Future directions in this area will include probing the biological role of this and other ubiquitous RNA modification. Additional new areas of research being initiated will focus on mechanistic studies of enzymes involved in complex radical-mediated transformations.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2003-2009 University of Arizona, Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics

2009-2015 University of Arizona, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry*

* The Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (BMB) and Chemistry merged in 2009 to form the

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (CBC).

2015-present University of Utah, Professor, Department of Chemistry

AWARDS AND HONORS

Distinguished Research Award, University of Utah, 2021
Co-Chair of Enzymes, Coenzymes and Metabolic Pathways Gordon Conference, 2013
Member of Faculty1000, Biocatalysis section, 2011
Pfizer Award in Enzyme Chemistry, American Chemical Society, 2010
Everson Lecture, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2010
Faculty Travel Award to present at the Enzyme Engineering Conference, Dalian, China, 2007
Honors College Dean's Outstanding Teacher Award, University of Arizona, 2006
Burroughs Wellcome Career award in Biomedical Sciences, 2002

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH AND SERVICE

Review of manuscripts:
Reviewer for Biochemistry, Chemical Reviews, Journal of the American Chemical
Society, Journal of Biological Chemistry, FASEB J, Nature, Nature Chemical Biology,
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA
American Chemical Society
Chair, ACS Division of Biological Chemistry Program National Meeting
program, Fall and Spring 2016
Session Chair and Organizer, Rocky Mountain American Chemical Society
meeting, Tucson AZ, Fall 2006
Ad hoc reviewer, Petroleum Research Fund, 2005
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Member, JBC Editorial Board, 2013-2023
Co-Chair (with Martha Cyert, Stanford), ASBMB National meeting, 2022
Member, ASBMB Women in BMB Committee, 2019-present
Member, ASBMB Minority Affairs Committee, 2019-present
Mentor, ASBMB/NSF Junior faculty mentoring workshop, 2019
Mentor, ASBMB/NSF Junior faculty mentoring workshop, 2018
Mentor, ASBMB/NSF Junior faculty mentoring workshop, 2017
Mentor, ASBMB/NSF Junior faculty mentoring workshop, 2016
Mentor, ASBMB/NSF Junior faculty mentoring workshop, 2015
Mentor, ASBMB/NSF Junior faculty mentoring workshop, 2014
Mentor, ASBMB/NSF Junior faculty mentoring workshop, 2013
Member, ASBMB meeting committee, 2016
National Institutes of Health (NIH) reviewer*
Member, NIH SCORE Review Panel, 2020
Member, NIH SCORE Review Panel, 2018
Member, NIH MSF-A Study Section, 2017
Member, NIH MSF-E Study Section, 2011-2014
Member, NIH MSF-A Study Section, 2014-2015
(Note that MSF-A and MSF-E merged in 2014)
Ad hoc panelist, NIH MSF-E Study Section, October 2010
Ad hoc panelist, NIH MSF-E Study Section, February 2010
Mail reviewer, NIH MBRS Review Panel, November 2009
Ad hoc panelist, NIH MBRS Review Panel, March 2009
Ad hoc panelist, NIH MBRS Review Panel, March 2008
Ad hoc panelist, NIH MSF-E Study Section, January 2008
Ad hoc panelist, NIH MBRS Review Panel, September 2007
Ad hoc panelist, NIH MBRS Review Panel, March 2007
Ad hoc panelist, NIH Chemical and Biological Sciences study section, November
2006
Ad hoc panelist, NIH Chemical and Biological Sciences study section, July 2006
Ad hoc panelist, NIH MBRS Review Subcommittee B, June 2006
*MBRS and MSF denote Minority Biochemical Research Support, and
Macromolecular Structure and Function, respectively.
National Science Foundation reviewer
Ad hoc panelist, NSF Metabolic Biochemistry Panel, April 2011
Ad hoc panelist, NSF Metabolic Biochemistry Panel, April 2009
Protein Society:
Abstract Review Committee, Protein Society 2005, 2006

SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS

American Chemical Society

American Association for Advancement of Science

American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

EDITORIAL BOARD

2013-2023 Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Biological Chemistry