{"684227":{"#nid":"684227","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Postdoc Spotlight: Katie Kuo\u0027s Work in Computation ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBiophysics Aims to Advance Discovery\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech postdoctoral scholar Katie Kuo is using her expertise in chemistry and computational biophysics to transform the future of drug discovery and therapeutic development. Fueled by a passion for understanding how protein dynamics influence biological function, Kuo uses her research to bridge experimental and computational methods in ways that are both innovative and impactful.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBlending Chemistry, Biophysics, and Machine Learning\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKuo\u2019s scientific journey reflects a deep commitment to interdisciplinary research. Kuo gained hands-on experience in drug development at Emory University, where she worked on developmental drug techniques, including in vitro screening and drug interaction optimization for novel CXCR4 antagonists.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince Kuo was already living in Atlanta, she was familiar with the city\u2019s academic ecosystem. She then chose to pursue her Ph.D. at Georgia Tech because she was drawn to the Institute\u2019s strong infrastructure and support of a culture of scientific innovation. In the Department of Physics, Kuo now studies the applications of machine learning to protein targets for drug discovery.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMy fundamental interests lie in protein structure and function,\u201d said Kuo. \u201cI wanted to impact how we discover and develop novel therapeutics.\u201d These interests influenced her decision to work in computational biophysics for her postdoc.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELife as a Postdoc and Beyond the Lab\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMornings and afternoons are filled with meetings alongside research collaborators and students. In between, Kuo dedicates time to grant writing and analyzing her biophysical simulations. She also spends a good amount of time reading literature.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen she\u2019s not immersed in simulations or research planning, Dr. Kuo enjoys downtime with her two dogs and watching NBA basketball. She also loves exploring Atlanta\u2019s food scene. Two of her current favorite restaurants are The Dumpling Factory and Brown Bag Seafood. She loves visiting the Georgia Aquarium as well.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECelebrating Recognition\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn recognition of her exceptional contributions, Kuo was recently honored with Georgia Tech\u2019s Research Administration \u0026amp; Support \u2013 Spotlight Awards. The award highlights her commitment to scientific excellence, collaborative leadership, and forward-thinking research. Her work continues to inspire new pathways in therapeutic development and reflects the kind of innovation that defines Georgia Tech\u2019s postdoctoral community. To learn more about the recipients of the 2025 Research Administration \u0026amp; Support Spotlight Awards, read the story \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/postdocs.gatech.edu\/news\/postdoctoral-scholars-recognized-inaugural-research-administration-support-spotlight-awards\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech postdoctoral scholar Katie Kuo is using her expertise in chemistry and computational biophysics to transform the future of drug discovery and therapeutic development. Fueled by a passion for understanding how protein dynamics influence biological function, Kuo uses her research to bridge experimental and computational methods in ways that are both innovative and impactful.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech postdoctoral scholar Katie Kuo is using her expertise in chemistry and computational biophysics to transform the future of drug discovery and therapeutic development."}],"uid":"36363","created_gmt":"2025-08-27 18:24:59","changed_gmt":"2025-08-28 20:00:39","author":"Brittani Hill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-08-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-08-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677850":{"id":"677850","type":"image","title":"Postdoc Spotlight: Katie Kuo","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPostdoc Spotlight Katie Kuo\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1756397754","gmt_created":"2025-08-28 16:15:54","changed":"1756408697","gmt_changed":"2025-08-28 19:18:17","alt":"Postdoc Spotlight: Katie Kuo ","file":{"fid":"261796","name":"headshot-linked-in.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/28\/headshot-linked-in.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/08\/28\/headshot-linked-in.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":64518,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/08\/28\/headshot-linked-in.jpg?itok=rNYDg4Z6"}}},"media_ids":["677850"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/postdocs.gatech.edu\/news\/postdoctoral-scholars-recognized-inaugural-research-administration-support-spotlight-awards","title":"Postdoctoral Scholars Recognized with Inaugural Research Administration \u0026 Support Spotlight Awards"}],"groups":[{"id":"249231","name":"Postdoctoral Services"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"69901","name":"Postdocs"},{"id":"74421","name":"Office of Postdoctoral Services"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrittani Hill | Marketing and Communications Manager\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOffice of Graduate and Postdoctoral Education\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brittani.hill@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}