World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Chemistry

D-Index
102
Citations
30605
World Ranking
1192
National Ranking
466

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2019 - Irving Langmuir Award, American Chemical Society (ACS)
  • 2018 - Oesper Award, University of Cincinnati and American Chemical Society
  • 2015 - Fellow of American Physical Society (APS) Citation For pioneering applications of concepts from statistical mechanics and polymer physics in developing new computational tools and theoretical models that have greatly advanced our understanding of the behavior of biomacromolecules
  • 1986 - Fellow of Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Overview

D. Thirumalai is affiliated with The University of Texas at Austin in the United States. Their research primarily spans the field of Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, with a significant focus on Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Materials Chemistry, Atomic and Molecular Physics and Optics, and Condensed Matter Physics.

The main topics of Thirumalai's work include:

  • RNA Research and Splicing
  • Protein Structure and Dynamics
  • RNA and protein synthesis mechanisms
  • Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics
  • RNA modifications and cancer
  • Cellular Mechanics and Interactions
  • Microtubule and mitosis dynamics

Their recent publications highlight contributions to both experimental and theoretical perspectives across molecular and cellular biophysics. Selected papers include:

  • "Condensates in RNA repeat sequences are heterogeneously organized and exhibit reptation dynamics," published in 2022 in Nature Chemistry
  • "Theoretical perspectives on biological machines," published in 2020 in Reviews of Modern Physics
  • "Differences in the free energies between the excited states of A β 40 and A β 42 monomers encode their aggregation propensities," published in 2020 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • "Mechanical heterogeneity along single cell-cell junctions is driven by lateral clustering of cadherins during vertebrate axis elongation," published in 2021 in eLife
  • "The Asakura-Oosawa theory: Entropic forces in physics, biology, and soft matter," published in 2022 in The Journal of Chemical Physics

Thirumalai frequently collaborates with a number of researchers, indicating a broad network across interdisciplinary topics. Frequent co-authors include:

  • Xin Li
  • Mauro L. Mugnai
  • Guang Shi
  • Debayan Chakraborty
  • Sumit Sinha

Their work is published across multiple venues with substantial contributions to:

  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
  • arXiv (Cornell University)
  • The Journal of Physical Chemistry B
  • Biophysical Journal
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Over the course of their career, Thirumalai has been recognized with multiple awards, including the Irving Langmuir Award from the American Chemical Society in 2019 and the Oesper Award from the University of Cincinnati and the American Chemical Society in 2018. They were named a Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2015, with a citation highlighting pioneering applications of concepts from statistical mechanics and polymer physics to develop computational tools and theoretical models in biomacromolecular behavior. Additionally, they were a Fellow of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation since 1986.

Best Publications

  • Scaling concepts for the dynamics of viscous liquids near an ideal glassy state.

    T. R. Kirkpatrick;D. Thirumalai;P. G. Wolynes

  • On the Simulation of Quantum Systems: Path Integral Methods

    Bruce J. Berne;D. Thirumalai

  • Molecular crowding enhances native state stability and refolding rates of globular proteins

    Margaret S. Cheung;Dmitri Klimov;D. Thirumalai

  • p -spin-interaction spin-glass models: Connections with the structural glass problem

    T. R. Kirkpatrick;D. Thirumalai

  • Urea denaturation by stronger dispersion interactions with proteins than water implies a 2-stage unfolding

    Lan Hua;Ruhong Zhou;D. Thirumalai;B. J. Berne

  • Kinetics and thermodynamics of folding in model proteins

    Carlos J. Camacho;D. Thirumalai

  • Dissecting the Assembly of Aβ16–22 Amyloid Peptides into Antiparallel β Sheets

    Dmitri K. Klimov;D. Thirumalai

  • Interactions between Hydrophobic and Ionic Solutes in Aqueous Guanidinium Chloride and Urea Solutions: Lessons for Protein Denaturation Mechanism

    Edward P. O'Brien;Ruxandra I. Dima;Bernard Brooks;D. Thirumalai;D. Thirumalai

  • Monomer adds to preformed structured oligomers of Aβ-peptides by a two-stage dock–lock mechanism

    Phuong H. Nguyen;Mai Suan Li;Gerhard Stock;John E. Straub

  • Emerging ideas on the molecular basis of protein and peptide aggregation.

    D Thirumalai;DK Klimov;RI Dima

  • Pair potentials for protein folding: choice of reference states and sensitivity of predicted native states to variations in the interaction schemes.

    Marcos R. Betancourt;D. Thirumalai

  • Dynamics of the structural glass transition and the p-spin-interaction spin-glass model.

    T. R. Kirkpatrick;D. Thirumalai

  • HYDROPHOBIC INTERACTIONS IN AQUEOUS UREA SOLUTIONS WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR THE MECHANISM OF PROTEIN DENATURATION

    A. Wallqvist;D. G. Covell;D. Thirumalai

  • The nature of folded states of globular proteins

    Unknown

  • From Minimal Models to Real Proteins: Time Scales for Protein Folding Kinetics

    D. Thirumalai

  • RNA and protein folding: common themes and variations.

    D. Thirumalai;Changbong Hyeon

  • Quasifree-scattering model for the imaginary part of the optical potential for electron scattering

    Grażyna Staszewska;David W. Schwenke;Devarajan Thirumalai;Devarajan Thirumalai;Donald G. Truhlar

  • Kinetics of protein folding: Nucleation mechanism, time scales, and pathways

    Unknown

  • Toward a Molecular Theory of Early and Late Events in Monomer to Amyloid Fibril Formation

    John E. Straub;D. Thirumalai

  • Chaperonin-facilitated protein folding: optimization of rate and yield by an iterative annealing mechanism

    Matthew J. Todd;George H. Lorimer;D. Thirumalai

  • Low-frequency normal modes that describe allosteric transitions in biological nanomachines are robust to sequence variations

    Wenjun Zheng;Bernard R. Brooks;D. Thirumalai

  • An iterative scheme for the evaluation of discretized path integrals

    Devarajan Thirumalai;Eric J. Bruskin;Bruce J. Berne

  • Metastability of the folded states of globular proteins.

    Unknown

Frequent Co-Authors

John E. Straub
John E. Straub Boston University
Bernard R. Brooks
Bernard R. Brooks National Institutes of Health
Sarah A. Woodson
Sarah A. Woodson Johns Hopkins University
Bruce J. Berne
Bruce J. Berne Columbia University
George H. Lorimer
George H. Lorimer University of Maryland, College Park
Ron Elber
Ron Elber The University of Texas at Austin
Gilad Haran
Gilad Haran Weizmann Institute of Science
John B. Wallingford
John B. Wallingford The University of Texas at Austin
Eileen M. Lafer
Eileen M. Lafer The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Biman Bagchi
Biman Bagchi Indian Institute of Science

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Pursuing a Chemistry degree in the USA opens doors to diverse career options, especially when combined with interdisciplinary studies. For instance, students interested in applying scientific methods to criminal investigations might explore forensic psychology graduate programs online. These programs blend chemistry’s analytical skills with psychological insights, preparing graduates for niche forensic roles.

Additionally, those curious about science in the justice system should consider a variety of forensic careers. Combining chemistry knowledge with forensic science can lead to work in crime labs, toxicology, or evidence analysis, all vital to solving crimes.

Cost is a significant factor for many students. Understanding the cost of criminal justice degree online helps prospective students weigh options before enrollment. Online pathways may offer more affordable solutions without compromising quality.

For those starting out or seeking a faster entry into the workforce, a 2 year criminal justice degree online offers a practical route. It complements chemistry studies by adding foundational knowledge useful in investigative or regulatory roles.

Best Scientists Citing D. Thirumalai

Trending Scientists

Recently Published Articles