2026 David R. Kovar: Biology and Biochemistry Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Biology and Biochemistry	57	13883	12773	5869	5257	122	11205

Overview

David R. Kovar is a researcher affiliated with the University of Chicago in the United States. Their primary field of study is Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, with a focus on subfields such as Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine, Biophysics, and Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics.

Their research covers several main topics, including:

Cellular Mechanics and Interactions
Cardiomyopathy and Myosin Studies
Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy Techniques
Microtubule and mitosis dynamics
Force Microscopy Techniques and Applications
Fungal and yeast genetics research
Heat shock proteins research

Several frequent co-authors have collaborated with David R. Kovar, among them:

Cristian Suarez (14 joint publications)
Margaret L. Gardel (8 joint publications)
Jonathan D. Winkelman (6 joint publications)
Caitlin A. Anderson (6 joint publications)
Rachel S. Kadzik (5 joint publications)

David R. Kovar has published multiple papers across key venues. Among the most frequent publication venues are:

Biophysical Journal (6 publications)
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (5 publications)
UNC Libraries (4 publications)
Cytoskeleton (3 publications)
Journal of Cell Science (2 publications)

Selected recent papers authored or co-authored by David R. Kovar include:

"F-Actin Cytoskeleton Network Self-Organization Through Competition and Cooperation," 2020, Annual Review of Cell and Developmental Biology
"Evolutionarily diverse LIM domain-containing proteins bind stressed actin filaments through a conserved mechanism," 2020, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
"LIM domain proteins in cell mechanobiology," 2021, Cytoskeleton
"Mechanism of actin filament nucleation," 2021, Biophysical Journal
"Cracked actin filaments as mechanosensitive receptors," 2024, Biophysical Journal

Best Publications

Control of the assembly of ATP- and ADP-actin by formins and profilin.

David R. Kovar;Elizabeth S. Harris;Rachel Mahaffy;Henry N. Higgs

687
Citations
Insertional assembly of actin filament barbed ends in association with formins produces piconewton forces.

David R. Kovar;Thomas D. Pollard

559
Citations
Latrunculin B Has Different Effects on Pollen Germination and Tube Growth

Bryan C. Gibbon;David R. Kovar;Christopher J. Staiger

475
Citations
Spatial and Temporal Pathway for Assembly and Constriction of the Contractile Ring in Fission Yeast Cytokinesis

Jian-Qiu Wu;Jeffrey R. Kuhn;David R. Kovar;Thomas D. Pollard

449
Citations
The fission yeast cytokinesis formin Cdc12p is a barbed end actin filament capping protein gated by profilin.

David R. Kovar;Jeffrey R. Kuhn;Andrea L. Tichy;Thomas D. Pollard

422
Citations
Identification and Characterization of a Small Molecule Inhibitor of Formin-Mediated Actin Assembly

Syed A. Rizvi;Erin M. Neidt;Jiayue Cui;Zach Feiger

394
Citations
Molecular details of formin-mediated actin assembly

David R Kovar

341
Citations
Assembly of the cytokinetic contractile ring from a broad band of nodes in fission yeast

Jian-Qiu Wu;Vladimir Sirotkin;David R. Kovar;Matthew Lord

315
Citations
Profilin-1 Serves as a Gatekeeper for Actin Assembly by Arp2/3-Dependent and -Independent Pathways

Jeremy D. Rotty;Congying Wu;Elizabeth M. Haynes;Cristian Suarez

270
Citations
Profilin Regulates F-Actin Network Homeostasis by Favoring Formin over Arp2/3 Complex

Cristian Suarez;Robert T. Carroll;Thomas A. Burke;Jenna R. Christensen

261
Citations
Model of Formin-Associated Actin Filament Elongation

Dimitrios Vavylonis;Dimitrios Vavylonis;David R. Kovar;Ben O'Shaughnessy;Thomas D. Pollard

244
Citations
Profilin and actin-depolymerizing factor: modulators of actin organization in plants

Christopher J. Staiger;Bryan C. Gibbon;David R. Kovar;Laura E. Zonia

242
Citations
Homeostatic Actin Cytoskeleton Networks Are Regulated by Assembly Factor Competition for Monomers

Thomas A. Burke;Jenna R. Christensen;Elisabeth Barone;Cristian Suarez

232
Citations
Signal-Mediated Depolymerization of Actin in Pollen during the Self-Incompatibility Response

Benjamin N. Snowman;David R. Kovar;Galina Shevchenko;Vernonica E. Franklin-Tong

224
Citations
Maize Profilin Isoforms Are Functionally Distinct

David R. Kovar;Bjørn K. Drøbak;Christopher J. Staiger

223
Citations
Cytoskeletal dynamics: a view from the membrane.

Magdalena Bezanilla;Amy S. Gladfelter;David R. Kovar;Wei-Lih Lee

201
Citations
Rickettsia Sca2 is a bacterial formin-like mediator of actin-based motility

Cat M. Haglund;Julie E. Choe;Colleen T. Skau;David R. Kovar

186
Citations
A plant-specific kinesin binds to actin microfilaments and interacts with cortical microtubules in cotton fibers.

Mary L. Preuss;David R. Kovar;Y.-R. Julie Lee;Christopher J. Staiger

168
Citations
AtFim1 is an actin filament crosslinking protein from Arabidopsis thaliana.

David R. Kovar;Christopher J. Staiger;Eric A. Weaver;David W. McCurdy

165
Citations
Ena/VASP Enabled is a highly processive actin polymerase tailored to self-assemble parallel-bundled F-actin networks with Fascin

Jonathan D. Winkelman;Colleen G. Bilancia;Mark Peifer;David R. Kovar

163
Citations