Department of Biochemistry

About Us

We welcome scientists, educators, and trainees from all backgrounds to join us in conducting biochemical research at the forefront of current knowledge; helping medical students, graduate students and fellows to reach their full potential; and serving the institution, the extended scientific community, and society at large. Our particular focus is the characterization of macromolecules and biological processes at the molecular level. Research groups in the department determine the structures of biological macromolecules, elucidate the mechanisms by which they function, and translate this information to advance research technology and medicine.

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U Giving Day is April 8-9, 2025

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Latest News

News

Apr 01, 2025

Benchmarks Newsletter (2025 Spring)

Please find our Spring 2025 “Benchmarks” Newsletter for the Department of Biochemistry downloadable below.

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Jared Rutter External link: (https://www.research.utah.edu/funding/past-awardees/distinguished-research-award-recipients/)

News

Mar 13, 2025

Jared Rutter selected as a recipient of the University of Utah Distinguished Research Award for 2025

For important contributions he has made in research and scholarship in his field, Jared Rutter was awarded the U of U Distinguished Research Award for 2025.

Past Awardees (External Link)

Minna Roh-Johnson External link: (https://uofuhealth.utah.edu/education/avp-office/programs/academy-med-education/awards/winners)

News

Mar 04, 2025

AHSE 2025 Outstanding Educator Award

Minna Roh-Johnson was selected to receive the Academy of Health Science Educators 2025 Outstanding Educator Award of Health Sciences Graduate Students for creating a culture of exceptional education in the...

Visit Site (External Link)

Structure of a particle of HIV. External link: (https://www.science.org/content/article/breakthrough-2024)

News

Dec 12, 2024

Science's 2024 Breakthrough of the Year

The Sundquist, Hill, and Pornillos labs laid the foundation for the development of a highly effective, long-lasting prophylactic against HIV, which has been named the Breakthrough of the Year by...

Science's 2024 Breakthrough of the Year (External Link)

News

Dec 12, 2024

Confronting Risks of Mirror Life

Biochemistry professor, Michael Kay, an expert on mirror-image pharmaceuticals, discusses Mirror Life with other prominent scientists in a Science article reviewed by Sophia Friesen.

Michael Kay, MD, PhD, professor of biochemistry in the Spencer Fox Eccles Schoo… (External Link)

News

Nov 18, 2024

“We Need Everyone”: New Award Recognizes the Importance of Scientific Community

Minna Roh-Johnson's lab was awarded the National Cancer Institute's "Administrative Supplement to Recognize Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Mentorship," designed for “scientists who have demonstrated compelling commitments...

Article by Sophia Friesen (External Link)

More News

Faculty Spotlight

Amy Barrios, PhD

Amy Barrios, the newest faculty member in Biochemistry, is perhaps our only Salt Lake City native. Inspired at a young age by her grandfather, a chemical engineer who helped develop solid rocket fuel for the space shuttle and sponsored her first membership in the AAAS, Amy's interest in chemistry grew while she was a student at Highland High School. She loved the AP Chemistry labs and summer programs at the U, so it was an easy decision to accept a full-ride scholarship from the Department of Chemistry. As an undergraduate at the U, she worked in the Department of Radiobiology synthesizing chelators that would bind to plutonium and other radioactive metal ions and remove them from the body.

Continued...

Barrios Website