Junior Senior Scientists of the Year
Stritch Junior and Senior Scientists of the Year
Learn about their career paths
Bryan Mounce, PhD & Peter Kekenes-Huskey, PhD
By Naomi Gitlin
It started with his Apple 2E.
“Ever since I was very young, I’ve been fascinated by computers,” said Pete Kekenes-Huskey, PhD, associate professor, Stritch School of Medicine. He and Assistant Professor Bryan Mounce, PhD, were selected as Stritch 2022 Senior and Junior Scientists of the Year (respectively) for their innovative research and commitment to improving the health of communities.
How did each discover and continue to nurture their passion for research?
Math and science were part of Kekenes-Huskey’s DNA for as long as he can remember. His father taught him how to use Pascal (a simple programming language) before he learned how to write in cursive. In elementary school, he read college-level science books; in high school, he enrolled in chemistry and foreign language courses at The Ohio State University.
“When I write a computer program, I envision how to link different algorithms, processes, and physics, despite their varying architectures and concepts,” said Kekenes-Huskey. “Once this new program is built and tested, it has the power to reveal something new about biology, such as how the timing of a cellular process can be almost as important as the process itself,” he said.
Today, the PKH lab takes this methodical approach, using computer algorithms to analyze biophysical mechanisms underlying diseases of the immune and cardiovascular systems. More specifically, the lab looks at biological processes such as signal transduction, cell movement, and interactions between proteins and biomolecules. Kekenes-Huskey hopes to better understand the intricacies of these mechanisms to pinpoint new therapeutic targets for more effective drug treatments.
“We’ve reached a point in biomedical research that seemingly infinite amounts of data, from time-lapse videos of cells to gene sequencing, overwhelm traditional, reductionist approaches,” he said. “My lab’s focus is to unify these data to create a collective perspective using molecular simulations, statistical physics, computer vision, and numerical algorithms.”
Educating a computational scientist
Kekenes-Huskey graduated in three years with a BS in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina (Asheville) where he was valedictorian. As a Fulbright scholar, he studied at the Free University in Berlin where he used computational drug design algorithms to study how estrogen and related compounds bind to the estrogen receptor. He earned his PhD in Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), while studying Applied Physics, Math, and Computer Science through a U.S. Department of fellowship. His mentor, Dr. William A. Goddard III, pioneered the use of computer modeling to study chemical, catalytic, and biochemical materials systems and is an academic of Dr. Madame Curie. At Caltech, Kekenes-Huskey devised innovative ways to represent complex chemical problems, including a deeper understanding of how drugs bind to proteins to modify their behavior. During his postdoctoral work at the University of California San Diego with Professors James A. McCammon (Chemistry) and Andrew McCulloch (Bioengineering), and with support from the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health, Kekenes-Huskey studied calcium signaling in heart cells. Using molecular dynamics, partial differential equations, and systems biology models, he showed novel ways in which proteins play crucial roles in controlling muscle function.
Arriving at Stritch in 2019, he created a high performance computing in the Cell & Molecular Physiology Department and became the first director of CaMSiRC (the Cell and Molecular Physiology Simulation Resource Center), with which he deploys hundreds of central processing units and tens of graphics processing units to analyze immune cells in postmortem brain tissue and engineer proteins to modify cell behavior.
Kekenes-Huskey welcomes students and collaborators to partner with his lab, especially those who share his passion for using physiology and chemistry, engineering, and computer science, to help solve problems. He credits the productivity of his research program to Stritch’s supportive environment, its highly collaborative faculty and chairs in his department, along with the many talented scientists who have worked in his lab.
“Science is for everyone.”
“I always have been a math nerd and a lover of Physics,” said Junior Scientist awardee Mounce. “I have had an interest in nucleic acid and its structure as well as DNA and how structure impacts function, too.” “But,” he quickly points out, “science is for everyone.”
Mounce’s lab studies how viruses interact with cells they infect as both compete for resources. For example, a virus “steals” cellular resources to replicate and produce more viruses while the cell mobilizes its resources for self-preservation. At the heart of the Mounce lab: understanding how viruses and cells compete for polyamines, a resource for both.
Or, as he asks on his lab’s website, poly-what???
Polyamines are small, positively charged, multi-function molecules in a cell. They play a role in cell replication, translation, and metabolism. The polyamine pathway is a notable therapeutic target, too. Not only is there an interest in how viruses use polyamines, but there are unanswered questions about how inhibitors of polyamine biosynthetic enzymes can be used to treat viral infection and potentially, other diseases. In other words, polyamines can be manipulated, tipping the balance to the cell and preventing the virus from stealing the cell’s resources.
Mounce began his training at the University of Wisconsin/Madison where he earned a BS in Genetics and Mathematics. He pursued a PhD in Microbiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Working as a post-doc researcher at the Institut Pasteur in Paris exposed Mounce to Marco Vignuzzi, a mentor who proved to be a significant influence on Mounce’s life and work. His Institut lab experience provided Mounce with inspiration and the freedom to experiment, two qualities he has instilled in his Stritch lab.
Strolling through the Mounce lab, visitors will see and feel how welcoming it is. “We balance the hard science and its stressors with being present in the lab, enjoying it, and knowing that it is a privilege,” Mounce said. “It’s important to have creativity in many forms in the lab – a lesson learned from Vignuzzi. Visitors to the lab might see Amigurimi, three dimensional crochet figures (such as viruses, pipets, and vaccines), which Mounce creates in his spare time.
With its focus on polyamines, the Mounce Lab is unique among Loyola labs. One of its NIH-funded projects involves exploring how a virus interacts with metabolism. Polyamines are important in the formation of many viruses; the Mounce Lab has tested more than 12. Some viruses are more (or less) dependent on polyamines. For example, SARS COV2 (COVID) does not rely on polyamines to replicate.
While Mounce is honored to receive the Junior Scientist of the Year award, he is most proud of the students in his lab and their accomplishments. “I am proud to see how students in the lab develop as scientists,” he said.
By Naomi Gitlin
It started with his Apple 2E.
“Ever since I was very young, I’ve been fascinated by computers,” said Pete Kekenes-Huskey, PhD, associate professor, Stritch School of Medicine. He and Assistant Professor Bryan Mounce, PhD, were selected as Stritch 2022 Senior and Junior Scientists of the Year (respectively) for their innovative research and commitment to improving the health of communities.
How did each discover and continue to nurture their passion for research?
Math and science were part of Kekenes-Huskey’s DNA for as long as he can remember. His father taught him how to use Pascal (a simple programming language) before he learned how to write in cursive. In elementary school, he read college-level science books; in high school, he enrolled in chemistry and foreign language courses at The Ohio State University.
“When I write a computer program, I envision how to link different algorithms, processes, and physics, despite their varying architectures and concepts,” said Kekenes-Huskey. “Once this new program is built and tested, it has the power to reveal something new about biology, such as how the timing of a cellular process can be almost as important as the process itself,” he said.
Today, the PKH lab takes this methodical approach, using computer algorithms to analyze biophysical mechanisms underlying diseases of the immune and cardiovascular systems. More specifically, the lab looks at biological processes such as signal transduction, cell movement, and interactions between proteins and biomolecules. Kekenes-Huskey hopes to better understand the intricacies of these mechanisms to pinpoint new therapeutic targets for more effective drug treatments.
“We’ve reached a point in biomedical research that seemingly infinite amounts of data, from time-lapse videos of cells to gene sequencing, overwhelm traditional, reductionist approaches,” he said. “My lab’s focus is to unify these data to create a collective perspective using molecular simulations, statistical physics, computer vision, and numerical algorithms.”
Educating a computational scientist
Kekenes-Huskey graduated in three years with a BS in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina (Asheville) where he was valedictorian. As a Fulbright scholar, he studied at the Free University in Berlin where he used computational drug design algorithms to study how estrogen and related compounds bind to the estrogen receptor. He earned his PhD in Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), while studying Applied Physics, Math, and Computer Science through a U.S. Department of fellowship. His mentor, Dr. William A. Goddard III, pioneered the use of computer modeling to study chemical, catalytic, and biochemical materials systems and is an academic of Dr. Madame Curie. At Caltech, Kekenes-Huskey devised innovative ways to represent complex chemical problems, including a deeper understanding of how drugs bind to proteins to modify their behavior. During his postdoctoral work at the University of California San Diego with Professors James A. McCammon (Chemistry) and Andrew McCulloch (Bioengineering), and with support from the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health, Kekenes-Huskey studied calcium signaling in heart cells. Using molecular dynamics, partial differential equations, and systems biology models, he showed novel ways in which proteins play crucial roles in controlling muscle function.
Arriving at Stritch in 2019, he created a high performance computing in the Cell & Molecular Physiology Department and became the first director of CaMSiRC (the Cell and Molecular Physiology Simulation Resource Center), with which he deploys hundreds of central processing units and tens of graphics processing units to analyze immune cells in postmortem brain tissue and engineer proteins to modify cell behavior.
Kekenes-Huskey welcomes students and collaborators to partner with his lab, especially those who share his passion for using physiology and chemistry, engineering, and computer science, to help solve problems. He credits the productivity of his research program to Stritch’s supportive environment, its highly collaborative faculty and chairs in his department, along with the many talented scientists who have worked in his lab.
“Science is for everyone.”
“I always have been a math nerd and a lover of Physics,” said Junior Scientist awardee Mounce. “I have had an interest in nucleic acid and its structure as well as DNA and how structure impacts function, too.” “But,” he quickly points out, “science is for everyone.”
Mounce’s lab studies how viruses interact with cells they infect as both compete for resources. For example, a virus “steals” cellular resources to replicate and produce more viruses while the cell mobilizes its resources for self-preservation. At the heart of the Mounce lab: understanding how viruses and cells compete for polyamines, a resource for both.
Or, as he asks on his lab’s website, poly-what???
Polyamines are small, positively charged, multi-function molecules in a cell. They play a role in cell replication, translation, and metabolism. The polyamine pathway is a notable therapeutic target, too. Not only is there an interest in how viruses use polyamines, but there are unanswered questions about how inhibitors of polyamine biosynthetic enzymes can be used to treat viral infection and potentially, other diseases. In other words, polyamines can be manipulated, tipping the balance to the cell and preventing the virus from stealing the cell’s resources.
Mounce began his training at the University of Wisconsin/Madison where he earned a BS in Genetics and Mathematics. He pursued a PhD in Microbiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Working as a post-doc researcher at the Institut Pasteur in Paris exposed Mounce to Marco Vignuzzi, a mentor who proved to be a significant influence on Mounce’s life and work. His Institut lab experience provided Mounce with inspiration and the freedom to experiment, two qualities he has instilled in his Stritch lab.
Strolling through the Mounce lab, visitors will see and feel how welcoming it is. “We balance the hard science and its stressors with being present in the lab, enjoying it, and knowing that it is a privilege,” Mounce said. “It’s important to have creativity in many forms in the lab – a lesson learned from Vignuzzi. Visitors to the lab might see Amigurimi, three dimensional crochet figures (such as viruses, pipets, and vaccines), which Mounce creates in his spare time.
With its focus on polyamines, the Mounce Lab is unique among Loyola labs. One of its NIH-funded projects involves exploring how a virus interacts with metabolism. Polyamines are important in the formation of many viruses; the Mounce Lab has tested more than 12. Some viruses are more (or less) dependent on polyamines. For example, SARS COV2 (COVID) does not rely on polyamines to replicate.
While Mounce is honored to receive the Junior Scientist of the Year award, he is most proud of the students in his lab and their accomplishments. “I am proud to see how students in the lab develop as scientists,” he said.