Harry Saavedra Espinoza
Full- time Professor - Bioengineering Department
hsaavedra@utec.edu.pe
Biography
Research areas
Teaching experience
Papers
Professional profile
Dr. Harry G. Saavedra obtained his Ph.D. in Biophysics at Johns Hopkins University, USA. He worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the medical school of the same university for 6 years. During this time he participated in research projects on cancer, thyroid, neurodegenerative and cardiac diseases. During his doctoral studies, he conducted research on the modulation of enzyme functions. Previously, he had worked in the area of finite elements to obtain his Msc. in mechanical engineering at PUC-Rio Brasil. His undergraduate studies, also in mechanical engineering, were carried out at UNI. As a mechanical engineer, he worked in the fishing, oil, metalworking and mining industries.
WebsiteWork position
- Full Time Professor Bioengineering
Research areas
Protein biophysicsSub-lines- Computational design of proteins including nanobodies- Determination of affinities between biomolecules- Alloys and modulation of protein functionWork is currently underway on an article on the design of nanobodies using artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms and computational biophysics. We are collaborating with Prof. Mario Bianchet (Johns Hopkins University) and Prof. Alberto Donayre.
- Diagnosis of Diseases by Medical Imaging
Sub-lines- Medical examination with ultrasound (UT)- Design of new computational methods for the extraction of medical data- Diagnosis of vascular diseases using UT and AIIn this line, it is collaborating with Prof. Ramiro Moro (University of Louisiana at Lafayette). Along with him, we are researching applications of Zoeppritz equations to medical examination using UT.
Courses
- Fundamentals of Bioengineering: This course gives an overview of Bioengineering as a career. The components of the biomedical and biotechnology part are analyzed with the vision of the engineering cycle; in each process. We will study the global scope and the problems that exist at the local and regional level where Bioengineering has been developed and where it is an opportunity for a solution.
- Thesis II : The objective of this course is the culmination of obtaining the results of the analyzes begun in the Thesis I course, as well as the delivery of the undergraduate thesis document.
- “Dynamics-Based Mechanism for Cold Adaptation of Enzymes”. Harry G. Saavedra, James Wrabl, Jeremy Anderson, Jing Li, and Vincent Hilser. Nature Link
- “Mycobacterium tuberculosis ribosomal protein S1 (RpsA) and variants with truncated C-terminal end show absence of interaction with pyrazinoic acid ”. Katherine Vallejos-Sánchez, Juan M. Lopez, Ricardo Antiparra, Emily Toscano, Harry Saavedra, Daniela E. Kirwan, L. M. Amzel, R. H. Gilman, Helena Maruenda, Patricia Sheen and Mirko Zimic. Scientific Reports(Nature) Link
- “Bilirubin Links Heme Metabolism to Neuroprotection by Scavenging Superoxide ”. Chirag Vasavda, Ruchita Kothari, Adarsha P. Malla, Robert Tokhunts, Anthony Lin, Ming Ji, Cristina Ricco, Risheng Xu, Harry G. Saavedra, Juan I. Sbodio, Adele M. Snowman, Lauren Albacarys, Lynda Hester, Thomas W. Sedlak, Bindu D. Paul and Solomon H. Snyder. Cell Chemical Biology 26, 1–11, October 17, Link
- “Nudt19 is a renal CoA diphosphohydrolase with biochemical and regulatory properties that are distinct from the hepatic Nudt7 isoform ”. Stephanie A Shumar, Evan W Kerr, Werner J Gelden- huys, Grace E Montgomery, Paolo Fagone, Puchong Thirawatananond, Harry Saavedra, Sandra B Gabelli and Roberta Leonardi JBC, jbc. Link
- “Structural insight into the inactivation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis non-classical transpeptidase Ldt M t2 by biapenem and tebipenem”. Mario A. Bianchet, Ying Pan, Leighanne Basta, Harry Saavedra, Evan Lloyd, Pankaj Kumar, Rohini Mattoo, Craig Townsend and Gyanu Lamichhane. BMC Biochemistry 18:8, May 2017, Link
- “Genetically tunable frustration controls allostery in an intrinsically disordered transcription factor”. Jing Li, Jordan T White, Harry Saavedra, James O Wrabl, Hesam N Motlagh, Kaixian Liu, James Sowers, Trina A Schroer, E Brad Thompson and Vincent J Hilser eLife 2017;6:e30688. DOI: Link