Bio
Annelise E. Barron is the W.M. Keck Associate Professor of Bioengineering at Stanford University.
The broad theme of the Barron lab is the study and biomimicry of natural host defense peptides (antimicrobial peptides). We study the molecular biophysics and mechanisms of LL-37—a centrally important human host defense peptide—and its involvement in Alzheimer's dementia (via LL-37 dysregulation and degradation by pathogen virulence factors). Alzheimer's dementia can be caused by (or at least, accompanied by) cerebral infections, a phenomenon now receiving renewed attention given recent discoveries. We are also working to develop biostable peptoid mimics of LL-37 as therapeutics that can combat antibiotic-resistant infections. Finally, we are working to mimic lung surfactant proteins that facilitate the delivery of therapeutics to the lungs, treat bacterial and viral pneumonia, or prevent or treat ventilator-associated acute lung injury.
We are currently putting efforts into better understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of Covid-19, as relates to dysregulation of innate immunity; understanding why certain minority populations seem to be more strongly affected by Covid-19 infections; and developing therapeutic approaches to both preventing and treating severe Covid-19.
Dr. Barron was trained as a chemical engineer at the University of Washington (B.S.) and U.C. Berkeley (Ph.D., under the mentorship of Prof. Harvey W. Blanch), and was a Pharmaceutical Chemistry postdoc with Prof. Ken A. Dill (UCSF) and Dr. Ronald N. Zuckermann (Chiron Corp.). She has served on the faculty at Stanford since 2007, and prior to that, served on the Chemical & Biological Engineering faculty of Northwestern University in Evanston, IL for 10 years (1997-2007). Dr. Barron has been awarded the NIH Pioneer Award (2020), the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists & Engineers (PECASE) through NIH / NHGRI (1999), the Beckman Young Investigator Award (1999), and the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award (1998), among other awards. Dr. Barron was the youngest scientist ever to serve on the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Director of the NIH, under Dr. Elias Zerhouni. She has more than 172 publications and a current H-index of 45 (Web of Science, All Databases), and serves on the advisory boards of several biotechnology companies. She is proud to be 1/4 Quechua (the Native American people of Bolivia), 1/4 Hispanic, 1/4 Swedish, 1/4 English, and 100% American.
Academic Appointments
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Associate Professor, Bioengineering
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Member, Bio-X
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Member, Stanford Cancer Institute
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Member, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute
Honors & Awards
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NIH Director's Pioneer Award, "Role of Innate Immune Dysregulation in the Etiology of Dementia", National Institutes of Health, Office of the Director (October 2020)
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Scientific Advisory Board member, DOE National Nanoscience Science Research Centers (NSRCs) (2020-2021)
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Chair, User Executive Committee, Department of Energy, The Molecular Foundry (Berkeley, CA) (2019-2021)
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Invited Kornis Family Lecturer in Medicinal Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Department of Chemistry, Sydney, Australia (2019)
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Invited Lecturer, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (2018)
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Invited Participant, Nobel Symposium: Amyloid: A multifaceted player in human health and disease, Stockholm, Sweden (2015)
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Nanobio Scholar, Virginia Tech (2011)
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W.M. Keck Associate Professor of Bioengineering, Stanford University (2007-present)
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Thiele Lecturer in Chemical Engineering, University of Notre Dame (2005)
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Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation (2002)
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DuPont Young Professor Award, DuPont, Inc. (2002)
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Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, NIH/NHGRI (1999)
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Beckman Young Investigator Award, Arnold & Mabel Beckman Foundation (1998-99)
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NIH National Research Service Award (Postdoctoral Fellowship #1 F32 GM 18112), National Institutes of Health (1996)
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Dow Excellence in Teaching Award, 1994, U.C. Berkeley Department of Chemical Engineering, U.C. Berkeley (1994)
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Matheson Fellowship in Chemical Engineering, U.C. Berkeley (1994)
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University of California Minority Dissertation Year Fellowship, U.C. Berkeley (1994)
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Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award, U.C. Berkeley Dept. of Chemical Engineering, U.C. Berkeley (1993)
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U.C. Berkeley Provost's Research Fund Grant, U.C. Berkeley (1993)
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1990-1993 U.C. Berkeley Chancellor's Minority Pre-doctoral Fellowship, U.C. Berkeley (1990-1993)
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H.K. Benson Chemical Engineering Tuition Scholarship, Univ. of Washington, Seattle (1989)
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University of Washington Undergraduate Merit Scholarship (two consecutive years), Univ. of Washington, Seattle (1988, 1989)
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1986-1990 National Merit Scholar and Recipient of Associated Four-Year Scholarship, National Merit Scholarship Corporation (1986-1990)
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National Hispanic Scholar, Univ. of Washington, Seattle (1986)
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Tektronix Foundation Merit Scholarship, Univ. of Washington, Seattle (1986)
Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations
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Associate Editor, Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience (2021 - Present)
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Associate Editor, Nature Scientific Reports (2018 - Present)
Professional Education
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Postdoc, UCSF/Chiron Corporation, Biomimetic & Bioorganic Chemistry (1997)
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Postdoc, Soane BioSciences/ACLARA Biosciences Inc., Molecular Biotechnology (1996)
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Ph.D., Univ. of California, Berkeley, Chemical Engineering (1995)
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B.S., Univ. of Washington, Seattle, Chemical Engineering (1990)