Dr. James Andrew McCammon is a world-renowned computational biophysicist whose pioneering work has transformed our understanding of biomolecular dynamics and interactions. He currently holds the prestigious position of Distinguished Professor of Pharmacology, Emeritus, and Distinguished Professor of the Graduate Division in Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, San Diego, where he has been a faculty member since 1995. Born in Lafayette, Indiana in 1947, McCammon earned his undergraduate degree from Pomona College in 1969 before embarking on graduate studies that would establish him as a leader in theoretical chemistry. His career trajectory includes significant contributions at Harvard University as a postdoctoral researcher, where he began developing the foundational methods that would later revolutionize computational approaches to biomolecular systems.
McCammon pioneered molecular dynamics simulations of biomolecules, inventing groundbreaking methods for computing free energy changes, diffusion-controlled reaction rates, and conformational changes on millisecond time scales. His computational approaches to studying protein dynamics and molecular recognition have been instrumental in advancing drug discovery, notably contributing to the development of HIV therapeutics including the HIV-1 protease inhibitor nelfinavir and the integrase inhibitor raltegravir, which represented the first in a new class of antiviral drugs. With nearly 900 publications to his name, McCammon's theoretical methods for predicting and interpreting molecular interactions have become essential tools in pharmaceutical research, enabling more accurate drug design and optimization processes. His seminal work has generated extensive citation impact and continues to shape the computational approaches used by researchers worldwide to understand complex biomolecular systems.
Beyond his direct research contributions, McCammon has profoundly influenced the field through his mentorship, having trained more than 50 former students who now hold tenured or tenure-track positions at leading universities and research institutions. His leadership extends to editorial roles and service as a PNAS Member Editor for the field of Biophysics and Computational Biology, where he has helped shape research directions for decades. As a member of the National Academy of Sciences since 2011 and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, McCammon's legacy as a pioneer in computational biophysics continues to grow. His current emeritus status reflects not an end to his scientific contributions but rather a transition to continued influence through his established methodologies, ongoing collaborations, and the enduring impact of his work on both theoretical frameworks and practical applications in drug discovery.
