Stepan S. Denisov

My research is focused on chemokine-binding peptides and proteins. Chemokines are small secreted proteins which regulate cell recruitment. They play a particularly important role in the development of inflammation. In my research we are exploring opportunity of blocking chemokines as a therapeutic approach for inflammation-driven diseases. 

During my PhD at Maastricht University I studied tick chemokine-binding proteins - evasins. In the result we solved structures of two evasins and unraveled the molecular basis of their anti-chemokine activity. 

After getting PhD I received a two-year postdoctoral Kootstra Fellowship from UMC+ and Maastricht University. During these two years I was leading a research project focused on screening chemokine-binding cyclic D-peptides from combinatorial phage libraries. 

In 2021 a Rubicon Fellowship from the Dutch Research Council was granted to me to fund a two-year postdoctoral position in the lab of prof. Bhattacharya. In Oxford University I am going to explore applicability of directed evolution in order to improve chemokine-binding peptides derived from pathogen and viral proteins.