Simone Brixius-Anderko, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Principal Investigator
Contact: sib51@pitt.edu
Simone received a diploma in Molecular and Human Biology from Saarland University (Germany). She then joined the lab of Dr. Rita Bernhard at Saarland University and received her PhD in biochemistry which focused on exploiting human steroidogenic P450 enzymes for biotechnological applications. She then transitioned to the laboratory of Dr. Emily Scott at the University of Michigan to learn X-ray protein crystallography of human P450 enzymes. Simone joined the School of Pharmacy Center for Pharmacogenetics in September 2021 and is excited to work on fatty acid metabolizing cytochrome P450 enzymes and their use as drug targets!
Selected Honors and Awards
AACP New Investigator Award 2023
Leading Edge New Faculty Fellow 2021
Kristen L. McGlone Award for Excellence in Research (2020), University of Michigan, College of Pharmacy
Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, American Heart Association (2019-2020): Understanding Aldosterone Biosynthesis for Enhanced Treatment of Hypertension
Christiane Nuesslein-Volhard Fellowship (2013-2015)
For Women in Science Award (2013), awarded by L´Oréal, UNESCO and the Christiane Nuesslein-Volhard foundation
StudienStiftungSaar (Germany) Scholarship for Biotechnological Research (2011)
Bjoern Brixius
Research Specialist, Lab Manager
Contact: bjoern.brixius@pitt.edu
Bjoern attended the Naturwissenschaftliches Technikum Kuenkele (Landau, Germany) to become a chemical-technical assistant. He then joined the contract laboratory CBA (Chemische Beratung und Analyse) in Kirkel-Limbach (Germany) where he received vast experience in GC-MS, GC-FID and various other instruments for environmental analysis and food/consumer goods.
After transitioning to the US, he joined Bureau Veritas North America (Novi, MI) as a Laboratory Analyst and supervisor. He then joined the group of Dr. Edward Zellers (University of Michigan) to develop micro-GC systems. Bjoern then transitioned to Dr. Adina Turcu’s lab (Michigan Medicine) to train in the analysis of steroids in human serum samples and the operation of LC-MS systems. In January 2022 Bjoern started in the Brixius Lab as Research Specialist and Lab Manager.
In his spare time, Bjoern enjoys music, PC gaming, sports, and reading.
Huiting Jia, MS
Graduate Student Biochemical Pharmacology Track
Contact: huj15@pitt.edu
Huiting is the first Brixius lab PhD student in Pharmaceutical Sciences and joined in 2022. She received her undergraduate degree in Bioengineering at Northeastern University in China and her master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Southern California, School of Pharmacy, where she conducted research in Dr. Camarero’s Lab and focused on the mechanism of action of a newly synthesized peptide drug in lung cancer and ovary cancer.
Huiting is excited to start working on CYP4F omega hydroxylases and their association with cancer progression.
Na Yoon Kang, Pharm.D. cand.
Student Research Assistant
Contact: nak176@pitt.edu
My name is Na Yoon Kang, and I am a P1 Student Pharmacist at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Pharmacy. It is my first year taking a mentored research elective and I am looking forward to learn many different techniques and information about the CYP450 enzyme.
Rachel Kim, Pharm.D. cand.
Student Research Assistant
Contact: Rachel.kim105@pitt.edu
Rachel is a P2 Pharm.D. candidate and is our first student research assistant. She is excited to be in the lab and learn more about biochemistry!
Sutapa Ray, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Associate
Contact: sur58@pitt.edu
Sutapa is the first Brixius postdoc and joined in 2022. She received her B.S. in Chemistry at the University of Calcutta (India), a M.S. in Microbiology and Microbial Technology at the University of Kalyani (India), and a Ph.D. in Biotechnology at University of Calcutta. She then joined the lab of Allan Rettie at UW Pharmacy and fell in love with P450 enzymes.
She then worked as a Research Associate in Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute Technology Kharagpur (India) on her own project focusing on human aromatase.
In the Brixius lab, Sutapa is eager to work on the biochemical and structural characterization of human fatty acid metabolizing CYP4F enzymes.
Benjamin Wang, M.S.
Ben received his undergraduate and Master’s degree in Biochemistry and Cellular Biology from University of California, San Diego, where he studied in Dr. Huilin Zhou’s lab which studies the role of protein SUMOylation in the regulation of DNA maintenance processes. His Master’s project was focused on the development of a SUMO and Ubiquitin substrate strap by enhancing the binding affinity of SUMO and
Ubiquitin proteases with directed enzyme evolution. His current research interest is using structural biology and biophysical techniques to understand the underlying mechanism to enzyme catalysis and binding interaction with ligands.
The Brixius Lab 