Danila Barskiy

Principal Investigator

Danila Barskiy is an Associate Professor of Chemistry and a member of the Frost Institute for Chemistry and Molecular Sciences at the University of Miami. He leads a research group developing quantitative NMR methods that combine hyperpolarization, low- and ultralow-field detection, and quantum sensing. The lab emphasizes hands-on method development, modeling and simulation, and careful experimental design, with applications ranging from metabolic flux measurements in cells to fragment-based drug discovery. Danila earned his PhD at Novosibirsk State University, completed postdoctoral training at Vanderbilt University and UC Berkeley, and previously led an independent research group in Mainz, Germany. He is a recipient of the Sofja Kovalevskaja Award, the Erwin Schrödinger Prize of the Helmholtz Centers, and the 2025 Varian Young Investigator Award.

CV

Karsten Ugonna Chima

Undergraduate Researcher

Aaron Bagwell

Undergraduate Researcher

JOIN THE LAB

We welcome students with training in chemistry, physics, electrical engineering, applied mathematics, or computer science, especially those interested in NMR, analytical chemistry, chemical kinetics, hyperpolarization, and emerging quantum sensing measurement methods.

What you would work on (current focus projects): 1) HyperFlux: pyruvate-to-lactate conversion in cells Develop hyperpolarized NMR methods to quantitatively measure metabolic and transmembrane fluxes in cell cultures without radioactive tracers. Work includes hyperpolarization chemistry (PHIP/SABRE), benchtop NMR, kinetic modeling, automation, and data analysis of real-time metabolic readouts. 2) Hyperpolarized Xe-129 relaxometry for fragment-based drug discovery Build a low-field, magnetometry-compatible platform where hyperpolarized xenon reports on fragment–protein binding via relaxation and exchange. Projects span assay design, relaxometry models, signal processing, data analysis, and benchmarking against orthogonal biophysical methods. Skills you will develop NMR spectroscopy and relaxometry · chemical kinetics and quantitative modeling · hyperpolarization workflows · low-field instrumentation · MATLAB/Python simulation and data analysis. How to apply / contact Email: barskiy AT miami DOT edu