About

Chiho Mak

Professor of Chemistry

Contact Information
E-mail: mak@tyrosine.usc.edu
Phone: (213) 740-4101
Office: SSC 705

LINKS
Faculty Profile on Departmental Website
 

Education
B.S. , University of California, Berkeley, 1984
Ph.D. , Stanford University, 1988
 

Postdoctoral Training
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of California, Berkeley, 1988-1990  
 

Description of Research

Summary Statement of Research Interests
Professor Mak studies and develops theoretical methods to understand the role of quantum mechanics in chemical processes occurring in clusters, liquids and proteins. He carries out computer simulations to study these processes, providing accurate solutions to the quantum dynamics of these systems. In the last few years, his research has continually pushed the capabilities of path integral simulations to new frontiers. He is currently studying computerized alternatives to determine the tertiary structures of RNAs and proteins. His "RNA folding" research is aimed at developing novel computer algorithms that are capable of predicting the tertiary structures of RNAs from their primary sequences alone.
 

Research Keywords
quantum dynamics and tunneling in condensed phases, electron transfer reactions in solution, biological and solid state systems, interfacial properties of polymer blends and solutions, RNA and protein folding and tertiary structures
 

Affiliations with Research Centers, Labs, and Other Institutions
Center for Applied Mathematical Sciences,http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/CAMS/
 

Publications

Journal Article
Mak, C. H. (2007). RNA conformational sampling: II. Multi-nucleotide loop closure. J. Phys. Chem. B.
Markovskiy, N. D., Mak, C. H. (2007). Path integral studies of methane rotations in 4He. J. Phys. Chem. B.
Mak, C. H. (2007). RNA Conformational Sampling: I. Single-Nucleotide Loop Closure. J. Comput. Chem..
Mak, C. H., Sharma, A. K. (2007). Reverse monte carlo method and its implications for generalized cluster algorithms. Phys. Rev. Lett.. Vol. 98
Mak, C. H. (2006). Large-scale simulations of the two-dimensional melting of hard disks. Phys. Rev. E. Vol. 73
Mak, C. H., Zakharov, S., Spry, D. B. (2005). Superfluidity in CH4-doped H-2 nanoclusters. J. Chem. Phys.. Vol. 122
Mak, C. H. (2005). Stochastic potential switching algorithm for Monte Carlo simulations of complex systems. J. Chem. Phys.. Vol. 122
Mak, C. H. (2004). A multigrid algorithm for sampling imaginary-time paths in quantum Monte Carlo simulations. J. Phys. Chem. B. Vol. 108, pp. 6760-6766.
 

Honors and Awards
USC Associates Award For Excellence In Teaching, 2008-2009   
USC Provost's Teaching with Technology Prize, 2007-2008   
NIH/NSF Career Development Award, 1992-1997  
Dreyfus Award, 1994  
Sloan Research Fellowship Recipient, 1991-1993  
USC Zumberge Research and Innovation Fund Award, 1990-1991   
Dreyfus Award, 1990  
 
 
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