Working Together
Our research requires the coming together of many different disciplines to understand structure and function relationships of proteins.
Typically, our group comprises researchers with backgrounds from chemistry, physics, computer science, structural and molecular biology, as well as scientists skilled in proteomics and lipidomics and those interested in developing instrumentation.
Bringing together these skillsets enables us to tackle challenging biological questions. For example, how are receptors, ion channels and transporters regulated and controlled.
Xingyu Qiu (Philip)
Contact information: xingyu.qiu@exeter.ox.ac.uk
DPhil title: Investigating the GPCR activation process through mass spectrometry related methods
Philip is studying the GPCR activation mechanism through mass spectrometry related methods including HDX, native MS and ion mobility. Exploration of GPCR-ligand interaction during the receptor activation will promote the development of drug targeting on GPCRs.
Philip studied Chemistry at University of Oxford and joined the Robinson Group for his DPhil studies in 2018.
Abraham Oluwole
Contact information: abraham.oluwole@chem.ox.ac.uk
Abraham uses lipid/polymer nanodiscs as a platform to capture membrane proteins together with their endogenous ligands for analysis by native mass spectrometry. This may assist our understanding of native structure and function of membrane proteins in a more native-like lipid-bilayer environment.
Abraham studied Chemistry at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso and at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. During his PhD, he investigated the use of lipid/polymer nanodiscs in biophysical characterisation of membrane proteins at the University of Kaiserslautern, Germany under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Sandro Keller. He joined the Robinson group in 2018.
Tarick El-Baba
Contact information: tarick.el-baba@chem.ox.ac.uk
Tarick’s research is focused on characterising membrane proteins involved with multidrug resistance using native mass spectrometry, proteomics, and molecular biology. His research aims to identify the mechanisms involved with drug recognition, efflux pump assembly, and substrate translocation. Tarick’s background is primarily in mass spectrometry instrument development.
Tarick obtained his BSc in Chemistry from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan and his PhD from Indiana University where he developed new ion mobility-mass spectrometry instruments to study protein folding in the group of Prof. David E. Clemmer. He joined the Robinson Group in 2019 as a Royal Society Newton International Fellow. A complete list of his publications can be found here.
Corinne Lutomski
Contact information: corinne.lutomski@chem.ox.ac.uk
Corinne’s background is in the development of new techniques in mass spectrometry to study large protein complexes. Her research aims to further develop detergent-free methods to study GPCRs in the context of their native environments and investigate the modulating effects of lipids on structure, dynamics, and ligand binding. A full list of Corinne’s publications can be found here. (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ajsWw90AAAAJ&hl=en)
Corinne received a BSc in Chemistry at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She then completed her PhD at Indiana University under the supervision of Prof. Martin Jarrold. Corinne joined the Robinson group as a Marie Curie Fellow in 2019.
Aziz Qureshi
Contact information: aziz.qureshi@chem.ox.ac.uk
The focus of Aziz's research is to understand how the dynamic lipid composition of biological membranes shape the structural and functional architecture of their resident transport proteins. Employing native-mass spectrometry in combination with other MS-based approaches, he aims to establish ligand and drug screening platforms for solute carriers in the context of their native lipid environment.
Aziz completed his undergraduate studies in biochemistry from the University of Karachi, Pakistan. He completed an MSc at Uppsala University, Sweden followed by his PhD at Stockholm University. He joined the Robinson group in 2021.
Neha Kalmankar
Contact information: neha.kalmankar@chem.ox.ac.uk
Neha's research focus is on understanding the physiology of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and their modulation in response to extracellular signals using native mass spectrometry (nMS). She is interested in combining nMS with orthogonal techniques like top-down sequencing, proteomics, transcriptomics and structural bioinformatics, to capture the dynamics of GPCR signal transduction in the context of its native lipid environment, with a particular focus on receptors that use endogenous peptides as ligands.
Neha completed her Bachelor in Engineering (in Biotechnology) from Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology and subsequently obtained her PhD from the National Centre for Biological Science, Bangalore, Indian. She joined the Robinson Group in 2022. A complete list of her publications can be found at Neha V Kalmankar - Google Scholar.
Maya Miller
Contact information: maya.miller@chem.ox.ac.uk
Maya's research is focused on ABC transporters and metalloproteins that are involved in health and disease. She is engaged in identifying new biological targets for drug discovery, using native mass spectrometry, genomics, and molecular biology techniques. A full list of Maya's publication can be found at Maya Miller - Google Scholar.
Maya studied chemistry at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, and completed her PhD in Bioinorganic Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Jerusalem, Israel. She joined the Robinson group in 2022.
Haigang Song
Contact information: haigang.song@chem.ox.ac.uk
Haigang's research is focused on membrane proteins related to multidrug resistance (MDR) of invasive fungi. He aims to reveal the molecular mechanism underlaying the MDR by combining native mass spectrometry (nMS), proteomics, structural biology and other biophysical methods. Haigang has a strong background in structural enzymology and now turns his interest to nMS. His publication list can be found here.
Haigang obtained his Bachelor's degree majoring in Chemistry from the University of Science and Technology of China and his PhD from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Before joining the Robinson Group in 2022, he worked with Professor Jim Naismith.
Carla Kirschbaum
Contact information: carla.kirschbaum@chem.ox.ac.uk
Carla is interested in the role of protein-lipid interactions in the cell membrane in health and disease. In particular, she investigates how the altered lipid metabolism in diseased cells affects the structure and function of membrane proteins using native mass spectrometry in combination with laser-induced photodissociation.
Carla studied Chemistry at Freie Universität Berlin and Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris. She completed her PhD in 2023 in collaboration with the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society under the supervision of Prof. Kevin Pagel. A full list of her publications can be found here: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3192-0785. Carla joined the Robinson Group in 2023.
Jingjin Fan
Contact information: jingjin.fan@chem.ox.ac.uk
Jingjin’s research is focused on advancing soft-landing methods to explore the gas-phase structure and conformational variability of membrane proteins. Her research aims to deepen the understanding of protein structures in the gas phase, with important implications for shedding light on protein structure in unique environments.
During her PhD, Jingjin developed the microdroplet ESI soft-landing platform and investigated the structural integrity of soluble proteins and the process of amyloid fibrillation under supervision of Prof. Xiaoyu Zhou and Prof. Zheng Ouyang at Tsinghua University. Her publication list can be found here.
Jingjin joined the Robinson Group and Rauschenbach Group in 2023 and became a Marie Curie Fellow in 2024.
Kiran Bountra
Contact information: kiran.bountra@chem.ox.ac.uk
Kiran’s research is focused on applying native mass spectrometry and biochemical methods to the study of membrane transport proteins involved in multidrug resistance. He previously worked as a Senior Scientist at OMass Therapeutics, specializing in drug discovery projects targeting solute carriers.
Kiran studied Biochemistry at the University of Sheffield. He also holds an MRes and PhD from Imperial College London. During his PhD, Kiran investigated the structure and mechanism of peptide ABC transporters. He joined the Robinson Group in 2024.
Ye Xin
Contact information: ye.xin@chem.ox.ac.uk
Ye's research is focused on studying therapeutic GPCR activation and antagonism using native MS, HDX-MS, and top-down MS, to gain insight into structural and functional mechanisms of GPCR, with the goal of uncovering details that could guide therapeutic strategies. Her publication can be found at Ye Xin - Google Scholar.
Ye completed her PhD at ShanghaiTech University under the supervision of Prof. Wenqing Shui, where she developed a hybrid screening platform based on affinity selection MS to accelerate GPCR ligand discovery. She joined the Robinson Group in 2024.
Xue Sun (Sophia)
Contact information: xue.sun@chem.ox.ac.uk
Sophia is investigating on understanding how mass spectrometry can be leveraged to reveal the molecular details of membrane protein glycosylation and its role in therapeutic interactions. Her research combines advanced native mass spectrometry and ion mobility technologies to characterise membrane protein-lipid complexes and glycan-mediated modulation of protein structure and function. Sophia received her BS and MS degrees in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Analysis from Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, followed by an MPhil in Biotechnology from Queens University, Belfast. In 2021, she received state funding from the China Scholarship Council and holds an Honorary Fellowship in Professor Lingjun Li's lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. In 2024, she earned her PhD in Biophysics at Peking University under the supervision of Professor Catherine C. L. Wong, developing high-resolution proteomics methods for protein glycosylation and biomarker discovery in immune disorders. She joined the Robinson Group in March 2025.Cameron Fairweather
Contact information: cameron.fairweather@chem.ox.ac.uk
Cameron's research focus is developing workflows for the purification of large membrane protein complexes from brain tissue for analysis by mass spectrometry.
Cameron completed his BSc (Hons) at the University of Melbourne in 2016, then worked as a research scientist at CSL. In 2025 he completed his PhD at Monash University, where he characterised the structure and dynamics of class B G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). He joined the Robinson Group in August 2025.
