Curriculum Vitae

Christopher Lockhart, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
School of Systems Biology
George Mason Unversity

GMU directory listing

Languages: English (native), French (DELF B2)

Education

• PhD, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, George Mason University (2015)
• BS, Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech (2010)
• BS, Psychology, Virginia Tech (2010)

Professional Experience

• Research Assistant Professor, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University (May 2021 - Present)
• Affiliate Faculty, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University (April 2018 - May 2021)
• Manager, Data Science, Scratch Financial, Inc. (March 2020 - April 2021)
• Sr. Data Scientist, Scratch Financial, Inc. (April 2019 - March 2020)
• Data Scientist, Aspiration Partners, Inc. (April 2018 - April 2019)
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University (January 2016 - March 2018)
• Adjunct Instructor, George Mason University (January 2016 - March 2018)
• Graduate Research Assistant, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University (February 2011 - December 2015)

Publications

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Published Abstracts

• Xie, L., Lockhart, C., Klimov, D. K., & Jafri, M. S. (2026) Accurate prediction of cancer drug resistant variants using molecular simulation, machine learning, and network modeling. Biophys. J. 125(4): 23a.
• Lockhart, C., Delfing, B. M., Laracuente, X. E., Olson, A., Luo, X., Jeffries, W., Foreman, K. W., Petruncio, G., Lee, K.-H., Paige, M., Kehn-Hall, K., & Klimov, D. K. (2025) Understanding the molecular mechanism of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus inhibition. Biophys. J. 124(3): 220a.
• Ganji, V. & Lockhart, C. (2024) Screening aggregation breakers of Alzheimer’s disease Aβ protofibrils using AutoDock CrankPep. J. Stud.-Sci. Res. 6, 4283.
• Jain, S. & Lockhart, C. (2023) RexDash: A comprehensive dashboard for analyzing the technical performance of replica-exchange molecular dynamics simulations. J. Stud.-Sci. Res. 5, 3926.
• Chawla, M. & Lockhart, C. (2023) De novo drug design for a protein binding site. J. Stud.-Sci. Res. 5, 3925.
• Díaz Delgado, M. J. & Lockhart, C. (2023) Network analysis of replica exchange simulations. J. Stud.-Sci. Res. 5, 3924.
• Gohil, K. & Lockhart, C. (2023) Binding of indolicin to the DMPC bilayer using molecular dynamics simulations. J. Stud.-Sci. Res. 5. 3923.
• Goldberg, J. F., de Filippi, C. R., Lockhart, C., McNair, E. R., Sinha, S., Kong, H., Najjar, S. S., Lohmar, B. J., Tchoukina, I., Shah, K., Feller, E., Hsu, S., Rodrigo, M. E., Jang, M., Marboe, C., Berry, G. J., Valantine, H. A., Agbor-Enoh, S., Shah, P. (2023) Dysregulated circulating proteins in cellular and antibody-mediated rejection, on behalf of the GRAfT investigators. J. Heart Lung Transplant. 42(4): S67-S68.
• Gohil, K. & Lockhart, C. (2022) Evaluating reduced and oxidized Aβ peptides using machine learning. J. Stud.-Sci. Res. 4., 3366.
• Lockhart, C., Smith, A. K., & Klimov, D. K. (2020) Methionine oxidation alters the mechanism of Aβ interaction with DMPC bilayers. Biophys. J. 118(3): 61a.
• Lockhart, C. & Klimov, D. K. (2017) Probing the binding of Aβ peptides to lipid bilayers. Biophys. J. 112(3): 364a.
• Lockhart, C. & Klimov, D. K. (2015) Binding of Aβ monomer to DMPC bilayer using isobaric-isothermal replica-exchange molecular dynamics. Biophys. J. 108(2): 64a-65a.
• Lockhart, C. & Klimov, D. K. (2013) Binding of FDDNP biomarker to Alzheimer’s disease Aβ peptide. Biophys. J. 104(2): 360a.

Presentations

• Xie, L., Lockhart, C., Klimov, D. K., & Jafri, M. S. “Accurate prediction of cancer drug resistant variants using molecular simulation, machine learning, and network modeling.” Biophysical Society 70th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, February 2026. (Poster).
• Han, Y., Sealey, L., Fu, Y., Chilin, L., Tiwari, S., Lockhart, C., Delfing, B. M., Jafri, M. S., Klimov, D. K., & Wu, Y. “The decameric repeat of PSGL-1 functions as a basic antiviral unit in restricting HIV-1 infectivity.” Retroviruses 50th Annual Meeting, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, May 2025 (Talk presented by Y. Han and B. M. Delfing).
• Han, Y., Sealey, L., Fu, Y., Chilin, L., Tiwari, S., Lockhart, C., Delfing, B. M., Jafri, M. S., Klimov, D. K., & Wu, Y. “The decameric repeat of PSGL-1 functions as a basic antiviral unit in restricting HIV-1 infectivity.” HIV Dynamics and Replication Program 28th Think Tank Meeting, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, April 2025 (Talk presented by Y. Han and B. M. Delfing).
• Tiwari, S., Delfing, B. M., Han, Y., Lockhart, C., Haikerwal, A., Jafri, M. S., Klimov, D. K., & Wu, Y. “PSGL-1 excludes HIV Env from virion surface through spatial hindrance involving structural folding of the decameric repeats.” HIV Dynamics and Replication Program 28th Think Tank Meeting, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD, April 2025 (Talk presented by S. Tiwari and B. M. Delfing).
• Lockhart, C., Delfing, B. M., Laracuente, X. E., Olson, A., Luo, X., Jeffries, W., Foreman, K. W., Petruncio, G., Lee, K.-H., Paige, M., Kehn-Hall, K., & Klimov, D. K. “Understanding the molecular mechanism of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus inhibition.” Biophysical Society 69th Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA, February 2025. (Poster).
• Ganji, V. & Lockhart, C. “Screening aggregation breakers of Alzheimer’s disease A\textbeta\ protofibrils using AutoDock CrankPep.” Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program Research Celebration, George Mason University, Manassas, VA, August 2024 (Poster presented by V. Ganji).
• Díaz Delgado, M. J. & Lockhart, C. “Network analysis of replica exchange simulations.” Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program Research Celebration, George Mason University, Manassas, VA, August 2023 (Poster presented by M. Díaz Delgado).
• Jain, S. & Lockhart, C. “RexDash: A comprehensive dashboard for analyzing the technical performance of replica-exchange molecular dynamics simulations.” Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program Research Celebration, George Mason University, Manassas, VA, August 2023 (Poster presented by S. Jain).
• Chawla, M. & Lockhart, C. “De novo drug design for a protein binding site.” Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program Research Celebration, George Mason University, Manassas, VA, August 2023 (Poster presented by M. Chawla).
• Gohil, K. & Lockhart, C. “Binding of indolicin to the DMPC bilayer using molecular dynamics simulations.” Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program Research Celebration, George Mason University, Manassas, VA, August 2023 (Poster presented by K. Gohil).
• Goldberg, J. F., de Filippi, C. R., Lockhart, C., McNair, E. R., Sinha, S., Kong, H., Najjar, S. S., Lohmar, B. J., Tchoukina, I., Shah, K., Feller, E., Hsu, S., Rodrigo, M. E., Jang, M., Marboe, C., Berry, G. J., Valantine, H. A., Agbor-Enoh, S., & Shah, P. “Dysregulated circulating proteins in cellular and antibody-mediated rejection, on behalf of the GRAfT Investigators.” ISHLT 43rd Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, April 2023 (Talk presented by J. F. Goldberg).
• Gohil, K. & Lockhart, C. “Evaluating reduced and oxidized A\textbeta\ peptides using machine learning.” Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program Research Celebration, George Mason University, Manassas, VA, August 2022 (Talk presented by K. Gohil).
• Lockhart, C., Smith, A. K., & Klimov, D. K. “Methionine oxidation alters the mechanism of Aβ interaction with DMPC bilayers.” Biophysical Society 64th Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, February 2020. (Poster).
• Lockhart, C. & Klimov, D. K. “Probing the binding of Aβ peptides to lipid bilayers.” Biophysical Society 61st Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, February 2017. (Poster).
• Lockhart, C. & Klimov, D. K. “Binding of Aβ monomer to DMPC bilayer using isobaric-isothermal replica-exchange molecular dynamics.” Biophysical Society 59th Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD, February 2015. (Poster).
• Lockhart. C. “Molecular dynamics simulations of peptides relevant to Alzheimer’s disease.” Colloquia of Computational Materials Science Center, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, October 2015. (Invited talk).
• Lockhart, C. & Klimov, D. K. “Binding of Aβ to DMPC bilayer.” Student Research Day, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas, VA, December 2014. (Oral presentation).
• Lockhart, C. & Klimov, D. K. “Binding of FDDNP biomarker to Alzheimer’s disease Aβ peptide.” Biophysical Society 57th Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, February 2013. (Oral presentation).
• Lockhart, C. & Klimov, D. K. “Binding of FDDNP biomarker to Alzheimer’s disease Aβ peptide.” Student Research Day, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Manassas, VA, December 2012. (Award-winning oral presentation).

Teaching Experience

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Mentoring

• PhD Dissertation Chair (4 current students)
• PhD Committee Member (8 current students; 1 graduated student)
• Masters Thesis/Project Chair (4 current students; 6 graduated students)
• Masters Committee Member (1 graduated student)
• ASSIP Mentor (6 previous interns)
• Course Director for Young Scholars Program

University Service

• Administers programming & math assessment for incoming Bioinformatics & Computational Biology graduate students, George Mason University, 2023-present
• Chair of College of Science Faculty Governance Nominations Committee, George Mason University, 2025-2026
• Member of School of Systems Biology Bylaws Committee, George Mason University, 2024-2026
• Member of College of Science Faculty Governance Nominations Committee, George Mason University, 2024-2025
• Developed Artificial Intellegence & Deep Learning in Bioinformatics (BINF 761), George Mason University, 2025
• Member of College of Science Dean’s Award Nominations Committee, George Mason University, 2023
• Developed Next Generation Sequencing Data Analysis (BINF 735), George Mason University, 2023
• Administered systems biology section of PhD comprehensive exam in the Bioinformatics & Computational Biology program, George Mason University, 2017-2021

Other Service

• Reviewer for NIH DMPB panel, 2023
• Reviewer for Biology Direct, Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal, Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Molecular Biology (Springer), and Nature Computational Science
• Contributor of programming expertise to the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CT, 2020
• Blogger for Biophysical Society 61st Annual Meeting

Honors & Awards

• Dean’s Research Support Award, College of Science, George Mason University, December 5, 2022
• Outstanding Doctoral Student Award, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, May 11, 2016
• Impact Award, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, May 15, 2013
• Student Research Day Outstanding Oral Presentation, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, December 4, 2012
• Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Award for Outstanding Research Achievement in the Course of Doctoral Studies, School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, May 16, 2012
• Navachat Tongvichit Bioinformatics Memorial Award, School of Systems Biology, George Mason Univeristy, May 19, 2011