Biological Sciences welcomes new faculty members
09-03-2026
The future of biological science is increasingly shaped by collaboration across disciplines, new technologies and innovative approaches to understanding life. Purdue University’s Department of Biological Sciences is strengthening that future with the addition of four faculty members whose expertise spans artificial intelligence, computational biology, immunology, biotechnology and cellular research.
Raluca Ostafe, Nandini Krishnamoorthy, Runxi Shen and Anne Carpenter bring diverse perspectives and complementary expertise to the department, expanding its research capabilities and creating new opportunities to address complex questions in biology and human health.
Anne Carpenter- Irwin Tessman Professor- Dr. Carpenter will be bringing internationally recognized expertise in artificial intelligence, computational biology, and image-based cellular profiling. A pioneer in AI-driven biological discovery and creator of widely adopted open-source tools for high-content image analysis, she is helping advance Purdue’s leadership at the intersection of biology, data science, and medicine.
Nandini Krishnamoorthy- Assistant Professor- Dr. Krishnamoorthy is an expert in immunology and early-life immunity, her research explores how innate and adaptive immune responses shape lung health and disease, with the goal of advancing new therapeutic approaches for asthma, viral infections, and immune regulation. Her expertise will further strengthen our growing research programs in immunology, host–pathogen interactions, and integrative biology.
Raluca Ostafe- Research Associate Professor- Dr. Ostafe develops innovative technologies to engineer and discover improved enzymes for biotechnology and biomedical applications. Her research combines molecular evolution, high-throughput screening using flow cytometry and microfluidics, and advanced methods for enzyme assay development, recombinant protein production, and purification across multiple expression systems.
Runxi Shen- Research Assistant Professor- Dr. Shen’s research leverages artificial intelligence and deep learning to analyze cell painting data and generate robust representations of cellular phenotypes. By revealing how genetic variants reshape cellular states, his work aims to advance our understanding of disease mechanisms and identify new therapeutic opportunities.
“Biology is increasingly driven by the ability to connect discoveries across scales, disciplines and technologies,” said Peristera Paschou, professor and head of the Department of Biological Sciences. “These outstanding new faculty bring expertise that expands what we can do as a department and creates exciting opportunities for collaboration, discovery and impact. Together, they strengthen our ability to address some of the most important questions in biology and human health further contributing to Purdue’s broader One Health mission.”
About the Department of Biological Sciences at Purdue University
The Department of Biological Sciences is the largest life sciences department at Purdue University. As part of Purdue One Health, we are dedicated to pioneering scientific discoveries and transformative education at the cutting edge of innovation. From molecules to cells, from tissues to organisms, from populations to ecosystems- we bring together multiple perspectives, integrating across biological scales to advance our understanding of life and tackle the world’s most pressing challenges. Learn more at bio.purdue.edu.
Written by: Alisha Willett, Senior Communications Specialist, amwillet@purdue.edu
Contributors: Peristera Paschou