Nic Steussy

Dr. C. Nicklaus Steussy received his Bachelor's of Arts degree in Biology and French from Carleton College in Minnesota. He then went to the Indiana University School of Medicine for his medical degree, followed by residency at the University of Minnesota in Duluth. He then worked for several years as a family practitioner in Greenbrier, TN, where he also served as the team physician for the Greenbrier Bobcats high school football team. A few years later, Dr. Steussy decided that his true passion was research, and returned to the Indiana University School of Medicine for his PhD with Professor Jean Hamilton. For his doctoral work he determined the structure of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase. Following the completion of his PhD, Dr. Steussy moved to Purdue to work in the lab of Professor Cynthia Stauffacher, where he is now a staff scientist and the self-styled "Tsar of Crystallography". His work in Professor Stauffacher's lab focuses on determining high-resolution structures of enzymes involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis in gram-positive pathogens in complex with small-molecule inhibitors, most notably Staphylococcus aureus, with the goal of targeted antibiotic development. Dr. Steussy enjoys building his own computers and baking breads, both completely from scratch.