Meet the team behind the research.
Dr. Francisco Fernandez-Lima joined the University of Georgia in 2026 as a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and Professor in the Department of Chemistry. His interdisciplinary research program focuses on developing next-generation mass spectrometry and ion mobility technologies for biomolecular, biomedical, environmental, and translational applications. He is internationally recognized for advancing trapped ion mobility spectrometry–mass spectrometry (TIMS-MS) and integrating high-resolution ion mobility separations with ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometry, electron- and ultraviolet-based fragmentation, molecular imaging, and computational approaches. His research spans structural biology, proteomics and proteoform analysis, epigenetics, metabolomics, protein–DNA interactions, complex-mixture characterization, and high-throughput analytical workflows for biomarker discovery and personalized medicine. Prior to joining UGA, Dr. Fernandez-Lima was a faculty member at Florida International University from 2012 to 2026, where he advanced from Assistant Professor to Full Professor and established a highly collaborative mass spectrometry research and training program. He earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Nuclear Physics from the Institute of Nuclear Sciences and Technology in Havana, Cuba, and a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, followed by postdoctoral training at Texas A&M University. His research has been supported by major NIH and NSF programs, including an NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award, an NSF CAREER Award, NIH R01 awards, and an NIH MIRA award. He has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications, holds a U.S. patent related to topoisomer screening, and has received numerous distinctions for research, innovation, and mentorship.
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I am currently a postdoctoral associate in an advanced mass spectrometry lab at University of Georgia. I have expertise in LC-MS, LC-MS/MS, TIMS-TOF, IMS-MS, FTICR-MS, tandem mass spectrometry, proteomics (top-down, bottom up). Skilled in extraction of Histones for investigating epigenetic modifications (histone post-translational modifications) and histone protein sequencing in various biological samples using both top-down and bottom-up proteomics. As a graduate student I had experience in recombinant protein purification and protein-ligand, protein-protein interactions through many analytical techniques (fluorescence, UV-visible, CD, stopped-flow kinetics, ITC, MS spectrometry) and molecular dynamics.
Click to flip backDr. Pablo Ramon Batista Oliveira is a physicist specializing in mass spectrometry, with expertise in developing gas-phase, post-ionization structural tools for the analysis of complex mixtures. He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Georgia. He earned his Ph.D. in Physical Sciences from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro in 2022. He also holds an M.S. in Physics from the Brazilian Center for Research in Physics, obtained in 2018, and a B.S. in Physics from the Federal University of Ceará, earned in 2015. His research focuses on the development of innovative tools that provide valuable insights into molecular structures. These tools enable mobility-selected conformation interrogation and facilitate the exploration of conformational changes from solution to the gas phase, offering critical information about energy barriers for conformational rearrangements and their associated time scales.
Click to flip backI’m a mass spectrometry scientist with a Ph.D. in Chemistry and experience in proteomics, ion mobility (TIMS, SLIM), HDX/HDbX, and LC-MS/MS method development. My work has centered on building and applying workflows for complex biological samples, with strengths in sample preparation, PTM analysis, structural characterization, noncovalent interactions, quantitative analysis, and instrument optimization. I’m especially interested in analytical science that supports biomarker discovery, translational research, and drug development. Outside the lab, I’m a dedicated independent cinema fan and an enthusiastic photographer.
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I am a Ph.D. Candidate in Chemistry studying the application of mass-spectrometry to biology with an emphasis in proteomics. I graduated from Florida International University in 2021 as a Real Triumphs Graduate with a B.S. in Biochemistry, a second major in Natural and Applied Sciences, and an undergraduate certificate in Women and Gender Studies. I completed my MS in Forensic Science at FIU with an emphasis on the applications of the genital microbiome to sexual assault cases. I am passionate about innovation through science and it's impact through real-life applications.
Click to flip backI am a 3rd year chemistry PhD student in the Fernandez-Lima lab. My research is focused on applying mass spectrometry-based techniques to characterize the structures of proteins, DNA, and their complexes. In 2023, I completed my undergraduate degree with a double major in Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology. Before starting my PhD, I worked at ThermoFisher Scientific as a Biopharmaceutical Technician in 2023-2024.
Click to flip backFormer lab members and where they are now.
Fernandez Lima Research Group
