Introducing Dr. Blake Wilson, New Faculty Member in the Department of Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry is pleased to welcome Dr. Christopher “Blake” Wilson, who will be joining us in January 2026 as a new faculty member specializing in physical chemistry. Dr. Wilson brings with him a wealth of expertise in magnetic resonance and the development of laboratory tools, along with a passion for both scientific discovery and mentoring the next generation of researchers.

Originally from the Washington, DC area, Blake spent much of his childhood abroad due to his parents’ careers. He received his B.S. in Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2013, where he carried out undergraduate research with Prof. Robert Griffin, and his Ph.D. in Physics at the University of California – Santa Barbara in 2019, where he was supervised by Profs. Mark Sherwin and Songi Han. He is currently finishing his postdoctoral fellowship at National Institutes of Health where he works closely with Dr. Robert Tycko studying protein folding and biomolecular interactions important for human health.

Dr. Wilson’s research aims to probe the structural behavior of biomolecules—especially proteins—using techniques grounded in physical chemistry. He is particularly interested in using magnetic resonance tools to investigate how proteins form complexes or fibrils linked to neurodegenerative diseases, as well as how viruses like HIV undergo complex molecular rearrangements to become infectious. “We’ve learned some things about the end product of those rearrangements and about the basic building blocks that go into it,” he says, “but we don’t understand the whole trajectory of how that maturation happens.” Though Dr. Wilson is a physical chemist, his work has similar objectives to that of the Pratt lab, which focuses on human longevity and improving quality of life in elderly patients.

At USC, Dr. Wilson was impressed by the Department’s breadth of research and commitment to rigorous education. He’s excited to build on the university’s strength in magnetic resonance by contributing new approaches to solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and integrating them with techniques like Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR)—areas where principal investigators such as Profs. Peter Qin and Susumu Takahashi are leading the way.

His work at USC will focus on developing new tools to capture fleeting molecular structures on the sub-millisecond timescale—an effort that could open doors to better understanding not only fundamental biological processes but also new avenues for drug development and therapeutic interventions. “Whenever you figure something out,” he says, “there’s always a new question that arises—or ten new questions, maybe.” This echoes the Department’s mission to explore the many complex mysteries within chemistry that have yet to be solved.

Dr. Wilson is a strong advocate for early engagement in scientific research. His own first research experience came in high school, and it proved to be a turning point. “It helped me figure out what I wanted to do with my life,” he says. He’s looking forward to mentoring students and preparing future chemists to contribute meaningfully to the field.

Outside the lab, Blake enjoys reading science fiction, hiking, and rock climbing—and he’s hoping to try surfing again once he relocates to Southern California. He’ll be moving to LA at the end of 2025 to begin his new role in January 2026.

Please join us in giving Dr. Blake Wilson a warm welcome to the Department of Chemistry and USC community!