Constance Kraay

Constance Kraay uses a multidisciplinary approach to study the dynamic conformations of biomolecules and their interactions. Her research provides insights into the regulatory mechanisms and functions of biomolecules, which are crucial for targeting them in drug discovery.

She is focused on developing innovative computational tools to identify molecules that modulate protein-protein interactions. Constance is a doctoral student in biophysics at Harvard University and a member of the Therapeutics Graduate Program at Harvard Medical School.

She received concurrent bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry from Harvard in 2023, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Prior to transferring to Harvard in 2021, she completed two years of study in the Natural Sciences Tripos at the University of Cambridge.

At Cambridge, Constance did experimental chemical biology research on the production of reactive oxygen species by a mitochondrial protein, as well as quantum chemistry research on the photophysical mechanism of a fluorescent dye used to image amyloid fibrils. At Harvard, she used statistical mechanics and molecular dynamics simulations to study how a small molecule suppresses the aggregation of a protein implicated in cataract disease.

Constance was born in Washington, D.C. Outside of her research, she teaches math and plays violin and piano, and she has enjoyed performing in several orchestras.