Sarah A Harris

Early life and education Harris was an undergraduate student in physics at the University of Oxford. She was a graduate student at the University of Nottingham where she studied the structure and dynamics of DNA.

Research and career Harris joined University College London where she worked on condensed matter physics. She joined the faculty at the University of Leeds in 2004, where she holds a joint position at the Astbury Centre for Structural and Molecular Biology. Her research considers the development of theoretical and computational biophysical tools to address open questions in molecular biophysics. Harris was involved with the development of Fluctuating Finite Element Analysis, a mesoscale modelling tool that makes use of continuum mechanics used to predict bimolecular dynamics in globular macromolecules and proteins. FFEA makes use of 3D volumetric information, such as Cryo Electron Tomography maps. The project unites biochemists, biophysicists and computer scientists in an effort to better understand biomolecular processes.

Alongside the scientific insights that can be gained from biophysical simulations, Harris is interested in the artistic outputs of theoretical biology. She published a collection of images that were generated during theoretical biology. Cooperativity in drug-DNA recognition: a molecular dynamics study Structural diversity of supercoiled DNA

Awards and honours She won the Suffrage Science award in 2019.