Neil V. Sapra
nvsapra@stanford.edu
EDUCATION
RESEARCH
EXPERIENCE
Stanford University. Stanford, CA
Department of Physics
Ph.D., Physics
06/2015 - Present
University of California, San Diego. La Jolla, CA
B.S., Physics with Specialization in Computation
B.S., Mathematics-Computer Science
Summa cum laude
09/2011 - 06/2015
Doctoral Student
09/2015 - Present
Department of Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering, Ginzton Laboratory
Advisor: Jelena Vuckovic, Ph.D.
• Adjoint optimization of photonic cavities to improve quality factor, reduce
mode volumes, and increase out-coupling efficiency
• Engineering cavity QED systems for indistinguishable single-photon sources
Rotation Student
06/2015 - 09/2015
Department of Physics, Applied Physics, Ginzton Laboratory
Advisor: Benjamin L. Lev, Ph.D.
• Aim to realize quantum soft matter systems through the interaction between a Bose-Einstein condensate and light within a multimode cavity.
• Development of digital PID controller and graphical user interface to frequency stabilize a laser.
• Design, development, and implementation of software to control Andor
EMCCD camera for imaging cavity output.
Undergraduate Researcher
09/2014 - 06/2015
Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego
Advisor: Julio T. Barreiro, Ph.D.
• Aim to build a fermionic quantum computer by utilizing ultracold Strontium atoms on optical lattices.
• Construction of large-scale frequency-synthesis system, based on direct digital synthesizers (DDS) and micro-controllers.
• Design and assembly of printed circuit boards for power supply to DDS
system.
Undergraduate Researcher
09/2011 - 09/2014
Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Advisor: Michael K. Gilson, M.D., Ph.D.
• Computational investigation of differences in thermodynamic properties of
HIV protease with respect to various inhibitors
• In silico modeling of supramolecular host-guest and protein-ligand binding
• Development of solvation models to describe the hydration of proteins,
supramolecular receptors, and small-molecules
• Validation of classical molecular forcefields using quantum chemistry models
TEACHING
EXPERIENCE
Research Mentor
02/2015 - 06/2015
• Assisted two undergraduate physics students, Kyle Lewis and Nikhil Mathur,
in their projects
• Provided guidance and training in using laboratory equipment, electronics,
and procedures
• Introduced concepts in quantum mechanics and atomic physics
Teaching Assistant
10/2014 - 11/2014
• Teaching assistant for PHYS 105: Mathematical and Computational Physics
• Assisted students to solve problems in physics and engineering via analytical and numerical methods.
COMPUTER
PROFICIENCIES
Languages: C, C++, Java, Python, ARM Assembly, Cuda, OpenMP, HTML,
CSS, LATEX
Operating Systems: Linux, Windows, Mac
Mathematical Modeling Software: Matlab, Mathematica
Printed Circuit Board Design: EAGLE, Altium
Computational Chemistry Software: Maestro, MacroModel, VMD, AMBER
AWARDS
UCSD Physics Department, Honors Distinction
Shang-keng Ma Award
Dean’s Undergraduate Award for Excellence (Physics)
Dean’s Undergraduate Award for Excellence (Mathematics)
University of California, San Diego AMGEN Scholar
Barry M. Goldwater Scholar
Calit2 Research Scholar
UCSD Sixth College, Honors Program
PUBLICATIONS
Muddana, Hari S., Neil V. Sapra, Andrew T. Fenley, and Michael K. Gilson.
“The SAMPL4 hydration challenge: evaluation of partial charge sets with explicitwater molecular dynamics simulations.” Journal of Computer-Aided Molecular
Design (2014), 28, 277.
06/2015
06/2015
11/2014
11/2014
04/2013
03/2013
06/2012
09/2011
Muddana, Hari S., Jian Yin, Neil V. Sapra, Andrew T. Fenley, and Michael K.
Gilson. “Blind prediction of SAMPL4 cucurbit [7] uril binding affinities with the
mining minima method.” Journal of Computer-Aided Molecular Design (2014)
28, 463.
Muddana, Hari S.*, Neil V. Sapra*, Andrew T. Fenley, and Michael K. Gilson.
“The electrostatic response of water to neutral polar solutes: implications for
continuum solvent modeling.” The Journal of Chemical Physics (2013), 138,
224504. *Authors contributed equally
PRESENTATIONS
Talks
•
•
•
•
American Chemical Society UCSD Chapter (11/2013), “Undergraduate Research in Computational Chemistry”
UCSD Summer Research Conference (08/2013), “Thermodynamics of displacing water from binding sites.”
Faculty Mentor Program Symposium (04/2013), “The electrostatic response
of water: Implications for continuum solvent modeling.”
UCSD Undergraduate Research Conference (04/2013), “The electrostatic
response of water: Implications for continuum solvent modeling.”
•
•
CalIT2 Summer Research Program (07/2012), “Bridging the gap between
explicit and implicit solvation models.”
UCSD Summer Research Conference (09/2012),“ Bridging the gap between
explicit and implicit solvation models.”
Posters
• UC San Diego Family Weekend 2013 (10/2013), “The Nonlinear Electrostatic Response of Water: Implications for Continuum Solvent Modeling”
• SAMPL4 Conference at Stanford University (09/2013), “Host-Guest Binding with Mining Minima and Hydration Free Energy via Thermodynamic
Integration”
• 14th UC Systemwide Bioengineering Symposium (06/2013), “The Nonlinear Electrostatic Response of Water: Implications for Continuum Solvent
Modeling”
• ACSSA Undergraduate Research Symposium (05/2013), “On the nonlinear
electrostatic response of water.”
• Biomedical Engineering Society Exposition (02/2013), “On the nonlinear
electrostatic response of water.”
• Calit2 Summer Research Symposium (09/2012), “Bridging the gap between
explicit and implicit solvation models.”
OUTREACH
UCSD Young Physicists Program
05/2014 - 06/2015
Beach Physics Camp
04/2015
Space Day at the San Diego Air and Space Museum
05/2014
San Diego Science Festival Expo
03/2014
San Diego STEAM Connect
04/2014
Reinvest in Innovation Project
08/2013
Institute of the Americas Science and Innovation Summer Camp
07/2013
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
Conference and Workshop Participation
• Bay Area Cold-Atom Meeting
• SAMPL4 Conference at Stanford University
• 26th Annual Symposium of The Protein Society
• Team Internship Program Leadership Workshop
• Skaggs School of Pharmacy Workshop on Allostery
• 243rd American Chemical Society National Meeting
09/2015
09/2013
08/2012
06/2012
03/2012
03/2012
Memberships
• Stanford SPLASH
• Stanford Graduate Students of Applied Physics and Physics
• Society of Physics Students
• Women in Physics (supporting member)
• American Physical Society
• American Chemical Society
Activities
• UCSD Faculty-Mentor Program
• Course on Public Speaking
• Undergraduate Seminars on Physics
• CCL: Professional communications seminars
• CCL: Public speaking seminars
• Certification in computer graphics
2012 - 2015
07/2014
09/2013 - 12/2013
06/2012
06/2012
2010