Rana Ashkar is an assistant professor in the Physics Department at Virginia Tech. She received her undergraduate degree in Physics from the Lebanese University in Beirut, Lebanon, followed by a M.S. from the American University of Beirut, and a Ph.D. from Indiana University, Bloomington, U.S.A. Her doctoral work focused on model development for scattering from periodic nanostructures and was recognized by the Esther L. Kinsley dissertation award.
After her Ph.D., Dr. Ashkar held a joint postdoctoral position (2012-2015) at the National Institute of Science and Technology and the University of Maryland at College Park, where she used neutron scattering and other techniques to interrogate the interplay of structures and dynamics in advanced polymer nanocomposites and biomimetic lipid membranes. She then moved to Oak Ridge National Lab to start a prestigious Clifford G. Shull Fellowship (2015-2017) as an independent junior investigator. There, she initiated a program for investigating curvature-mediated membrane phenomena in nanopatterned lipid membranes. She also spearheaded the development of large-scale molecular dynamics simulations for modeling mesoscopic structural and dynamical membrane features beyond the small-patch limit of atomistic simulations.
Her current research group focuses on understanding structure-property relations in model cell membranes, with specific emphasis on membrane mechanics, membrane-protein interactions, and membrane responses to interfacial and environmental cues. Her research projects heavily utilize neutron and X-ray scattering methods, among other approaches, to explore membrane structures and dynamics over the mesoscopic scales of vital biological functions.
Besides scholarly achievements, Dr. Ashkar is committed to diversity and inclusion in STEM and has been an active member on several committees promoting a better environment for underrepresented and marginalized groups in science. She was the founder and first chairperson of the "Women in Neutron Sciences” program at Oak Ridge National Lab. She recently served as the Chair of the APS Climate Site Visits Program, the flagship program of the APS Committee on the Status of Women in Physics. Currently, she serves on the executive committee of the APS Division of Biological Physics (DBIO) and one of her priorities is to establish programs to empower marginalized groups and ensure equitable recognition of their contributions.
