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Francesco Tombola

Francesco Tombola

Professor of Physiology and Biophysics

Associate Dean for Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, UCI SOM

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Biography

Francesco Tombola, Ph.D., is Associate Dean for Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. His research focuses on voltage-gated proton channels and voltage-sensing domains, examining their mechanisms of gating, permeation, and pharmacological modulation. Dr. Tombola received his Ph.D. in Molecular & Cellular Biology & Pathology from the University of Padua, Italy, where he studied the vacuolating cytotoxin VacA of Helicobacter pylori as a chloride channel.

The Tombola laboratory has made contributions to understanding the structure and function of the Hv1 voltage-gated proton channel, demonstrating that it contains two pores controlled by cooperative voltage sensors and identifying novel small-molecule inhibitors that target the voltage-sensing domain. His work has expanded to include mechanosensitive ion channels, particularly Piezo1, showing that this stretch-activated channel directs lineage choice in human neural stem cells. His research has also characterized voltage-gated proton channels from diverse organisms including fungi and plants, revealing evolutionary variations in channel activation mechanisms.

Dr. Tombola was elected to receive the Paul F. Cranefield Award from the Society of General Physiologists in 2017. He has served in multiple administrative roles at UC Irvine, including Vice-Chair of the Department of Physiology & Biophysics and Graduate Faculty Advisor. His research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the American Heart Association. He has mentored numerous graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and undergraduate researchers, and serves on editorial boards and grant review panels for national and international funding agencies.

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Education

  • B.S. – M.S. in Chemistry, University of Padua, Italy, 1994
  • Ph.D. in Molecular & Cellular Biology & Pathology, University of Padua, Italy, 2001
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Distinctions

  • Paul F. Cranefield Award from the Society of General Physiologists, 2017
  • American Heart Association WSA Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2004-2006
  • University of Padua Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2002
  • Young Investigator Award, University of Padua, 2001
  • Italian National Research Council Fellowship, 2001
  • Doctoral Fellowship of the Italian Ministry of Education, 1997-2000
  • Italian Telethon Fellowship, 1996
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Areas of Expertise

  • Ion Channel Biophysics
  • Voltage-Sensing Domain Mechanisms
  • Proton Channel Gating
  • Bacterial Toxin Membrane Permeation
  • Mechanotransduction in Stem Cells
  • Small Molecule Channel Inhibition
  • Plant Voltage-Gated Channels

Recent Publications

  • P. Rodriguez, M. E. Marshall, J. Tran Chau, J. Abdelmeseh, J. L. Nourse, F. Tombola, E. Pearlman, S. Abbondante, “An essential role for the Hv1 voltage-gated proton channel in Pseudomonas aeruginosa corneal infections”, Journal of Leukocyte Biology, vol. 117, no. 11, pp. qiaf147, 2025.
  • C. Zhao, P.D. Webster, A. De Angeli, F. Tombola, “Mechanically-primed voltage-gated proton channels from angiosperm plants”, Nature Commun., vol. 14, pp. 7515, 2023.
  • S. Noh, F. Tombola, P. Burke, “Nanowire biosensors with olfactory proteins: towards a genuine electronic nose with single molecule sensitivity and high selectivity”, Nanotechnology, vol. 34, pp. 465502, 2023.
  • C. Zhao, L. Hong, S. Riahi, V.T. Lim, D.J. Tobias, F. Tombola, “A novel Hv1 inhibitor reveals a new mechanism of inhibition of a voltage-sensing domain”, J. Gen. Physiol., vol. 153, no. 9, pp. e202012833, 2021.
  • C. Zhao, L. Hong, J.D. Galpin, S. Riahi, V.T. Lim, P.D. Webster, D.J. Tobias, C.A. Ahern, F. Tombola, “HIFs: new arginine mimic inhibitors of the Hv1 channel with improved VSD-ligand interactions”, J. Gen. Physiol., vol. 153, no. 9, pp. e202012832, 2021.
  • C. Zhao, F. Tombola, “Voltage-gated proton channels from fungi highlight role of peripheral regions in channel activation”, Commun. Biol., vol. 4, pp. 261, 2021.
  • V.T. Lim, J.A. Freites, F. Tombola, D.J. Tobias, “Thermodynamics and Mechanism of the Membrane Permeation of Hv1 Channel Blockers”, J. Membr. Biol., vol. 254, pp. 5-16, 2021.
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Contact Information

Website: https://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=5609

Email: ftombola@uci.edu

Phone: (949) 824-9137

Address: Lab: D380 Med Sci I

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This profile was created with the help of AI.

Last updated on 5/12/2026.