Rate My Professor Richard Helm

Richard Helm is an associate professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), a position he has held since 2004. He earned a B.S. in Paper Science Engineering from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in 1982 and a Ph.D. in Forestry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1987. Helm's academic career at Virginia Tech commenced in 1992 as an assistant professor in the Department of Wood Science and Forest Products, where he advanced to associate professor from 1997 to 2000. Since January 2008, he has directed the Virginia Tech Mass Spectrometry Incubator (VT-MSI), a key facility supporting mass spectrometry-based research across the university. In January 2019, he was appointed Faculty Fellow for Shared Life Science Resources.

Helm's research employs advanced mass spectrometry techniques to address complex biological questions through proteomics and metabolomics, analyzing proteins and metabolites in microbial, plant, and animal systems. His investigations explore dynamic proteome and metabolome responses to environmental and genetic factors, advancing translational research in foods, feeds, environments, and tissues. Notable publications include "Fasting differentially alters the hypothalamic proteome of chickens from lines with the propensity to be anorexic or obese" (Nutr Diabetes, 2019), "Helix Cracking Regulates the Critical Interaction between RetS and GacS in Pseudomonas aeruginosa" (Structure, 2019), and "Membrane Proteomes and Ion Transporters in Bacillus anthracis and Bacillus subtilis Dormant and Germinating Spores" (J Bacteriol, 2019). His work has garnered over 8,500 citations on Google Scholar, with interests in glycoscience, proteomics, metabolomics, and cyanobacteria. Helm teaches BCHM 4115: General Biochemistry, supervises undergraduate research, and advises pre-medical students. He received the 2021 Andy Swiger Land Grant Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for establishing the VT-MSI and converting facilities into Virginia Tech's first COVID-19 testing site. In 2019, he was inducted into the Academy of Faculty Service Members for outstanding service in equipment acquisition, training, and university-wide research support.