Dr. Arold is a full Professor and Associate Dean of the Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), and a member of the Senior Management Team of the Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC) in the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). Before joining KAUST in May 2013, he worked as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Oxford, UK (1998–2001), and had faculty appointments at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) (2001–2009) and the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA (2009-2013).

Prof. Arold’s research aims at understanding the function and (de)regulation of cellular signaling networks in animals and plants. In particular, his research focuses on determining the molecular bases for cancer invasiveness, immune signaling and genetic diseases. His investigations are based on an integrated approach that combines structural biology (X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy, small angle X-ray scattering, NMR), computational methods, biophysical and functional analyses. Results obtained inspire targeted inhibitor design and biotech applications (sensors, nanoreactors) based on synthetic biology approaches. Since arriving in KAUST, he has established strong collaborations between KAUST and in-kingdom clinicians from several hospitals and research institutes (KFSH&RC, KAIMARC, KSU, KAU), where he uses his expertise to unravel the mechanistic bases for genetic diseases, allowing to personalize therapeutic approaches. Prof. Arold has published more than 150 publications in international journals, three book chapters, and obtained several patents.