Research Interest: Molecular Biology

PHD PROGRAM
Toxicology

RESEARCH INTEREST
Cardiovascular Biology, Cardiovascular Disease, Developmental Biology, Epigenetics & Chromatin Biology, Genomics, Metabolism, Molecular Biology, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Physiology, Pulmonary Research, Toxicology

Our research investigates the effects of air pollutants on maternal health, paternal health, and the health of their children. Through the use of genomics, metabolomics, and proteomics, we investigate the molecular underpinnings of diseases following exposures to pollutants during sensitive life stages. We have broad interests across many tissue systems and diseases relevant to fertility and pregnancy. Our work also explores the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis, investigating risks of metabolic diseases in offspring following maternal or paternal exposures to pollutants.

PHD PROGRAM
Biochemistry & Biophysics

RESEARCH INTEREST
Biochemistry, Biophysics, Evolutionary Biology, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Structural Biology, Virology

Our lab studies molecular interactions between bacteria and the viruses that infect them, called phage. For billions of years, phage and bacteria have been locked in a ‘molecular arms race’. To survive, bacteria have evolved many immune systems to protect against infection and, in response, phage have counter-adapted to evade these defenses. Our lab is interested in 1) understanding how these systems work biochemically and structurally and 2) discovering new factors involved in this ‘molecular arms race’. We are particularly interested in systems that share homology with human immune factors.

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Cell Biology, Metabolism, Molecular Biology

“I have no definitive areas of research I want to focus on specifically. I would like to do research looking at disease models in either disease/obesity or neurodegenerative disorders, but I am more of an open slate at this stage.”

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Structural Biology

“I am most interested in studying molecular mechanisms through the lens of protein biochemistry. I find proteins particularly interesting because they are responsible for many biological processes and are the targets for many therapeutic drugs. I want to study proteins to better understand issues relating to human health and disease at the biochemical scale.”

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Developmental Biology, Epigenetics, Epigenetics & Chromatin Biology, Molecular Biology

“I love studying epigenetics and its wide ranging applications from cancer biology to cell differentiation. In graduate school, I hope to explore the mechanisms and impacts of epigenetic regulation in normal development and disease conditions. I also have an interest in neuroscience and am interested in potentially conducting research on chromatin states epigenetic regulatory events within the brain.”

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Gene Therapy, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Neurobiology, Translational Medicine

“Within neuroscience, I am most interested in gene therapy and translational research questions as opposed to basic science questions. I prefer to have access to a clinical population (not necessarily conduct research on this population) whether that be through clinic visits or actual clinical models. I am fine working with animals and am interested in how animal models can be translated to clinical models. I am open to outside of neuroscience such as blood diseases.”

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Molecular Biology, Neurobiology, Translational Medicine

“I am primarily interested in studying cellular and molecular neurobiology of disease. I enjoy researching molecular mechanisms of inherited neurodegenerative diseases and would be interested in investigating the contribution of neuroimmunology and inflammation in disease pathogenesis. I would like to expand my knowledge of disease recapitulation in new stem cell models such as multi-cell type organoid cultures. Finally, I am interested in learning and applying bioinformatics analyses towards uncovering abnormal genetic signatures in inherited diseases.”

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Molecular Biology, Neurobiology, Pharmacology

“Broadly, I am interested in defining neural circuits involved in substance use disorders. I am particularly curious about understanding how these circuits can change in response to prolonged drug use and how these changes may impact behavior and affective states. For instance, I seek to explore questions such as: “How can substance use disorders, and the neural adaptations they induce, impact an individual’s ability to respond to stress?””

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Cell Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology

“I am interested in understanding the function of genes by studying the molecular interactions of their gene products and how these contribute to cellular and organismal health. I am also interested in mechanisms of gene regulation the dynamics of gene expression in response to internal and environmental cues. How genotype and phenotype are connected, and how gene expression responds to changes in the environment are broadly what I want to study. I would like to focus on discovering novel molecular mechanisms and ways of thinking about these basic biology concepts.”

PHD PROGRAM

RESEARCH INTEREST
Cancer Biology, Drug Discovery, Genetics, Molecular Biology

“I am interested in epigenetics and more specifically molecular mechanisms of disease. I want to enhance the knowledge that I gained in my previous research experience in an epigenetics and structural biology lab and transition into a lab that uses different techniques like CRISPR or genomic sequencing to look at the basic biology of what is happening in diseases such as cancer. I also have interests in drug design and drug discovery.”