Current Trainees

My research focuses on understanding and mimicking cellular communication through ion channels.

Fun Fact: I have run two half marathons.

Degree Program: Chemistry

Lab: Baker

Undergrad Institution: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

My research focuses on how coordinated metabolic signals regulate surface attachment and biofilm formation in Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Fun Fact: I played the harp for 10 years.

Degree Program: Microbiology

Lab: Fuqua

Undergrad Institution: The University of Puget Sound

My research focuses on studying methodology for the synthesis of fluorinated unnatural amino acids and other fluorinated biological moieties

Fun Fact: My hobbies include playing disc golf and watching the Detroit Red Wings

Degree Program: Chemistry

Lab: Snaddon

Undergrad Institution: Alma College

My research focuses on the role of ADARs (Adenosine Deaminases that Act on RNA) and Adenosine-to-Inosine RNA editing in the germline of C. elegans.

Fun Fact: I love cooking and baking.

Degree Program: Biology

Lab: Hundley

Undergrad Institution: Illinois Wesleyan University

My research focuses on the intersection of metabolism and cell wall synthesis in Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Fun Fact: I have climbed Mt. Fuji and have danced for 20+ years.

Degree Program: Microbiology

Lab: Winkler

Undergrad Institution: Bucknell University

My research focuses on investigating the phosphate starvation response and its role on biofilm formation in the plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumafaciens.

Fun Fact: I started the wave at Dodger stadium.

Degree Program: Microbiology

Lab: Fuqua

Undergrad Institution: California State University - LA

My research focuses on the synthesis of a small molecule library to aid in computational modeling for drug design.

Fun Fact: I love dogs.

Degree Program: Chemistry

Lab: VanNieuwenhze

Undergrad Institution: University of Southern Indiana

My research focuses on polyploid contributions to genome instability.

Fun Fact: I have been running track for 10 years and now do marathons.

Degree Program: Cell, Molecular, and Cancer Biology

Lab: Walczak

Undergrad Institution: Penn State

My research focuses on cell signaling mechanisms in the unicellular protozoan Capsaspora owczarzaki and its link to the parasitic disease schistosomiasis.

Fun Fact: I love rock hounding and lapidary.

Degree Program: Chemistry

Lab: Gerdt

Undergrad Institution: New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

My research focuses on the role of phase separation and disordered domains in oncogenic transcriptional co-activators.

Fun Fact: My favorite movie is Shrek

Degree Program: Cell, Molecular, and Cancer Biology

Lab: Hollenhorst

Undergrad Institution: Michigan State University

My research focuses on the structure and assembly of SARS-Cov-2 Nucleocapsid protein.

Fun Fact: I love skiing, gardening, and birdwatching.

Degree Program: Biochemistry

Lab: Zlotnick

Undergrad Institution: Indiana University Bloomington

My research focuses on protein interactions, structure-function, and dynamics necessary for cell wall synthesis in the pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Fun Fact: I had a dislocated clavicle for 5 months that was repositioned using a cadaver ligament. I have yet to break a bone though.

Degree Program: Microbiology

Lab: Winkler

Undergrad Institution: Idaho State University

My research focuses on using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to study metal-dependent biological systems found in pathogenic bacteria

Fun Fact: I have free-dived and scuba-dived with sharks multiple times!

Degree Program: Chemistry

Lab: Giedroc

Undergrad Institution: UC Berkeley

My research focuses on developing and understanding cancer therapeutics that specifically target diseased tissue inhibiting one-carbon metabolism, and more specifically purine synthesis pathway, within the cell.

Fun Fact: I am a big fan of Jurassic Park.

Degree Program: Chemistry

Lab: Dann

Undergrad Institution: Gannon University

My research focuses on exploring metal-dependent responses in bacteria such as Acinetobacter baumannii and discover their role regarding survival within vertebrate hosts.

Fun Fact: I like playing guitar and drawing.

Degree Program: Chemistry

Lab: Giedroc

Undergrad Institution: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

My research focuses on creating optical traps inside microfluidic devices and using them for bio-particle trapping, sorting, and directing. We hypothesize that we can create these optical traps using extraordinary optical transmission (EOT) through subwavelength apertures in a metal film.

Fun Fact: I love to cook for my wife and daughter. It's like chemistry I can eat. I grew up watching cooking shows that focus on the science behind food and cooking. So if this Ph.D. doesn't work out, look for me on Iron Chef.

Degree Program: Chemistry

Lab: Jacobson

Undergrad Institution: Brigham Young University

My research focuses on the development of anticancer metallodrugs capable of spatiotemporally controlled therapeutic radical generation. Piggybacking triggerable ligand-based radical generation with metal-based antitumor reactivity has the potential to give metallodrugs with higher potency that can be administered at lower doses than those currently used in the clinic."

Fun Fact: I have three pet rats, two of which are named after a pair of Nobel prize-winning organic chemists famous for exploring cycloaddition reactions.  Can you guess who?

Degree Program: Inorganic Chemistry

Lab: Zaleski

Undergraduate Institution: Duquesne University

My research focuses on macrophage phagosome maturation.

Fun Fact: I play Magic the Gathering

Degree Program: Materials Chemistry

Lab: Yu

Undergrad Institution: Indiana University - South Bend

My research focuses on the utilization of a tryptophan repressor (TrpR) biosensor that generates green fluorescence protein (GFP) in response to halogenated tryptophan that allows me to detect improved catalytic activity in the directed evolution of Flavin Dependent Halogenases.

Fun Fact: I have two sons who were born over a decade apart.

Degree Program: Analytical Chemistry

Lab: Lewis

Undergrad Institution: Indiana University

My research focuses on protein superstructure design and analysis, with focuses in physical virology and biophotonics.

Fun Fact: I have a pet gecko.

Degree Program: Biochemistry

Lab: Zlotnick

Undergrad Institution: Montana State University

My research focuses on protein quality control mechanisms.

Fun Fact: Folk Punk and forest walks for life!

Degree Program: Biochemistry

Lab: Schlebach

Undergrad Institution: University of California LA

My research focuses on engineering and characterizing artificial metalloenzymes.

Fun Fact: I've played French Horn for over 10 years.

Degree Program: Chemistry

Lab: Lewis

Undergrad Institution: University of Virginia