Current Graduate Students
Advisor: Josie Chandler
Research Interests: Quorum sensing regulation of antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Hometown: Sorsogon, Phillippines
Advisor: Dan Dixon
Research Interests: Microbial pathogenesis and cancer biology
Hometown: Dhaka, Bangladesh
Lab Rotation Student
Research Interest: Genetics and Cancer Biology
Hometown: Ondo, Nigeria
Advisor: Rob Ward
Research Interests: Cell, Developmental Biology, and Genetics
Leadership Roles: Early Career Scientist-Communication and Outreach Subcommittee, Genetics Society of America
Hometown: Dammam City, Saudi Arabia
Advisor: Dan Dixon
Research Interests: Neuroscience, Immunology, and the intestinal microbiome as they relate to autism spectrum disorder and autoimmunity
Hometown: Topeka, Kansas
Advisor: Brian Ackley
Research Interests: Neuroscience, Genetics, Development, Cell and Molecular biology, Bioinformatic, Nervous system development, neurodegeneration and regeneration
Hometown: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Advisor: Liang Xu
Research Interests: Musashi inhibitors, PROTAC-based inhibitors
Hometown: Zhengzhou, China
Advisor: Scott Hefty
Research Interests: Infectious Diseases and Microbial Pathogenesis, Immunology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology
Hometown: Kolkata, India
Lab Rotation Student
Hometown: Kolkata, India
Advisor: Brian Ackley
Research Interests: Genetics and Cancer Biology
Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana
Lab Rotation Student
Research Interests: Stem Cells (3D printing, aging, combating disease) and Cancer Biology
Hometown: Marengo, Ohio
Advisor: Roberto De Guzman
Research Interests: Structural Biology, Mechanisms of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Hometown: Kolkata, India
Advisor: Kristi Neufeld
Research Interests: Cellular/Molecular/Cancer Biology
Hometown: Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe
Advisor: Rob Ward
Research Interests: Cell, Developmental Biology, and Genetics
Leadership Roles: Curriculum Committee Member of Jayhawks Breaking Barriers (JBB) STEM professional development program, Executive Officer of MB Graduate Student Organization (GSO), Secretary of Scientists Exploring non-Academic CaReer CHoices (SEARCH) and Co-ordinator of Kansas DNA Day
Hometown: Mumbai, India
Advisor: Mark Richter
Research Interests: ATP synthase structure/function, Design and optimization of flavin containing oxidase enzymes for biosensor applications
Hometown: Des Moines, Iowa
Advisor: Scott Hefty
Research Interests: Using whole genome sequencing and genetics to explore mechanisms in infectious disease
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Advisor: Steve Benedict
Research Interests: T cell biology and the development of autoimmunity
Hometown: Rochester, Minnesota
Advisor: Erik Lundquist
Research Interests: Neurobiology, Biochemistry, and Developmental Biology
Hometown: Topeka, Kansas
Advisor: Kristi Neufeld
Research Interests: The role of APC in cancer biology and differentiation
Hometown: Topeka, Kansas
Lab Rotation Student
Research Interests: Genetics, Gene Expression, and Cancer Biology
Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri
Advisor: Yoshiaki Azuma
Research Interests: Genetics, Neurobiology and Cancer Biology
Hometown: Marshfield, Missouri
Advisor: Stuart Macdonald
Research Interests: Xenobiotic resistance in natural and lab populations, Copy Number Variations (CNVs), and genetic mapping
Leadership Roles: SACNAS KU Graduate Chapter President and Founder, KS DNA Day Co-Coordinator, 2017-2019
Hometown: San Sebastian, Puerto Rico
Advisor: Susan Egan
Research Interests: AraC transcriptional activators are found in seventy percent of sequenced bacterial genomes and control the expression of genes involved in stress response, metabolism, and virulence. Our lab studies RhaR and RhaS. These two proteins activate the expression of the E. coli L-rhamnose regulon in the presence of their effector, L-rhamnose.
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Advisor: Joanna Slusky
Research Interests: Molecular/Cell Biology: Identifying molecular targets for gene expression regulation to improve human medicine
Hometown: Ilutitun, Ondo, Nigeria
Advisor: Chris Gamblin
Research Interests: The normal function of the tau protein is to associate and stabilize microtubules within the neuronal cytoskeleton. However, hyperphosphorylation of tau can dissociate from microtubules and lead to the formation of tau aggregates forming pathological structures such as neurofibrillary tangles and paired helical filaments. These structures have been identified in multiple neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. I am interested in how small compounds can be used to not only inhibit the formation of these pathological structures, but also cause the disassembly of aggregates that have already formed.
Hometown: Leeds, England
Advisor: Mizuki Azuma
Research Interests: Molecular and Cellular biology, Cancer biology
Hometown: Bangalore, India
Advisor: Roberto De Guzman
Research Interests: Biochemistry, Biophysics & Synthetic Biology. Self assembly and kinetic trapping in macro molecular complexes
Hometown: Pune, India
Advisor: Josie Chandler
Research Interests: Our group is interested in a type of cell-to-cell signaling in bacteria called quorum sensing, which is important for many bacteria to compete and survive in different environments including the host. My research seeks to understand how quorum sensing promotes survival of the gram-negative opportunistic human lung pathogen Burkholderia pseudomallei.
Hometown: Hays, Kansas
Advisor: Brian Ackley
Research Interests: Development and Cellular Biology, Immunology
Hometown: Etters, Pennsylvania
Advisor: David Davido
Research Interests: My research focuses on understanding virus-host interactions in the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) life cycle. HSV-1 is a common human pathogen infecting about 80% of the world’s population. The virus establishes a life-long latency in neuronal cells and upon activation can cause a variety of diseases such as cold sores, ocular infections, and encephalitis. One major area of interest is to delineate mechanisms by which a major viral regulatory factor, ICP0, destabilizes host cell proteins while contributing to viral replication and pathogenesis. Another part of my thesis will focus on identifying novel compounds that impair HSV-1 growth.
Leadership Roles: Women in STEMM Program Chair, KS DNA Day Co-Coordinator, MB GSO Outreach Coordinator
Hometown: Miami, Florida
Advisor: Erik Lundquist
Research Interests: Developmental neurobiology and Cell biology
Hometown: Mumbai, India
Lab Rotation Student
Research Interests: Biochemistry and Genetics
Hometown: Monticello, Wisconsin
Lab Rotation Student
Research Interests: Biochemistry
Hometown: Mead, Nebraska
Advisor: Rob Unckless
Research Interests: Virology, Immunology, and Cell biology
Hometown: Eudora, Kansas
Advisor: Erik Lundquist
Research Interests: Virology and Developmental biology
Hometown: Township, Michigan
Advisor: Yoshiaki Azuma
Research Interests: Cancer biology and Virology
Hometown: Varanasi, UP, India
Advisor: Kristi Neufeld
Research Interests: Translational medicine, Epigenetics, Colorectal cancer, and the Gut microbiome
Hometown: Joplin, Missouri
Advisor: Lynn Hancock
Research Interests: Bacterial signal transduction pathways, Microbial pathogenesis and infection mechanisms
Hometown: Chennai, India
Lab Rotation Student
Research Interests: Molecular biology, Genetics
Hometown: Minsk, Belarus
Advisor: Kristi Neufeld
Research Interests: Cancer Biology, Protein Purification
Hometown: Osage City, Kansas
Advisor: Rob Unckless
Research Interests: Microbiology and Immunology
Hometown: Overland Park, Kansas
Advisor: Lisa Timmons
Research Interests: Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, Neurobiology, and Genetics
Hometown: Wichita, Kansas
Advisor: Bill Picking
Research Interests: The mechanism of the infection to develop antibiotics in terms of biochemistry and pharmaceuticals
Hometown: Tokyo, Japan
Advisor: Stuart Macdonald
Research Interests: Cell Senescence and DNA Repair
Hometown: Norwalk, California
Advisor: Liang Xu
Research Interests: Molecular therapy targeting cancer and cancer stem cells, via novel nanovectors and rational drug design
Hometown: Shandong Province, China
