T32 AWARDEES
Since 1999, the Molecular Biology Graduate Program has been funded by a T32 Training Grant from NIGMS. Thanks to NIH funding each year, we award ten T32 pre-doctoral fellowships.
Meet the MOLB T32 Awardees for 2024-2025
Undergraduate: BS, Genomics and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, 2021
Research: Investigating the role of Vgll3 as a transcriptional regulator in embryonic hindbrain cell fate pathways
Lab: Charles Sagerstrom
Undergraduate: BS, Biochemistry, University of Arizona, 2019
Research: Investigating the oxidized low density lipoprotein mediated decrease in liver lymphatic capillary permeability that results from chronic liver disease progression.
Lab: Matthew Burchill
Undergraduate: BA, Molecular Biology, Pomona College, 2018
Research: Development of novel molecular techniques to detect and characterize vaccine persistence within the mammalian lymph node.
Lab: Jay Hesselberth & Beth Tamburini
Undergraduate: BS, Neuroscience, Univ of Minnesota Twin Cities, 2021
Research: Steroid hormone regulation of RNA Polymerase III and tRNA transcription
Lab: Carol Sartorius
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Undergraduate: Metropolitan State University of Denver, 2018, BS Biology
Research: My research is focused on resolving the molecular mechanisms that govern gammaherpesvirus infection outcomes in macrophage cells.
Lab: Linda Van Dyk
Undergraduate: BS, Molecular Biology, University of Denver, 2016
Research: Uncovering how the regulation of syntaphilin contributes towards mitochondrial dynamics.
Lab: Cecilia Caino
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Undergrad: B.S. Bioengineering
Research: In the Johnson lab, we are investigating the impact of post-transcriptional modifications on the biology of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Historically, the regulatory role of lncRNAs has been underexplored, but recent research has highlighted their involvement in gene dysregulation through epigenomic modifications. My project focuses on specific N6-methyladenosine (m6A) sites on the lncRNA HOTAIR and their influence on anti-tumor gene dysregulation, leading to accelerated growth and increased metastasis in triple-negative breast cancers. We aim to elucidate how these m6A sites alter the chromatin landscape of these critical genes. This research can provide a future biomarker for these more aggressive cancers as well as a therapeutic target.
Lab: Aaron Johnson
Undergrad: BS, Molecular Biology, Colorado College, 2019
Research: Translation regulation in cancer metastasis
Lab: Neel Mukherjee & Heide Ford
Undergraduate: BS, Microbiology, University of Alabama, 2022
Research: I am studying the gene expression changes that mediate cellular activity downstream of PDGFRα and PDGFRβ signaling within the context of craniofacial development.
Lab: Katie Fantauzzo
Undergraduate: BS, Biology, University of California, San Diego, 2018
Research: I am studying the mechanisms of nutrient sensitive mRNA localization, specifically how ribosomal protein mRNAs are localized on the apicobasal axis of enterocytes in response to patterns of feeding and starvation.
Lab: Matt Taliaferro
Meet the MOLB T32 INCLUDE Appointees for 2023-2024
Undergraduate: BS, Biological Sciences, Florida State University, 2017; MS Cell and Molecular Biology, Florida State University 2020
Research: Characterizing and detecting cancers through the use of subnucleosomal and nucleosomal cell-free DNA found in blood plasma.
Lab: Srinivas Ramachandran
Undergraduate: BS, Cell & Molecular Biology, Western Washington University, 2019
Research: Uncovering the mechanism of mother centriole uncapping defects in trisomy 21.
Lab: Chad Pearson
Undergraduate: BS, Biology, Quest University, 2017
Research: Investigating the effect of polyglutamylation on microtubule severing during midbody abscission
Lab: Rytis Prekeris