OUR TEAM
Dr. Stefan Sarafianos
Nahmias-Schinazi Chair, Professor Laboratory of Biochemical Pharmacology Emory University
Education: Ph.D. 1993, Georgetown University
Fields of Interest: Viral Replication and Entry; Antivirals
Office: (404) 727-9579
Links to publications: Google Scholar | MyNCBI | ResearchGate
Assistant Professors and Other Faculty
Karen Kirby, Ph.D.
Education: B.S. Chemistry, University of Minnesota Ph.D. Chemistry, University of Missouri
Fields of Interest: Structural Biology, X-ray Crystallography, Structure-Based Drug Design, HIV, HBV, Enterovirus 71
Office: (404) 727-7619
Links: Google Scholar | PubMed
Ivo Melčák, Ph.D.
Education: Ph.D. Cell Biology, Charles University; Postdoctoral Training, HHMI, The Rockefeller University
Fields of Interest: Structural aspects of viral entry through the Nuclear Pore Complex
Links: PubMed
Shuiyun Lan, Ph.D.
Education: B.A. in Medicinal Chemistry from Shanghai Medical University; Ph.D. in Pathogenic Biology from Fudan University
Fields of Interest: Molecular Biology; Virology | Virus replication and antivirals development.
Project(s): Development of HBV Reporter System; Discovery and Characterization of Novel Inhibitors against HBV and HIV.
Links: MyNCBI
Ryan Slack, Ph.D.
Education: PhD in Molecular Biophysics and Structural Biology (University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine), BS in Biophysics (Centenary College)
Fields of Interest: Biophysics, Structural Biology, Biochemistry, Virology, Molecular Biology
Project(s): Interaction of HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase with Host Restriction Factors, Screening and Characterization of Small Molecule Inhibitors to SARS-CoV2 Replication
Links: PubMed
Research Staff
Huanchun Zhang
Research Specialist, Lead
Education: B.S. in Public Health at West China University of Medical Sciences
Fields of Interest: Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
Project(s): Investigating the function of different compounds on human virus disease such as HIV and HCV
Jonathan (Nathan) Winkjer
Research Specialist
Education: BS in Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Southern Polytechnic State University.
Fields of Interest: Biotechnology, human disease.
Project(s): HIV drug synergy.
Links: PubMed
Postdocs
Jasper Lee, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Education: PhD, Microbiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center; BS, Microbiology, The Ohio State University
Fields of Interest: Virology, RNA viruses, drug resistance
Project(s): Interaction of HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase with Host Restriction Factors, Screening and Characterization of Small Molecule Inhibitors to SARS-CoV2 Replication
Links: PubMed
Asha Maria Mathew, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Education: Ph.D. Biotechnology, National Institute of Virology, Pune, India
Fields of Interest: Virus entry and replication, Virus Like Particles ,Molecular Virology , Cell Biology
Project(s): TBD
Links: LinkedIn
Adriana Norris, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Education: PhD in Biological Sciences (Vanderbilt University), BS in Cell and Molecular Biology (Armstrong State University)
Fields of Interest: Metabolic disease, HIV Latency, HIV/HBV Co-Infection
Project(s): HIV/HBV co-infection studies in primary cell culture systems
Visiting Fellows
Nikolaos Kesesidis
Education: M.S. in Infectious Diseases and Intenational Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece
Fields of Interest: Molecular virology, Viral infections, Immunology and Genomics
Project(s):
Graduate Students
Alexa Snyder
Education: B.A. in Biochemistry (ACS)
Fields of Interest: Structural biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry
Project(s): HIV Reverse Transcriptase and HIV Capsid
Grace Neilsen
Education:
Fields of Interest:
Project(s): Drug resistance of SARS-CoV-2 nsp5 mutants
Will McFadden
Education: B.S. in Molecular Biology & B.A. in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh
Fields of Interest: Biochemistry, Structural Biology, Virology, and Intrinsically Disordered Proteins
Project(s): HIV-1 capsid studies (TSA, assembly, biochem + EM); Purification of CA (spheres, R. Dick, nanobody); TSAR package
Links: Research Gate
Xin (Kristy) Wen
Education: B.S. in Chemistry, University of Utah.
Fields of Interest: Drug discovery and development
Project(s): HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase
Jose Castro
Education: M.S. in Biochemistry, University of Texas
Fields of Interest: Drug development, protein therapeutics, and structural biology
Project(s): Purification, structural determination, and drug discovery for SARS-CoV-2 nonstructural protein 13
Shreya Ravichandran
Education: B.S. in Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology
Fields of Interest: Structural Biology, Biochemistry, Drug Development
Project(s): HIV Capsid, HIV Reverse Transcriptase, HBV Capsid
Xinyong (Steven) Cai
Fields of Interest: Structural biology, molecular cell biology, biochemistry
Project(s):
Office: (404) 727-9425
Undergraduate Students
Jeffrey Zheng
Fields of Interest: Virology, Infectious Disease, Biochemistry
Dhanya Muppalla
Fields of Interest: Virology, Infectious Disease, Drug Resistance, Pediatrics
Isabella Kaufman
Fields of Interest: Infectious Disease, Virology, Epidemiology
Rachel Lee
Fields of Interest: Cell culture, Microscopy, Anti-viral drug resistance
Zhijiang Ye
Fields of Interest: Genetics, drug discovery, biostatistics, bioinfomatics
Riley Aiken
Fields of Interest: Neuroscience, Biology, Pediatrics, Virology
Aaron Wei
Fields of Interest: Chemistry, Infectious Disease, Virology
Amanda Middelthon
Fields of Interest: Microbiology, Infectious Disease, Epidemiology
Katelyn Kim
Fields of Interest: Biochemistry, Structural Biology, Pharmaceutical Biology
Mitchell Tuey
Fields of Interest: Biology, Cancer, Immunology, Virology
Administrative Staff
Shelby Goins
Lead Research Specialist / Administrative Coordinator
Office: (513) 254-1797
Lab VIP (Very Important Pets)
Bean
Maya
Meli
Cannoli
CMYK (GloFish)
Hammy
Macaroni
Odie
Alumni
Previous Research Faculty
Dr. William Cantara (Research Assistant Professor, 2020 – 2023)
Current: Associate Principal Scientist – Merck
Dr. Philip Tedbury (Research Assistant Professor, 2016-2023)
Current: Principal Scientist – Pfizer
Dr. Tanya Ndongwe (Post-doctoral fellow 2015)
Current: Independent Consultant
Dr. Eleftherios Michailidis (Post-doctoral fellow, 2012-2013)
Current: Assistant Professor – Emory University
Dr. Adeyemi Adedeji (Post-doctoral fellow, summer 2012)
Current: Distinguished Scientist, Clinical Pathologist – Genentech
Dr. Bruno Marchand (Post-doctoral fellow, 2007-2011)
Current: Scientist – Gilead Sciences
Dr. Atsuko Hachiya (Post-doctoral fellow, AIDS Government Clinic, Tokyo, Japan, 2009-2011)
Current: Professor, Department of Medicine – Nagoya University, Japan
Dr. Kamal Singh (Research Assistant Professor, 2008-2018)
Current: Assistant Director, Molecular Interactions Core – University of Missouri
Dr. Devendra Kumar Rai (Post-doctoral fellow, 2010-2012)
Current: Experienced Professional – Pfizer
Dr. Robert Ralston (Research Assistant Professor, 2012-2014)
Current: Retired – Research Professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology – University of Kansas Medical Center
Dr. Bechan Sharma (Sabbatical training 2011)
Current: Professor of Biochemistry – University of Allahbad, India
Previous Graduate Students
Darius Mahboubi PhD MSP, Emory U. (2018-2023)
Maria Cilento PhD BCDB, Emory U. (2018-2022)
Current: Senior Scientist – Merck
Raven Shah PhD BCDB, Emory U. (2018-2021)
Current: Discovery Postdoctoral Scholar – Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research
Seongmi Kim MS Pathobiology area, U. of MO (2016-2017)
Assi Vincent Yapo PhD MMI, U. of MO (2015-2020)
Mahmoud Farghali PhD MMI, U. of MO (2015-2019)
Current: Professor of Microbiology and Immunology – Tanta University
Mary Casey-Moore PhD MMI, U. of MO (2014-2019)
Current: Health Scientist – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Andrew Huber PhD Vet Path, U. of MO (2013-2017)
Current: Postdoctoral Fellow – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Obiaara Ihenacho Ukah PhD MMI, U. of MO (2013-2017)
Current: Resident Doctor – University of Nebraska Medical Center
Maritza Puray Chavez PhD MMI-Fulbright scholar, U. of MO (2013-2018)
Current: Staff Scientist – Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis
Jackie Flores MS MMI, U. of MO (2013-2017)
Anna Gres PhD Chemistry, U. of MO (2013-2017)
Current: Assistant Director, Clinical Research Methodology – Worldwide Clinical Trials
Ademola Kassim MSc University Illinois (2012)
Current: Product Specialist, Cell Line Development – Sartorius
Dandan Liu PhD MMI, U. of MO (2012-2017)
Current: Senior Scientist – Pfizer
Zhe Li Salie PhD Biochem, U. of MO (2012-2016)
Current: Senior Scientific Lead, Structural Biology – Loxo Oncology at Lilly
Eleftherios Michailidis PhD MMI, U. of MO (2006-2012)
Current: Assistant Professor – Emory University
Adeyemi Adedeji PhD MMI, U. of MO (2007-2012)
Current: Distinguished Scientist, Clinical Pathologist – Genentech
Yee Tsuey Ong PhD MMI, U. of MO (2008-2014)
Current: Scientist I – Takeda
Tanya Ndongwe PhD MMI, U. of MO (2009-2015)
Current: Independent Consultant
Matt Schuckmann MSc MMI, U. of MO (2006-2010)
Ignacio de la Higuera PhD, U.A. de Madrid (2012)
Current: Research Associate – Portland State University
Flore De Witt PhD KU Leuven (2017)
Current: Pharmaceutical Specialist LOC – Organon Benelux
Previous Undergraduate Students
2023-2024
- Kristin Edwards
- Candy Gao
- Margaret Vogelpohl
2022
- Cole Smith
- Gitika Chaudhry
- Jack MacQuillan
2021
- Pablo Morell Jr.
- Niki Azadi
- Research Specialist, Sarafianos Lab
- Debbie Kitzler
- Biomedical Engineering student, Georgia Institute of Technology
- Vishal Shankar
- Ansh Patel
2020
- Talia Sisroe
- MD student, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University
- Jason Jiang (Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology high school intern)
- Undergraduate student, Yale University
- Nicole Lulkin
- Medical Assistant at Erie Family Health Center
2019
- Alex Welsh
- Claudia Wahoski
- PhD student, Vanderbilt Microbiology & Immunology
- Ciro Carrillo Marcano Jr.
- MD student, The Universidad Central del Caribe
- Ally Jin
- Andres Emanuelli
2018
- Melina Khorrami
- Clinical Research Associate at Syneos Health
- Madeline Lazar
- Research Associate, GreenLight Biosciences
- Olivia Blackman
- Kanwal Momin
- MD student, UTMB Galveston medical school
2017
- Adit Shah
2016
- Skyler Kramer
- PhD student, University of Missouri – Columbia Informatics Institute.
- Cortney Hutson
- Gilberto Perez
2015
- Rohit Rao
- Emily Coonrod
- Biological Sciences Discovery fellow, Human and Statistical Genetics PhD program, Washington University of St. Louis
- Blake Nourie
- MD student, Sidney Kimmel Medical College
- Seongmi Kim
2014
- Maria Boftsi (Visiting scholar, Greece)
- Hannah Brenton
- Leonard Rogers
- PhD student, Washington University of St. Louis Molecular Cell Biology
- Samuel Min
- VP, Functional Genomics and Host-Directed Therapy
- Alejandra Pinillos
- Robert Newman
- Olajumoke Akala
2013
- Dominique Stephens
- Post-doctoral fellow, Vanderbilt University Molecular Physiology and Biophysics
- Benjamin G. Langsten
- Sumidha Katti
- Senior Client Delivery, Cloudmed Healthcare Systems
- Ipsa Chaudhary
- Consultant, Cerner Corporation
- Arzoo Singh (Visiting scholar, India)
- Junior Researcher, Step Innovations Africa
- Aakansha Singh (Visiting scholar, India)
- Thomas Gerard Laughlin
- Structural Biologist at Altos Labs
- Nnamdi Ihenacho
- Medical Lab Manager, University of Missouri Health Care
- Amanda Pelletier, Biological Sciences HHMI fellow, LSUROP fellow
- Nicholas Wiegers, Biological Sciences HHMI fellow
- Kelsey Boschert, Nutritional Sciences Discovery Fellows Program HONORS college, University of Kansas Medical School
- Briana Bester
- Connor V. Abbott
- Senior Process Engineer, Nestlé Purina North America
- Paul K. Cho
- Jung Y. Nam
- Jeremy Clincy, Biochemistry McNair fellow
- Andrew Huber, Biological Sciences Trail to a Cure fellow
- Post-doctoral Fellow, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Chemical Biology and Therapeutics
- Dallas Pineda, Biochemistry EXPRESS fellow, LSUROP fellow
- Dentist, Creating Smiles Family and Cosmetic Dentistry
- Grahmm Funk
- PhD student, University of Kansas Pharmaceutical Chemistry
2011
Hilary A Schmidt, Biological Engineering HHMI fellow
Leslie Chiang, Biological Sciences HHMI fellow
Katherine Laddusaw, Biological Sciences
Kristin Ponzar, Biological Sciences
Yun Pan, Biological Sciences
Ariel Hagedorn HHMI fellow; McNair fellow
Achilles Meskos visiting scholar, Greece
2010
Nicholas E. Calcaterra, Biochemistry LSUROP fellow, Johns Hopkins University, UC Berkeley School of Law
Ceili A. Cornelison, Computer Science
Jackie Carrico, Biochemistry LSUROP, HHMI, Trail to a Cure fellow, U of Colorado School of Medicine
Kayla B. Matzek, Biol Sci, U of Missouri School of Medicine, Bryant Scholar
Maxwell D. Leslie, Biological Sciences and Psychology HHMI fellow, Veterinary Medicine program at Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
Christopher Dorst, Washington University of Saint Louis, Graduate School UNC Chapel Hill
Tracy L. Fetterly, Vanderbilt University, Neuroscience Graduate Program Vanderbilt U.
2009
Jacob C. Jackson, HONORS Biological Sciences LSUROP fellow, School of Medicine at Cornell, Weil, Anesthesiologist Resident, Cornell U, NYC
Ryan Durk, Biol Sci, LSUROP fellow, School of Medicine of Vanderbilt University; Physician resident at Barnes Jewish
Christie Pautler, HONORS Biological Sciences Conley Scholar, Pre-accepted at the School of Medicine of University of Missouri
Phuong Bich Do, HONORS Biological Sciences McNair fellow, Graduate School of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri
Daniel Griffin, Biochemistry Discovery Fellows Program, Saint Louis University, School of Medicine
Alan C. Leslie, Biochem, Technician at ABC labs, Columbia MO) EXPRESS fellow
2008
Shannon D. Arnold, HONORS Biological Sciences McNair fellow
Christopher Brownsworth, Year 1, Medicine
Saeed J Kahn, HONORS Biological Sciences
Amelie Olga Mafotsing Fopoussi, Biological Sciences McNair fellow, accepted at the Graduate School of Public Health at Ann Arbor Michigan
Musetta Steinbach Carleton College, Minnesota, accepted at the University of Chicago
Emily M. Ryan, HONORS Biological Sciences LSUROP fellow, A.T. Still University Osteopathic Medical School
Ali M. Sawani, Biochemistry EXPRESS fellow, accepted at the MD/PhD program at Ann Arbor Michigan
Daniel Sietsema, Biol Sci, Technician at the University of Colorado, Denver
2006-07
Michael O. Boyd, Biological Sciences
Candace Clayborne-Harris, Biological Sciences.
Timothy J. Graven, Biological Sciences
Sandor F. Jones, Biological Sciences
Ryan M. Kelly, Biochemistry
Patrick Mulligan, Biological Sciences
Michael Owens, History
Heather M Uhles, Biological Engineering
Chi-Hin Wong, Mechanical Engineering, Work study