Trainees

2024


	Jesus G. Calixto, Pitt SOM Cell Biology, Advisor: Dr Gerry Hammond. Jesus is currently investigating MARCKS and MARCKSL1, unique proteins that associate with the plasma membrane and are essential for modulating PI(4,5)P2 signaling and filamentous-actin dynamics. These “Cthulhu-spaghetti monsters”, as Gerry and Jesus like to call them due to their disordered structure, have been implicated to drive regenerative events, particularly in the nervous system, and neurogenesis. With this in mind, Jesus will be conducting research to further define the roles of MARCKS and MARCKSL1 within the scope of neurogenesis and neuro-regenerative pathways.
	Allison Kumar, Pitt Bio, Advisor: Dr. Laty Cahoon. Allison studies the processes underlying protein secretion and folding in Gram-positive bacteria. More specifically, she is investigating how an intrinsically disordered region of a critical Listeria monocytogenes secretion chaperone is required for bacterial virulence through activating, interacting, and folding secreted virulence factors.
	Ellie Lai, CMU, Advisor: Dr. En Cai. Ellie's work focuses on investigating how nanoscale organization and membrane architecture of the T cell and its membrane receptors create a proper immune response.
	Jenny Miller, Bio, Advisor: Dr. Anne Carlson. Jenny is investigating the molecular basis underlying phospholipid regulation of the TMEM16A ion channel, which is largely expressed on vascular cells and contributes to cardiovascular physiology.
	Gabriel Ratcliffe, Pitt Med, Advisor: Adam Kwiatkowski. Gabriel studies the effects of cardiac disease-induced fibrosis on the mechanics of heart muscle cell adhesion
	Gavin Treadaway, Pitt, Advisor: Terence Dermody. Gavin's work is on identifying structural components of a reovirus protein required for driving liquid-liquid phase separation of viral replication factories and the role of liquid-liquid phase separation in promoting efficient reovirus replication.

2023


	Shaw Camphire, CMU Bio, Advisor: Dr. N. Luisa Hiller. Shaw studies a major cell-cell communication system inStreptococcus pneumoniaeand other closely related pathogenic and commensal species with the aim of understanding how environmental signals coordinatevirulence behaviors and ultimately affecthuman health and disease.
	Abby Carney, Pitt, Advisor: Dr. Cunningham. Abby is studying the factors that affect processing and localization of the cochlear hair cell mechanotransduction pore protein, TMC1.
	Jada George, Pitt, Advisor: Dr. Laty Cahoon. Jada's work investigates the client protein repertoires of Gram-positive protein secretion chaperones to determine their contribution to the chaperones' observed roles in cell growth, cell wall assembly and virulence.
	Jasper Jeffrey, Pitt, Advisor: Dr. Huaying Zhang. Jasper's current research is focused on structural features that drive liquid-liquid phase separation of proteins involved in cell division.
	Bailey Smith, CMU, Advisor: Dr. N. Luisa Hiller. Bailey's work focuses on investigating an operon of unknown function which serves as a central node of several different cell-cell communication systems in the human pathogenStreptococcus pneumoniae.
	Caroline Ward, Pitt Human Genetics, Advisor: Dr. Zachary Freyberg. Caroline studies the function of dopamine and dopamine receptors in the pancreas to elucidate the mechanism of metabolic dysfunction as a side effect of dopamine antagonist antipsychotic medications.

2022


	Samantha Bryce, CMU Bio, Advisor: Dr. Tina Lee. Samantha studies the regulations of Atlastins, a class of GTPase that promotes the membrane fusion reactions that generate the tubular endoplasmic reticulum network.
	Hisham Sadkhan, Pitt, Advisor: Dr. Jon Boyle. Hisham is interested in identifying and understandingToxoplasma gondiivirulence factors.The acute phase of infection is characterized by the secretion of parasiteproteinsinto the infected host cell to interfere with normal cellular processes. These effectors allowT. gondiitobypass the host immune system and establish an infection.
	Kayla Komondor, Pitt Bio, Advisor: Dr. Anne Carlson. Kayla studies the signaling pathway that activates the fast block to polyspermy, which is a process in external fertilizers to ensure that one egg is fertilized by one sperm.
	Emily Lackner, Pitt Med, Advisor: Dr. Ora Weisz, Emily’s project focuses on how the effects of fluid shear stress impacts kidney proximal tubule endocytic capacity.
	Jenesis Gayden, Pitt Neuro, Advisor: Dr. Zachary Freyberg. Jenesis's thesis work studies the electrophysiological properties of striatal dopamine receptor subpopulations and how that may translate to opioid-related behaviors.
	Tafadzwa Chigumira, CMU Bio, Advisor: Dr. Huaiying Zhang. Tafadzwa's research focuses on understanding the mechanisms that drive telomere collisions and clustering in ALT cancer cells.

2021


	Josiah Kratz, CMU Bio, Advisor: Dr. Huaiying Zhang. Josiah's project concerns the interplay between chromatin and lipid droplet formation.
	Dasia Aldarondo, CMU Chem. E., Advisors: Dr. Elizabeth Wayne. Dasia is working on how shear stress impacts particle uptake by monocytes.
	Claire Weckerly Pitt Med, Advisor: Dr. Gerry Hammond. Claire is working on the role of phospholipase D in phospholipase C signaling using a novel sensor and other tags in her assays.
	Morgan Webb, Pitt Bio, Advisor: Dr. Brodsky. Morgan is examining how disease-associated mutations in an ion transporter, which is linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, is recognized by cellular “quality control” machineries.
	Maddie Torres, Pitt Bio, Advisor: Dr. Laty Cahoon. Maddie studies anti-microbial action against Lysteria and Streptococcus with a focus on chaperones of secretory factors.
	Mitch Lesko, Pitt Bio, Advisor: Dr. Allyson O'Donnell. Mitch’s PhD project is focused on the mechanism of resistance to an anti-cancer glycolytic inhibitor.

2020


	Melissa Tosiano, CMU Bio, Advisor: Dr. Joel McManus, Melissa's project concerns the hypothesis that alternative transcription start-sites control the expression of EFG1, a master transcriptional regulator of filamentation genes in the C. albicans.
	Nolan Frey, CMU Bio, Advisors: Drs. Phil LeDuc and Jonathon Minden. Nolan is working on how mechanical stresses, such as changes in gravity and compressive forces, affect fruit fly embryo development.
	Morgan Ricci, Pitt Med, Advisor: Dr. Gerry Hammond, Morgan is working on the mechanism by which the lipid phosphatase SHIP2 becomes activated for synthesis of PI(3,4)P2 at the plasma membrane as it provides a possible target to reduce tumor-associated Akt signaling in breast cancer.
	Kayla Troutman, Pitt Med, Advisor: Dr. Marijn Ford, Kayla is working on the mechanisms of Pib2 activation of TORC1 signaling and also examining changes in amino acid sensing capacity in aged yeast cells.
	Leah Cabo, Pitt Bio, Advisor: Dr. Jon P. Boyle, Leah studiesToxoplasma gondii-placenta interactions, focusing on parasite manipulation of placental development and mechanisms of infection resistance in placental trophoblasts during congenital transmission.
	Sarah Tripplehorn, Pitt Bio, Advisor: Dr. Karen Arndt. Sarah’s PhD project is focused on understanding the mechanisms that couple transcription to chromatin remodeling in eukaryotes.