Graduate Students
B

Bellomio, Philip
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Sina Ghaemmaghami
- philip.bellomio@rochester.edu | (585) 276-1237
- 336 Hutchison
Interests: TBD
C

Cammarota, Christian
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Daniel Bergstralh
- ccammaro@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 276-6680
- 330 Hutchison Hall
Interests: Biological physics and the role of mechanics in tissue development and cell processes


Castano, Maria Isabel
- PhD Student
- Advisor: J. Albert C. Uy
- mcastano@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 273-1309
- 340 Hutchison
Interests: Behavioral ecology and speciation of Neotropical birds

Cefaloni, Eric
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Paula Vertino
- ecefalon@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 275-9983
- 3-0852 Wilmot Cancer Center
Interests: Epigenetic mechanisms driving breast cancer and epithelial to mesenchymal transition


D

Dao, Thao Kim
- PhD Student
- Advisor: David Lambert
- thaokimdao@rochester.edu | (585) 275-7521
- 338 Hutchison Hall
Interests: The roles of retinoic acid in shell and embryonic development in the mollusc Ilyanassa

Dawney, Nicole
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Daniel Bergstralh
- nicole.dawney@rochester.edu | (585) 276-6680
- 330 Hutchison Hall
Interests: TBD

Deng, Chenghong
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Dragony Fu
- cdeng6@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 275-0348
- 328 Hutchison
Interests: TBD


Driscoll, Rose
she/her/hers
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Jennifer Brisson
- rdrisco2@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 275-8388
- 303 Hutchison Hall
Interests: Evolutionary genetics of phenotypic plasticity in aphids
E

G

Gigas, Jonathan
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Vera Gorbunova
- jonathan_gigas@urmc.rochester.edu | (585) 275-6637
- 425 Hutchison
Interests: Biochemistry and function of human Sirtuin-6 in cancer and aging

Gona, Ram
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Anne S. Meyer
- rgona@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 275-2809
- 331 Hutchison
Interests: TBD

Gregory, Lauren
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Jennifer Brisson
- lgregory@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 275-8388
- 303 Hutchison Hall
Interests: Investigation of the proximate basis of the aphid wing polyphenism

Gu, Ningyang
- PhD Student
- Advisor: David Dean
- ningyanggu@rochester.edu | (585) 275-3577
- 3-11311 MRBX
Interests: Using microinjection, FISH, and single-particle tracking to understand the intranuclear movement of plasmids
H

Hamazaki, Sakura
- PhD Student
- Advisor: John Lueck
- Sakura_Hamazaki@URMC.rochester.edu | (585) 276-5489
- 4-8517 Medical Center
Interests: TBD

He, Luying (Louise)
- Master's Student
- Advisor: Anne S. Meyer
Interests: 3D printing engineered living material for bioplastics that can biodegrade in the ocean

Hillpot, Eric
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Andrei Seluanov
- eric_hillpot@urmc.rochester.edu | (585) 275-6637
- 425 Hutchison Hall
Interests: TBD


Hua, Shan
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Patrick Murphy
- shua@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 275-0113
- 2-9633 Medical Center
Interests: Investigating the role of H2A.Z and ANP32E on regulating gene expression
I

Irvin, Joseph
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Gail Johnson
- jirvin@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 276-3740
- 4-6314 Medical Center
Interests: TBD
J

K

Kilwein, Marcus
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Michael Welte
- m.kilwein@rochester.edu | (585) 276-2440
- 311 Hutchison Hall
Interests: Embryonic lipid utilization in Drosophila


Kovelakuntla, Vamsi
he/him/his
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Anne S. Meyer
- vkovelak@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 275-2809
- 331 Hutchison
Interests: Bacterially-mediated fabrication of artificial nacre
L

Lee, Minseon
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Vera Gorbunova; Andrei Seluanov
- mlee99@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 275-6637
- 425 Hutchison
Interests: The role of SIRT6 in rejuvenating the epigenome and maintaining heterochromatin stability in aged cells


Leo, Cailyn
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Dragony Fu
- cleo3@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 275-0348
- 328 Hutchison
Interests: TBD


Lindley, Sean
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Douglas Anderson
- sean.lindley@rochester.edu | (585) 276-7726
- G.11201G MRBX
Interests: RNA trans-splicing in cells

Lindsay, Matthew
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Amanda Larracuente
- matthew.lindsay@rochester.edu | (585) 273-2475
- 337 Hutchison
Interests: Evolutionary Genetics of Gene Drives and Repetitive DNA in Drosophila melanogaster

Liu, Xiaomi
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Jennifer Brisson
- xliu104@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 275-8388
- 303 Hutchison
Interests: Wing plasticity in aphids, with a focus on a computational approach

Longan, Emery
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Justin Fay
- elongan@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 276-3843
- 313 Hutchison Hall
Interests: Genetic constraints on adaptation and their role in the evolution of domestication associated traits in the Saccharomyces yeasts
M

Macoretta, Nicholas
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Vera Gorbunova
- nicholas_macoretta@urmc.rochester.edu | (585) 275-6637
- 425 Hutchison Hall
Interests: TBD

Marti, Emiliano
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Amanda Larracuente; Daven Presgraves
- emarti@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 273-2475
- 337 Hutchison
Interests: TBD

Meadow, Michael
he/him/his
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Vera Gorbunova; Sina Ghaemmaghami
- michael_meadow@URMC.Rochester.edu | (585) 276-1237
- 336 Hutchison
Interests: Cross-species proteomics to study aging!


N

Neville, Kathryn
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Dan Bergstralh
- knevill3@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 276-6668
- 330 Hutchison Hall
Interests: Directed cell division and polarity maintenance in epithelial tissues
P


Phromsiri, Pakinee
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Michael Welte
- pphromsi@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 276-2440
- 311 Hutchison Hall
Interests: Mechanisms and consequences of histone buffering in the early Drosophila embryo
R



Romero, Faye
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Nancy Chen
- fromero3@UR.Rochester.edu | (585) 276-7153
- 476 Hutchison
Interests: Genetic architecture of inbreeding in the Florida Scrub-Jay. Population dynamics/fluctuating selection in the American red squirrel
S

Saleh Ziabari, Omid
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Jennifer Brisson
- osalehzi@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 275-8388
- 303 Hutchison Hall
Interests: The parallel evolution of wings in aphids

Seymour, Marete
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Justin Fay
- mseymou2@UR.Rochester.edu | (585) 276-3843
- 313 Hutchison
Interests: TBD

Shipley, Alicia
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Michael Welte
- ashiple2@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 276-2440
- 311 Hutchison
Interests: TBD

Sidor, Lynn
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Anne Meyer
- lsidor@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 275-2809
- 331 Hutchison Hall
Interests: Using synthetic biology to engineer bacteria to be able to polymerize a layer of polysilicate surrounding themselves, allowing for the creation of bacterial microlenses

Summers, Jeremy
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Nancy Chen
- jsummer7@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 276-7153
- 476 Hutchison Hall
Interests: The demographic and genetic effects of habitat fragmentation and degradation on the Florida Scrub-Jay
T

Tahir, Imran
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Arshad Rahman
- itahir@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 275-9494
- 3-11301 MRBX
Interests: Studying endothelial barrier dysfunction in the context of acute lung injury

Tan, Ruiyue
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Sina Ghaemmaghami
- rtan12@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 276-1237
- 336 Hutchison Hall
Interests: snRNA modification and its role in the pre-mRNA splicing

Thomas (Reuben), Cheyenne
- cheyenne.thomas@rochester.edu | (585) 275-6066
- 340 Hutchison
Interests: Parallel local adaptation in independent species of wasps as a response to rapidly changing environments; evolutionary history and functional genomics

Tolibzoda, Fara
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Vera Gorbunova; Andrei Seluanov
- farangis_tolibzoda@urmc.rochester.edu | (585) 275-6637
- 425 Hutchison Hall
Interests: Investigation of biochemical contributors of health in long-living animals and their role in aging associated neurodegeneration
W

Walker, Tyler
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Anne S. Meyer
- twalk27@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 275-2809
- 331 Hutchison
Interests: The protection of DNA in response to stress in bacteria

Walunjkar, Nilima
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Justin Fay
- nwalunjk@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 276-3843
- 313 Hutchison Hall
Interests: Causes and consequences of thermal divergence in Saccharomyces species

White, Roger
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Michael Welte
- rwhite32@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 276-2440
- 311 Hutchison Hall
Interests: The role fatty acid trafficking and usage during Drosophila melanogaster oogenesis

Wnuk, Hayley
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Kuan Hong Wang
- hwnuk@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 276-5162
- G-9617 KMRB
Interests: The influence of emotional well-being on Alzheimer's Disease progression
Y

Yang, Sifan
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Andrew Samuelson
- syang43@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 273-2544
- 2-9915 KMRB
Interests: Role of SUMOylation and NEDDylation in aging and proteostasis
Z

Zacher, Maxwell
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Vera Gorbunova
- mzacher@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 275-6637
- 425 Hutchison Hall
Interests: Genetic mechanisms underlying longevity and cancer resistance in the bowhead whale

Zhang, Jiarui
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Doug Portman
- jiaruizhang@rochester.edu | (585) 275-7915
- 2-9905 KMRB
Interests: Molecular mechanism of juvenile-to-adult maturation in the C. elegans nervous system

Zhang, Kejia
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Dragony Fu
- kzhang27@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 275-0348
- 328 Hutchison Hall
Interests: Molecular functions of tRNA methyltransferase in neuronal development

Zhang, Rui
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Yi-Tao Yu
- rzhang44@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 275-1226
- 3.7531 Medical Center
Interests: TBD

Zhang, Zhihui
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Vera Gorbunova; Andrei Seluanov
- zhihuizhang@rochester.edu | (585) 275-6637
- 425 Hutchison Hall
Interests: Anti-aging and anti-cancer effects of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid

Zhu, Mingyi
- PhD Student
- Advisor: Dave Mathews
- mzhu21@ur.rochester.edu | (585) 275-1734
- 3-8816 Medical Center
Interests: RNA secondary structure prediction