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Meet the lab!

  • Akbar Ali

    Akbar Ali , PhD

    Associate Professor

    Research Theme: Drug Resistance Diseases: HIV; HCV; Dengue; Cancer 
    Proteins: HIV-1 protease; HCV NS3/4A protease; Dengue NS2B/NS3; APOBEC3's
    Research Technique: Organic Chemistry

    Office Location: LRB 840
    Lab Location: LRB 840
    Phone: 508-856-8873
      

  • Dinesh Barak

    Dinesh Barak , PhD

    Postdoctoral Associate

    Research Theme: Drug Resistance

    Diseases: HIV; Cancer; SARS-CoV-2Proteins: HIV-1 protease; HTLV-1 protease; SARC-CoV-2 Main protease

    Research Technique: Synthetic Organic and Medicinal Chemistry                                 

    Research Interests: Synthesis of novel heterocycles as potential antiviral agents


    Lab Location: LRB 840 E

    Phone: 508-856-8873
      

  • Lauren Intravaia

    Lauren Intravaia

    PhD Student

    Research Theme: Drug Resistance 
    Disease: HIV, SARS-CoV-2
    Proteins:  HIV-1 protease, SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Mpro, neutralizing nanobodies
    Research Techniques: Machine learning, molecular dynamics simulations, Gaussian QM calculations, protein structure prediction, cryo-EM
    Research Interest: Design computational tools to counter resistance in structure-based drug design and reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying protein inhibition.


    Lab Location: LRB 970
    Phone: 508-856-2636
      

  • Jagroop Kaur

    Jagroop Kaur , PhD

    Postdoctoral Associate

    Research Theme: Drug Resistance

    Disease: Diabetes, Viral Infections   

    Proteins: Renalase, HIV-1 Protease, SARS-CoV2 MPro

    Research Techniques: Organic Chemistry Methodologies; Small Molecule Synthesis, Purification and Characterization; Enzyme Inhibition Assays

    Research Interest: Design and synthesis of Small Molecule Viral Protease Inhibitors. Furthermore, evaluation of Enzyme Inhibition via Both Direct and Indirect Binding Assays, Employing Varied Approaches Such as ITC, UV-Vis, Fluorescence, and NMR Spectroscopy


    Lab Location: LRB 970
    Phone: 508-856-2636
      

  • Nese Kurt Yilmaz

    Nese Kurt Yilmaz , PhD

    Associate Professor

    Research Theme: Drug Resistance

    Diseases: HIV; HCV; Cancer; Influenza; Dengue

    Proteins: HIV-1 protease; HCV NS3/4A protease; APOBEC3's; Influenza neuraminidase; Dengue NS2B/NS3

    Research Technique:  Enzyme Inhibition; Structural Analysis; Lab Managing


    Office Location: LRB 919
    Lab Location: LRB 907
    Phone: 508-856-1867
      

  • Jeong Min Lee

    Jeong Min Lee , PhD

    Sr. Research Scientist

    Research Theme: engineering cytosine base editor   

    Diseases: diverse genetic diseases

    Proteins: APOBEC3's; Cas9; uracil glycosylase inhibitor; the components of CRISPR gene editing

    Research Technique: protein engineering and biochemistry    

    Research Interests: engineering proteins, nucleic acids, or nanomaterials with novel structures, dynamics, and functions for basic biology/biomedical applications and effective therapeutic approaches.


    Lab Location: LRB 970B
    Phone: 508-856-2636

      

  • Arooma Maryam

    Arooma Maryam , PhD

    Postdoctoral Associate

    Research Theme: Small molecule drug discovery against autoimmune disease   

    Diseases: Type 1 Diabetes, Cancer Proteins: Human Renalase, APOBEC3 isoforms

    Research Techniques: Protein Expression and Purification, molecular modelling, and molecular dynamics simulation. Structural analysis, virtual small molecule drug screening.

    Research Interest: Utilizing computational methodologies, including molecular modeling and conventional molecular dynamics simulations to understand the relationship between the three-dimensional structures, dynamics and the biological functions of DNA-binding enzymes and proteins central to Type I Diabetes.


    Lab Location: LRB 970
    Phone: 508-856-2636
      

    Learn more about Arooma in her department feature!

  • Clint McDaniel

    Clint McDaniel

    Graduate Student

    Research Theme: Viral Glycoproteins
    Diseases: Influenza Virus
    Research Technique: Cryo-ET                                  
    Research Interests:  Using cryo-ET to study the structure of viral glycoproteins on influenza viruses.

    Lab Location: LRB 970
    Phone: 508-856-2636
      

  • Celia Schiffer

    Celia Schiffer , PhD

    Chair and Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biotechnology. Arthur F. and Helen P. Koskinas Professorship in Biochemistry & Molecular Biotechnology. Director of the Institute for Drug Resistance

    Research Theme: Drug Resistance

    Diseases: HIV; HCV; Cancer; Influenza; Dengue

    Proteins: HIV-1 protease; HCV NS3/4A protease; APOBEC3's; Influenza neuraminindase; Influenza hemagglutinin; Dengue NS2B/NS3 protease

    Research Technique: Everything

    Office Location: LRB 927
    Lab Location: LRB 970
    Phone: 508-856-2251
      

  • Al Shaqra

    Al Shaqra , PhD, MBA

    Lab Manager

    Research Theme: Drug Resistance

    Diseases: HIV; HCV; Cancer; Influenza; Dengue

    Proteins: HIV-1 protease; HCV NS3/4A protease; Influenza neuraminidase; Dengue NS2B/NS3

    Research Techniques: Lab Managing; Protein Expression; Protein Crystallization; Enzyme Inhibition

    Research Interest: Using structural biology in conjunction with biochemistry and biophysics to design potent therapeutic candidates for human diseases. 

    Office Location: LRB 970
    Lab Location: LRB 970
    Phone: 508-856-2636
      

    Learn more about Al in his department feature!

  • Mohan Somasundaran

    Mohan Somasundaran , PhD

    Associate Professor. Virologist

    Research Theme: Virus-Cell interactions, Antivirals, Drug Resistance

    Diseases: HIV; Influenza; SARS-CoV2; Cancer

    Proteins: Influenza hemagglutinin/neuraminidase; SARS-CoV2 Spike/Proteases; Ace2, TMPRSS2; APOBEC3's; HIV-1 protease

    Research Technique: Molecular Virology; Cryo EM/ET; Virus lab


    Lab Location: LRB 802
    Phone: 508-856-4408
      

    Learn more about Dr. Somasundaran's research focus here!

  • Matthew Wong

    Matthew Wong

    PhD Candidate

    Research Theme: HIV maturation

    Disease: HIV

    Proteins: HIV-1 Gag and GagPol

    Research Techniques: Molecular dynamics, Structure prediction and modeling

    Research Interest: Using molecular dynamics simulations to probe the dynamics of HIV Gag and GagPol processing


    Lab Location: LRB 970
    Phone: 508-856-2636