Students & Alumni
Elizabeth D’Lauro Receives 2024 Dean’s Travel Award
Congratulations to Elizabeth D’Lauro, recipient of the Dean’s Travel Award for the spring 2024 award cycle. D’Lauro is a PhD candidate in the Biochemistry of Health and Disease program. The Dean’s Travel Award is meant to partially defray the cost of attending a scientific meeting at which a graduate student is making a presentation, that is related to the student’s graduate study. In this cycle, each award was offered at the maximum of $750.00 per awardee.
Research by recent graduate Dr. Lauren Bailey is helping to advance our understanding of the structure of HIV and how an inhibitor may cause the inactivation of the virus.
Emilia Arturo, a PhD candidate, is part of a research team that recently made a critical step toward understanding the rare metabolic disorder phenylketonuria.
Emily Arturo, Biochemistry PhD candidate, co-chaired a session at the 2018 American Crystallographic Association Meeting in Toronto, Canada, entitled “Regulation of Protein Function by Shape-Shifting.”
Neha Manjari Akella, a PhD candidate in the Biochemistry program, was chosen for a short talk at the October 2017 Biology of Cancer: Microenvironment & Metastasis Conference in Cold Spring Harbor, New York, to present her thesis research "O-GlcNAc transferase regulates breast cancer tumor-initiating cells." She is doing thesis work in the laboratory of Mauricio Reginato, PhD, professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology.
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Giang Le Minh (mentor: Mauricio Reginato, PhD) won the Bondi Fellowship 2024.
Photis Rotsides (mentor: Patrick Loll, PhD) won the Jane Clifford Best PHD Thesis Award 2024.
Ana Dumetriscu (mentor: Shae Padrick) won the Jane Clifford Best MS Thesis Award 2024.
Photis Rotsides, PhD candidate in the Biochemistry of Health and Disease program, gave an invited talk titled “Elucidating the antibiotic sensing mechanism of VanB vancomycin-resistant Enterococci” at Experimental Biology 2022, the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Photis Rotsides (mentor: Patrick Loll, PhD) was awarded 3rd Place Outstanding Senior Graduate Student Poster at Discovery Day 2021.
Lina Maciunas, a Biochemistry graduate student, was one of five platform presenters to be highlighted in a news article about the College of Medicine's annual day of research, Discovery Day. Read the article.
Megan Meuser won the Bondi Fellowship 2020.
Megan Meuser, Biochemistry PhD candidate, was invited to present her research at Molecules Medicinal Chemistry Symposium: Facing Novel Challenges in Drug Discovery in May 2019 in Barcelona, Spain.
Megan Meuser, Biochemistry PhD candidate, received the first prize for an oral presentation at the Young Researchers Conference hosted by the Alliance for Diversity in Science and Engineering in April 2019.
Jennifer Koch (mentor: Patrick Osei-Owusu, PhD) won the Dean’s fellowship 2019.
Megan Meuser received the first prize for an oral presentation at the Young Researchers Conference hosted by the Alliance for Diversity in Science and Engineering in April 2019. Megan also received a National Research Service Award (NRSA) pre-doctoral fellow on Drexel University’s Interdisciplinary and Translational Research Training Grant in NeuroAIDS (T32) funded by the National Institutes of Health. Project title: Uncovering the mechanism of action of a novel HIV-1 antibody that was identified using a closed SOSIP immunogen.
Neha Akella, Biochemistry PhD '19, received the first prize for Best Poster at the Sydney Kimmel Cancer Center Breast Cancer Symposium in November 2018. Neha’s poster was entitled "O-GlcNAc transferase regulates breast cancer tumor-initiating cells."
Lina Maciunas (mentor: Patrick Loll, PhD) was selected to give a platform presentation at the 27th Annual Philadelphia Infection and Immunity forum on December 7, 2018. Project title: Investigating how VanS induces vancomycin resistance genes: vancomycin sensing and signal transduction. Lina received a 2018 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (F31) from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH-NIAID).
Neha Akella received first prize for Best Poster at the Sydney Kimmel Cancer Center Breast Cancer Symposium in November 2018. Neha’s poster was entitled "O-GlcNAc transferase regulates breast cancer tumor-initiating cells." In September 2018, she was selected for oral presentation at the First Annual Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University Education Retreat. She also gave a platform presentation at the Emerging Graduate Scholars Conference, Drexel University, April 2017, and also at the Biology of Cancer: Microenvironment & Metastasis meeting at Cold Spring Harbor Labs, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, October 2017. Neha is conducting her dissertation work in the laboratory of Dr. Mauricio Reginato.
Emilia Arturo received the 2017 Bondi Fellowship. This is to recognize and reward excellence in research performed by continuing graduate students in Biomedical Graduate Studies programs. Emilia is conducting her dissertation work in the laboratory of Dr. Eileen Jaffe.
Charles Wang gave a platform presentation at the 2016 Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center MBG Program Faculty/Trainee Retreat. He also received an Outstanding Junior Graduate Student Poster Award at Drexel Discovery Day 2017. Charles is conducting his dissertation work in the laboratory of Dr. Alexander Mazin.
Sergey Karakashev gave a platform presentation at the 2013 Third AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Basic Cancer Research in National Harbor, Maryland. His research project was also selected for a platform presentation at Drexel Discovery Day 2014. He was also awarded: the GSA Student Travel Award to present his research at the 2014 AACR Annual Meeting, San Diego, California; the DUCOM GSA Fellowship Award ($2,000) for his dissertation project; the Best Graduate Student Poster, the 2014 Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center Consortium; and the Outstanding Senior Graduate Student Poster, Drexel Discovery Day 2012. Sergey conducted his dissertation work in the laboratory of Dr. Mauricio Reginato. He is currently pursing postdoctoral studies at the Wistar Institute.
Lauren Bailey (mentor: Irwin Chaiken, PhD) received a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (F31) from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH-NIAID). Project title: The mechanism of HIV-1 virolytic inactivation by Env-targeting peptide triazoles. Lauren is currently a research scientist at Arbutus Biopharma Corporation.
Matthew Rossi (mentor: Alexander Mazin, PhD) received a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (F31) from National Institute on Aging (NIH-NIA). Project title: The novel role of branch migration protein Rad54 in maintaining genome stability. Matthew is currently an assistant research professor at Pennsylvania State University.
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Giang Le Minh (mentor: Mauricio Reginato, PhD) won the Dean’s Fellowship 2022.
Megan Meuser won the Bondi Fellowship 2020.
Jennifer Koch (mentor: Patrick Osei-Owusu, PhD) won the Dean’s fellowship 2019.
Megan Meuser, BHAD PhD candidate, received a National Research Service Award (NRSA) pre-doctoral fellow on Drexel University’s Interdisciplinary and Translational Research Training Grant in NeuroAIDS (T32) funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Lina Maciunas (mentor: Patrick Loll, PhD) received a 2018 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (F31) from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH-NIAID). Maciunas' project title was "Investigating how VanS induces vancomycin resistance genes: vancomycin sensing and signal transduction."
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Photis Rotsides, PhD (2024)
Mentor: Patrick Loll, PhD
Doctoral Dissertation: The Antibiotic Sensing Mechanism of VanS from Type-B Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci
Giang Le Minh, PhD (2023)
Mentor: Mauricio Reginato, PhD
Doctoral Dissertation: Understanding mechanisms of OGT/O-GlcNAc regulation of breast cancer stem cells
Meagan Tomasso, PhD (2023)
Mentor: Shae Padrick, PhD
Doctoral Dissertation: Cdc42EP3-bound septin filaments promote actin filament assembly
Megan Meuser, PhD (2021)
Doctoral Dissertation: Pharmacological and biological inhibition of HIV-1 entry
Kristie D. Cox, PhD (2020)
Mentor: Marilyn Jorns, PhD
Doctoral Dissertation: Investigating SQOR-catalyzed H2S Metabolism and its Therapeutic Potential in Heart Failure
Lina Maciunas, PhD (2020)
Mentor: Patrick Loll, PhD
Doctoral Dissertation: Activation of VanR/VanS, the Two-Component System that Regulates Vancomycin Resistance
Jennifer Koch, PhD (2020)
Mentor: Patrick Osei-Owusu, PhD
Doctoral Dissertation: Influence of Physiologic and Environmental Factors on the Role of Regulator of G Protein Signaling 2 (RGS2) in Vascular Remodeling During Pregnancy
Neha Manjari Akella, PhD (2019)
Mentor: Mauricio Reginato, PhD
Doctoral Dissertation: The role of O-GlcNAc transferase in regulation of breast cancer stemness and tumor initiation
Emilia Arturo, PhD (2018)
Mentor: Eileen Jaffe, PhD (Fox Chase Cancer Center)
Doctoral Dissertation: The study and manipulation of the structures of mammalian phenylalanine hydroxylase
Nadish Goyal, PhD (2017)
Mentor: Alexander Mazin, PhD
Doctoral Dissertation: The role of N-terminal domain of RAD54 in branch migration of Holliday junction
Peining Jimmy Xu, PhD (2017)
Doctoral Dissertation: Discovery and mechanism of action of a novel HIV-1 capsid inhibitor, CX06
Lauren Bailey, PhD (2015)
Mentor: Irwin Chaiken, PhD
Doctoral Dissertation: Mechanism of Virolysis Induced by HIV-1 Env Targeting Peptide Triazole Thiols
Scott Melideo, PhD (2015)
Mentor: Marilyn Jorns, PhD
Doctoral Dissertation: Towards understanding the pathway for hydrogen sulfide metabolism
Sergey Karakashev, PhD (2015)
Mentor: Mauricio Reginato, PhD
Doctoral Dissertation: The Role of Hypoxia in Mediating Resistance to Breast Cancer Therapy Current Position: Postdoctoral Researcher, the Wistar Institute
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Ana Dumitrescu, MS (2024)
Mentor: Shae Padrick, PhD
Thesis: Development of novel fungal Arp2/3 complex inhibitors
Eric Brinckman, MS (2023)
Mentor: Shae Padrick, PhD
Thesis: Septin Filament Assembly Conditions and Fluorescent Assay Development
Ryan Sharp, MS (2022)
Advisor: Mauricio Reginato, PhD
Thesis: Regulation of NuRD complex proteins by O-GlcNAc transferase in breast cancer cells
Bridget Ryan, MS (2022)
Advisor: Karen Berkowitz, MD
Thesis: The role of CHTF18 in male meiotic cohesion
Thuraya Saleh H Alruiwaili, MS (2021)
Advisor: Srinivas Somarowthu, PhD
Review (non-thesis MS): Long non-coding RNAs in aging
Prajakta Dilipkumar Mehetre, MS (2020)
Advisor: Shae Padrick, PhD
Thesis: Identification of the BORG2 Actin Binding Element
Eric Rossi, MS (2020)
Thesis: Structure, Function and Interactions of the HIV-1 capsid protein
Rebecca A. Rhodes, MS (2020)
Advisor: Shae Padrick, PhD
Thesis: SEPT9 Binds Actin Through a Novel Binding Motif
Courtney Fesko, MS (2018)
Mentor: Joris Beld, PhD
Thesis: Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 secondary metabolism: aryl polyene biosynthesis and phosphopantetheinyl transferase crosstalk
Michael Smith, MS (2017)
Mentor: Mauricio Reginato, PhD
Thesis: Regulation of ACSS2 by O-GlcNAc transferase in glioblastoma cells
Caroline Rajiv, MS (2017)
Mentor: Tara Davis, PhD
Thesis: A study of two multi-domain spliceosomal proteins: Peptidyl prolyl isomerase-like 2 and Zinc finger 830
Guila Fakhoury, MS (2017)
Mentor: Michael Bouchard, PhD
Thesis: Expression of Hepatitis B virus X protein HBx
Kriti Acharya, MS (2015)
Mentor: Irwin Chaiken, PhD
Thesis: Recognition of HIV-Inactivating Peptide Triazoles by a Recombinant Soluble Trimer, BG505 SOSIP.664
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Megan Meuser, PhD '21, is a postdoctoral associate at Yale University.
Kristie D. Cox, PhD '20, is a postdoctoral associate at Medical University of South Carolina. Kristie did her thesis research work under the guidance of Dr. Marilyn Jorns.
Lina Maciunas, PhD '20, is a bench scientist l3 at Glaxo Smith Kline. Lina did her thesis research work under the guidance of Dr. Patrick Loll.
Prajakta Mehetre, MS '20, is a research associate II at Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Prajakta did her thesis research work under the guidance of Dr. Shae Padrick.
Rebecca Rhodes, MS '20, is a protein scientist at the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies. Rebecca did her thesis research work under the guidance of Dr. Shae Padrick.
Courtney Fesko, MS '18, is a characterization scientist at Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories. Courtney did her thesis research work under the guidance of Dr. Joris Beld.
Kristie Cox, PhD '20, is a postdoctoral scholar at Medical University of South Carolina. Kristie did her dissertation work under the guidance of Dr. Marilyn Jorns.
Jennifer Koch, PhD '20, is a postdoctoral fellow at Temple University. Jennifer did her dissertation work under the guidance of Dr. Patrick Osei-Owusu.
Neha Manjari Akella, PhD '19, is a postdoctoral fellow at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute. Neha did her dissertation work under the guidance of Dr. Mauricio Reginato.
Nadish Goyal, PhD '17 is a postdoctoral researcher at Drexel University College of Medicine.
Peining Jimmy Xu, PhD '17, is a postdoctoral researcher at Drexel University.
Elizabeth Upton, PhD, has accepted the position of assistant medical director at MedEdNow, a health care communications company in New York City. Elizabeth did her dissertation work under the guidance of Dr. Pat Loll.
Kate Beishline, PhD, has accepted the position of assistant professor of biology at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. Kate did her dissertation work under the guidance of Dr. Jane Azizkhan-Clifford.
Scott Melideo, PhD '15, is an instructor of chemistry at Bucks County Community College.
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Selected Publications
"Recognition of HIV-inactivating peptide triazoles by the recombinant soluble Env trimer, BG505 SOSIP.664"
Acharya K, Rashad AA, Moraca F, Klasse PJ, Moore JP, Abrams C, Chaiken I
Proteins. 2017 May;85(5):843-851
"O-GlcNAc Transferase Regulates Cancer Stem-like Potential of Breast Cancer Cells"
Akella NM, Le Minh G, Ciraku L, Mukherjee A, Bacigalupa ZA, Mukhopadhyay D, Sodi VL, Reginato MJ
Molecular Cancer Research. 18(4):585-598 (2020)
"O-GlcNAc Transferase Regulates Cancer Stem-like Potential of Breast Cancer Cells"
Akella NM, Le Minh G, Ciraku L, Mukherjee A, Bacigalupa ZA, Mukhopadhyay D, Sodi VL, Reginato MJ
Mol Cancer Res. 2020 Apr;18(4)
"Fueling the fire: emerging role of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway in cancer"
Akella NM, Ciraku L & Reginato MJ
BMC Biol. 2019, July 4;17(1):52. doi: 10.1186/s12915-019-0671-3
"Biophysical characterization of full-length human phenylalanine hydroxylase provides a deeper understanding of its quaternary structure equilibrium"
Arturo EC, Gupta K, Hansen MR, Borne E, Jaffe EK
J Biol Chem 294, 10131-10145 (2019)
"Biophysical characterization of full-length human phenylalanine hydroxylase provides a deeper understanding of its quaternary structure equilibrium"
Arturo EC, Gupta K, Hansen MR, Borne E & Jaffe EK
J Biol Chem. 2019, June 28;294, 10131-10145.
"First structure of full-length mammalian phenylalanine hydroxylase reveals the architecture of an autoinhibited tetramer"
Arturo EC, Gupta K, Héroux A, Stith L, Cross PJ, Parker EJ, Loll PJ, Jaffe EK
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 Mar 1;113(9):2394-9. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1516967113. Epub 2016 Feb 16
"Disulfide Sensitivity in the Env Protein Underlies Lytic Inactivation of HIV-1 by Peptide Triazole Thiols"
Bailey LD, Kalyana Sundaram RV, Li H, Duffy C, Aneja R, Rosemary Bastian A, Holmes AP, Kamanna K, Rashad AA, Chaiken I
ACS Chem Biol. 2015 Dec 18;10(12):2861-73
"Sp1 and the 'hallmarks of cancer'"
Beishline K, Azizkhan-Clifford J
FEBS J. 2015 Jan;282(2):224-58
"Interplay between the cell cycle and double-strand break response in mammalian cells"
Beishline K, Azizkhan-Clifford J
Methods Mol Biol. 2014;1170:41-59
"Sp1 facilitates DNA double-strand break repair through a nontranscriptional mechanism"
Beishline K, Kelly CM, Olofsson BA, Koduri S, Emrich J, Greenberg RA, Azizkhan-Clifford J
Mol Cell Biol. 2012 Sep;32(18):3790-9
"Analysis of the activities of RAD54, a SWI2/SNF2 protein, using a specific small-molecule inhibitor"
Deakyne JS, Huang F, Negri J, Tolliday N, Cocklin S, Mazin AV
J Biol Chem. 2013 Nov 1;288(44):31567-80
"The Tumor-Selective Cytotoxic Agent β-Lapachone is a Potent Inhibitor of IDO1"
Flick HE, Lalonde JM, Malachowski WP, Muller AJ
Int J Tryptophan Res. 2013 Aug 19;6:35-45
"A Pak1/Erk signaling module acts through Gata6 to regulate cardiovascular development in zebrafish"
Kelly ML, Astsaturov A, Rhodes J, Chernoff J
Dev Cell. 2014 May 12;29(3):350-9
"Role of p21-activated kinases in cardiovascular development and function"
Kelly ML, Astsaturov A, Chernoff J
Cell Mol Life Sci. 2013 Nov;70(22):4223-8
"Mouse models of PAK function"
Kelly ML, Chernoff J
Cell Logist. 2012 Apr 1;2(2):84-88
Getting smart about p21-activated kinases
Kelly ML, Chernoff J
Mol Cell Biol. 2011 Feb;31(3):386-7
“On a sugar high: Role of O-GlcNAcylation in cancer”
Le Minh G, Esquea EM, Young RG, Huang J, Reginato MJ
J Biol Chem. 2023
“Kruppel-like factor 8 regulates triple negative breast cancer stem cell-like activity”
Le Minh G, Esquea EM, Dhameliya TT, Merzy J, Lee MH, Ball LE, Reginato MJ
Front Oncol. 2023
“Role of O-GlcNAcylation on cancer stem cells: Connecting nutrient sensing to cell plasticity”
Le Minh G, Reginato MJ
Adv Cancer Res. 2023
"Rapid Optimization of the Metabolic Stability of a Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 Capsid Inhibitor Using a Multistep Computational Workflow"
Meuser ME, Reddy PAN, Dick A, Maurancy JM, Salvino JM, Cocklin S
J Med Chem. 64(7):3747-3766 (April 8, 2021)
"Field-Based Affinity Optimization of a Novel Azabicyclohexane Scaffold HIV-1 Entry Inhibitor"
Meuser ME, Rashad AA, Ozorowski G, Dick A, Ward AB, Cocklin S.
Molecules. 2019 Apr 22;24(8). pii: E1581. doi: 10.3390/molecules24081581.
"Kinetic Characterization of Novel HIV-1 Entry Inhibitors: Discovery of a Relationship between Off-Rate and Potency"
Meuser ME, Murphy MB, Rashad AA, Cocklin S
Molecules 2018 Aug 3;23(8)
"The spliceosomal proteins PPIH and PRPF4 exhibit bi-partite binding"
Rajiv C, Jackson SR, Cocklin S, Eisenmesser EZ, Davis TL
Biochem J. 2017 Oct 25;474(21):3689-3704
“Diazirine Photoprobes for the Identification of Vancomycin-Binding Proteins”
Rotsides P, Lee PJ, Webber N, Grasty KC, Beld J, Loll PJ
ACS Bio Med Chem Au. 2023
“BORG family proteins in physiology and human disease”
Tomasso MR, Padrick SB
Cytoskeleton (Hoboken). 2023
"Identification of a small molecule HIV-1 inhibitor that targets the capsid hexamer"
Xu JP, Branson JD, Lawrence R, Cocklin S
Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2016 Feb 1;26(3):824-828. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2015.12.087. Epub 2015 Dec 25