Principal Investigator
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stavroula.hatzios at yale.edu |
Stavroula Hatzios, PhD Stavroula is an Associate Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and of Chemistry in the Microbial Sciences Institute at Yale University. A native of Blacksburg, Virginia, she received her B.S. in chemistry from MIT, where she worked with Sarah E. O’Connor, and conducted her graduate research with Carolyn Bertozzi at UC Berkeley. After earning her Ph.D., Stavroula completed a research fellowship in Uganda before pursuing postdoctoral work with Matt Waldor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School. Outside of the lab, she has been a longtime volunteer with science outreach organizations and has performed widely as an oboist. |
Graduate Students
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renuka.ramanathan at yale.edu |
Renuka Ramanathan Renuka is a fifth-year graduate student in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a B.S. in Biochemistry. During her undergraduate studies, Renuka pursued projects in various labs studying cancer initiation, diagnosis, and treatment broadly focused on targeting biomarkers of cancer. In the Hatzios lab, she is studying redox signaling during H. pylori infection that may contribute to gastric cancer development. Outside of the lab, Renuka enjoys cooking, playing the piano, running, and tending to her houseplant collection. |
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anna.seminara at yale.edu |
Anna Seminara Anna is a sixth-year graduate student in the Department of Microbial Pathogenesis. She graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a B.S. in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Microbiology and high honors in Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics. While at UMD, Anna worked in the lab of Dr. Vincent Lee, studying how second messenger signaling nucleotides like cyclic-di-GMP interact with proteins. In the Hatzios lab, she is investigating the biochemistry of redox-active small molecules in gastrointestinal bacteria. Outside of lab, Anna enjoys reading, embroidering, and going to the theater. |
Postdocs
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manuela.alvaradoobando at yale.edu |
Manuela Alvarado Obando, PhD Manuela is a postdoc in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and the Yale Microbial Sciences Institute. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, she earned her B.S. in Industrial Microbiology from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in 2018. She completed her graduate studies with Dr. Tobias Dörr at Cornell University, where she discovered a novel mechanism of endopeptidase regulation in Vibrio cholerae. In the Hatzios lab, Manuela is investigating how microbial metabolism of host-derived antioxidants affects host-signaling pathways. Outside of the lab, she enjoys playing board games, crocheting, and 3D printing. |
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botao.cheng at yale.edu |
Botao Cheng, PhD Botao is a postdoc in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and the Yale Microbial Sciences Institute. Originally from Chongqing, China, Botao graduated from Nankai University with a B.S. in Chemistry in 2017. He completed his doctoral research with Dr. Wen Liu at the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, where he discovered new families of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). In the Hatzios lab, Botao is developing novel probes for detecting bacterial pathogens and studying how dietary antioxidants influence the development of gastrointestinal diseases. Outside of the lab, he enjoys cooking and hiking. |
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mdjalal.uddin at yale.edu |
Jalal Uddin, PhD Jalal is a postdoc in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and the Yale Microbial Sciences Institute. Originally from Dhaka, Bangladesh, Jalal earned his B.S. in Microbiology from Jahangirnagar University in 2016, before moving to South Korea for a master’s degree in Biomedical Science at Kangwon National University. He compelted his doctoral research with Dr. Christian Lentz at the University of Tromsø, Norway, where he discovered and characterized virulence-associated enzymes from Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. In the Hatzios lab, Jalal is applying chemical proteomics to discover protein oxidation sites that may contribute to infection-associated cancers. Outside of the lab, he enjoys playing cricket, attending sporting events, traveling, and hiking. |
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zhe.zhou at yale.edu |
Zhe Zhou, PhD Zhe is a postdoc in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and the Yale Microbial Sciences Institute. Originally from Dalian, China, Zhe earned her B.E. in Environmental Engineering from the Dalian University of Technology in 2017. She then completed her graduate studies with Dr. Danmeng Shuai at The George Washington University, where she developed heterogeneous single- and double-atom catalysts for the oxidation of organic contaminants and viral inactivation. In the Hatzios lab, Zhe is studying microbial mechanisms of antioxidant metabolism. Outside of the lab, she enjoys exploring new cuisines and volunteering in local church communities. |
Research Assistant
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bryan.cernuda at yale.edu |
Bryan Cernuda Bryan is a research assistant in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and the Microbial Sciences Institute. He graduated from Pace University with a B.S. in Biology and an M.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. As a graduate student, Bryan worked with Dr. Zafir Buraei to uncover the intermolecular interactions between a cardiac potassium channel and a channel inhibitor. He also worked with Dr. Nilanjana Maulik at the University of Connecticut Health Center to elucidate a cardioprotective molecular mechanism in genetically-modified mice that are resistant to myocardial infarction. In the Hatzios lab, Bryan is investigating strategies to selectively detect and inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria in polymicrobial communities. Outside of the lab, Bryan enjoys playing the piano, hiking, and attending sporting events. |
Undergraduates
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kira.wang at yale.edu |
Kira Wang Kira is a rising junior majoring in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale College. In the Hatzios lab, she is working with Dr. Zhe Zhou to investigate mechanisms of microbial metabolism that influence host-microbe interactions in the gut. Outside of the lab, she enjoys playing cello in the Yale Symphony Orchestra, running, traveling, and playing with her dog, Carl. |
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Interested in joining the team? |
Lab Alumni
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Maia Baskerville, Graduate Student — Process Scientist, Regeneron Lauren Blankenship, Postgraduate Research Associate — Chemistry Graduate Student, Texas A&M Alicia DeColli, Postdoc — Johns Hopkins School of Nursing Danny Dumitrescu, Graduate Student — Postdoctoral Fellow, Mazmanian Lab, Caltech Elizabeth Gordon, Graduate Student — Senior Scientist, Regeneron Darby Herkert, Undergraduate Researcher — Medical Student, Duke University School of Medicine Matthew Howell, Postgraduate Research Associate — Chemistry Graduate Student, UConn Mitchelle Katemauswa, Graduate Student Isabel Koolik, Undergraduate Researcher & Postgraduate Research Associate — Medical Student, Duke University School of Medicine Katya Kovalyova, Graduate Student — Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Merck Susana Asencios Lopez, Visiting Undergraduate Researcher — Master’s Student, Keck Graudate Institute Natalie Murphy, Postgraduate Research Associate — Research Associate, Palmer Lab, University of Colorado, Boulder Kevin Seo, Undergraduate Researcher John Tawil, Postgraduate Research Associate — Graduate Student in Biomedical Sciences, Penn State |