People

Principal Investigator

  

           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 and conducted her graduate work 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 

   Elizabeth Gordon  

elizabeth.gordon at yale.edu

Elizabeth Gordon

Elizabeth is a sixth-year graduate student in the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology. She was raised in Pensacola, Florida, and graduated with both a B.S. in Biology and M.S. in Medical Sciences from the University of Florida. There, she worked in the lab of Dr. Charles Wood investigating the presence and role of a fetal microbiome during late gestation. In the Hatzios lab, Elizabeth is studying redox signaling in gastric cells during H. pylori infection. Outside of lab, Elizabeth enjoys hiking, baking, and lounging in her hammock with a good book. 

  Mitchelle Katemauswa

     mitchelle.katemauswa                              at yale.edu     

Mitchelle Katemauswa

Mitchelle is a second-year graduate student in the Department of Chemistry. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a B.S. in Biochemistry. During her undergraduate studies, Mitchelle worked with Dr. Laura-Isobel McCall applying spatial metabolomics techniques to study Chagas Disease pathogenesis and host response to Trypanosoma cruzi infection. In the Hatzios lab, she is using chemical proteomics to study H. pylori adaptation to the host environment. Outside of the lab, she enjoys running, reading, and going to art museums.

  

         renuka.ramanathan                                 at yale.edu     

Renuka Ramanathan

Renuka is a fourth-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.

Anna Seminara

 anna.seminara at yale.edu     

Anna Seminara

Anna is a fifth-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 

  Zhe Zhou

        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 

  Bryan Cernuda

  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 

  Kira Wang

        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.

  Robot

Interested in joining the team?

Lab Alumni 

Maia Baskerville, Graduate Student — Process Scientist, Regeneron

Lauren Blankenship, Postgraduate Research Associate — Chemistry Graduate Student, Texas A&M

Alicia DeColli, Postdoc — Instructor of Chemistry, U.S. Naval Academy

Danny Dumitrescu, Graduate Student — Postdoctoral Fellow, Caltech

Darby Herkert, Undergraduate Researcher — Medical Student, Duke University School of Medicine

Matthew Howell, Postgraduate Research Associate — Chemistry Graduate Student, UConn

Isabel Koolik, Undergraduate Researcher & Postgraduate Research Associate — Medical Student, Duke University School of Medicine

Katya Kovalyova, Graduate Student — Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Merck

Natalie Murphy, Postgraduate Research Associate

Kevin Seo, Undergraduate Researcher

John TawilPostgraduate Research Associate — Graduate Student in Biomedical Sciences, Penn State