People

Principal Investigator

  

           stavroula.hatzios                                  at yale.edu

Stavroula Hatzios, PhD

Stavroula is an Assistant 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 

  Maia Baskerville

             maia.baskerville                                 at yale.edu

Maia Baskerville

Maia is a sixth-year graduate student in the Department of Microbial Pathogenesis at Yale. She graduated summa cum laude from Wells College with a B.A. in biochemistry and molecular biology. As an undergraduate, Maia pursued viral genomics research with Dr. Keith Perry at Cornell University and studied viral regulation of immune cell differentiation with Dr. Gary Chan at SUNY Upstate Medical University. In the Hatzios lab, she is applying chemical probes to identify and characterize proteins selectively activated during Helicobacter pylori infection, as well as investigating the bacterium’s redox effects on host cells. Outside her scientific pursuits, she enjoys playing the piano, creating art, cooking, and maintaining her patterned sock collection.

  Danny Dumitrescu

            daniel.dumitrescu                               at yale.edu

Danny Dumitrescu

Danny was raised in Cary, North Carolina, and received his B.S. in chemistry from Duke University. During his undergraduate studies, Danny worked with Dr. Kenichi Yokoyama to elucidate the biosynthesis of nucleoside natural products produced by Streptomyces. As a sixth-year chemistry graduate student in the Hatzios group, Danny is now studying how pathogen-derived proteins and small molecules promote gastrointestinal disease.

   Elizabeth Gordon  

elizabeth.gordon at yale.edu

Elizabeth Gordon

Elizabeth is a fifth-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. 

  

         renuka.ramanathan                                 at yale.edu     

Renuka Ramanathan

Renuka is a third-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 will be 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 fourth-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 will be investigating the biochemistry of redox-active small molecules in gastrointestinal bacteria. Outside of lab, Anna enjoys reading, embroidering, and going to the theater.

Post-graduate Researchers 

  Natalie Murphy

 natalie.murphy at yale.edu           

Natalie Murphy

Natalie was raised in Alexandria, Virginia, and graduated from Virginia Tech with a B.S. in Biochemistry and a minor in Chemistry. As an undergraduate, she worked in the lab of Dr. Erin Hotchkiss, investigating the spatial variability of microbial metabolism in mining-impacted and reference streams. In the Hatzios lab, she is studying mechanisms of microbial redox regulation in the gut and developing propeptide-based tools that target microbial pathogens. Outside of the lab, she enjoys cooking, reading, and rock climbing.

Students and Postdocs

  Robot

Interested in joining the team?

Lab Alumni 

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

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

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

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