Students
Steven Ahrendt
B.S., Biology, Purdue
Member of Stajich Lab
Awards: Dean's Distringuished Fellowship, 2010.
Rizi Ai
B.S., Biology, Fudan University, China
Member of Chang Lab
My research focuses on computer-aided drug design and discovery. I developed a bioinformatics tool, termed T-Analyst, for efficient analysis of protein conformational changes by torsion angles. This program is very useful for drug screening. Currently, I am working on drug design and discovery on Cannabinoid receptors.
Publications: Ai, R., Fatmi, M. Q., and Chang, C-E. A., T-Analyst, a program for efficient analysis of protein conformational changes by torsion angles. J Comput Aided Mol Des. 2010, 24(10):819-827.
Fatmi, M., Ai, R., and Chang, C-E. A., Synergistic regulation and ligand-induced conformational changes of tryptophan synthase. Biochemistry, 2009, 48 (41), pp 9921-9931.
Poster Presentation: "T-Analyst: A program For Efficient Analysis of Protein Conformational Changes by Torsion Angles", 239th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, San Francisco, CA, March 2010.
Awards: Graduate Division International Fellowship, 2007. Janet M. Boyce Memorial Award, 2009. GSA Conference Travel Award, 2010. Scholarship Award for Best Presentation at GGB Graduate Student Research Symposium, 2010. 2011-2012 Dissertation Year Program Fellowship Award.
Hagop Atamian
B.S. and M.S., Plant Protection, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Member of Kaloshian Lab
My research interest is to elucidate the interaction between the tomato host and the aphid pest. My research seeks to identify the pest effector(s) recognized by the host plant, the host defense signaling pathway against the aphids, and the effect of this defense on the aphid pest.
Poster Presentation: "Identification and Cloning of Potato Aphid Mi-1 Effector Molecules." Pea Aphid Genome Annotation Workshop, Princeton, NJ, July 2008.
Awards: IIGB Conference Travel Award, 2008; Pea Aphid Genome Annotation Consortium Conference Travel Award, 2008.
Ilva Cabrera
B.S. Molecular Cell Biology, California State University, Long Beach; B.A. Sociology, California State University, Long Beach
Member of Borkovich Lab
Currently I am investigating the role of regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins in heterotrimeric G protein signaling in the model filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa.
Awards: NSF-IGERT Fellowship in Video Bioinformatics; FASEB MARC travel award, 2011; AGEP travel award, 2010; Graduate Division Fellowship, 2009.
Ritu Chaudhary
B.S., Microbiology, University of Delhi; M.S., Bioinformatics, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, India
Member of Kaloshian Lab
My area of interest is to identify potato aphid effector molecules that are delivered into the tomato host during feeding.
Awards: Dean's Distinguished Fellowship. Guru Gobind Singh Fellowship for 2011-2012.
Stephanie Coffman
B.S., Molecular and Cellular Biology, Cal State Fresno
Member of Ding Lab
Awards: Chancellor's Distinguished Fellowship, 2010. Video Bioninformatics IGERT Fellowship, 2011.
Amruta Garud
B.S., Biological Sciences, UC Riverside
Member of Borkovich Lab
Awards: Chancellor's Distinguished Fellowship, 2010.
Arit Ghosh
B.S., Biotechnology, West Bengal U.of Tech, India; M.S., University of Nebraska, Microbiology and Molecular Biology
Member of Borkovich Lab
Awards: Dean's Distringuished Fellowship, 2011.
Raissa Green
B.S., Genetics, UC Davis
Rotating
Awards: Dean's Distringuished Fellowship, 2011.
Ji Su Ha
B.S., Agriculture, Kyungpook National University, Korea
Rotating
Awards: Dean's Distinguished Fellowship, 2011.
Amanda Hollowell
B.S., Genetics, UC Davis
Member of Sachs lab
Awards: Graduate Division Fellowship, 2009.
Meenakshi Kagda
B.S., Biotechnology, N.V. Patel College of Sciences, India; M.S., Biotechnology, BRD School of Biosciencesiology, India
Member of Judelson Lab
Awards: Dean's Distinguished Fellowship, 2010.
Samantha Lewis
B.S., Zoology, Oregon State University
Member of Hyman Lab
My research interests include molecular evolution, organelle genome architecture, the evolutionary origins of Phylum Nematoda, and the causes and effects of recombination in organelle genomes. I am currently studying gene order rearrangements in Plectid and Mermithid mitochondria with Dr. Brad Hyman of the Biology Department.
Awards: Chancellor's Distinguished Fellowship and Eugene Cota Robles Award, 2008; Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution Diversity Mentoring Award, 2007; AAAS/Science Magazine Program for Excellence in Science, 2009;NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, 2010-2013.
Principal Investigator, IIGB Deep Sequencing Seed Grant: "Multiplex sequencing of complete mitochondrial genomes on the Illumina platform."
Publications: Lewis, SC, Dyal, LA, Hilburn, CF, Weitz, S, Liau, WS, Lamunyon, CW, Denver, DR. 2009. Molecular evolution in Panagrolaimus nematodes: origins of parthenogenesis, hermaphroditism and the Antarctic species P. davidi. BMC Evol Biol. 9(1):15
Denver DR, Dolan P, Wilhelm LJ, Sung W, Lucas-Lledó JI, Howe DK, Lewis SC, Okamoto K, Thomas WK, Lynch M, Baer CF. 2009. A genome-wide view of Caenorhabditis elegans base-substitution mutation processes. PNAS 2009 106:16310-16314
Shaofang Li
B.S., Biology, Northeast Normal University; M.S., Genetics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Member of Chen Lab
Awards:Graduate Division Fellowship, 2009.
Yifan Lii
B.S, Biochemistry/Cell Biology, UC San Diego
Member of Jin lab
Awards: NSF-IGERT fellow.
Jinfeng Lu
B.S., Biological Science, Peking University
Member of Ding Lab
Awards:Dean's Distinguished Fellowship, 2010.
Keira Lucas
B.S., Molecular Biology, Cal State Fresno
Member of Raikhel Lab
Awards:Dean's Distinguished Fellowship, 2010.
Mitchell Lucas
B.S., Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology, Cal State Fresno
Member of Close Lab
Awards:Chancellor's Distinguished Fellowship, 2010.
Alexander Michkov
B.S., Agrochemistry and Soil Science, Moscow Timiriazev Agricultural Academy; M.S., Agricultural Biotechnology, Moscow Timiriazev Agricultural Academy, Russia
Member of Borkovich Lab
Awards: Dean's Distinguished Fellowship.
Sumana Pasala
B.S., Microbiology, Nagarjuna University; M.S., Applied Microbiology, Sri Padmavathi Mahila Visvavidyalayam, India
Member of Sladek Lab
Sarah Perry
B.A., Biology, Westmont College
Member of Ray Lab
Awards:Dean's Distinguished Fellowship, 2010.
Tusar Saha
B.S., Botany and M.S,. Biochemistry, University of Calcutta, India
Member of Alexander Raikhel Lab
Mosquitoes are vectors of numerous devastating human diseases such as malaria and Dengue fever. Mosquitoes transmit pathogens of these diseases because they require blood feeding for their egg development, which is controlled by alternating titers of two hormones: juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysone. The molecular basis of JH action in mosquito egg development is not understood. My research focuses on elucidation of this role of JH. I use functional genomics tools to identify JH target genes implicated in mosquito egg maturation. I utilize reverse genetics and microarrays to decipher how JH controls gene expression.
Award:Dean's Distinguished Fellowship, 2008.
Divya Sain
B.S., Biotechnology, College of Engineering and Technology, India
Member of Stajich Lab
Evolutionary aspects of Fungal cell wall development.
Awards: Graduate Division Fellowship. 2011 Klotz Memorial Travel Award for attending the Fungal Genetics Conference in Pacific Grove, Asilomar, CA from 15th to 21st March 2011.
Poster presentations: "Studying Fungal cell wall evolution using comparative genomics and phylogenetics." 1st Annual SoCal Systems Biology Conference, UC Irvine, January 2011. Divya Sain and Jason E. Stajich. "Utilizing functional genomics in Neurospora crassa to identify cell wall genes." 26th Fungal Genetics Conference. Asilomar. March 2011.
Publications: Li-Jun Ma, H. Charlotte van der Does, Katherine A. Borkovich, ..Divya Sain,.. H. Corby Kistler, Martijn Rep. 2010. Comparative genomics reveals mobile pathogenicity chromosomes in Fusarium. Nature. 464, 367-373.
Patrick Schacht
B.S., Biochemistry, Biola University
Member of Borkovich Lab
Currently I am studying G protein signaling in the Borkovich lab. Using the model organism Neurospora crassa , I am examining proteins that regulate the G-protein signaling cascade through analysis of mutants and protein-protein interaction studies.
Awards: NSF-IGERT Fellow.
Sammy Sedky
B.S., Biological Sciences (Bioinformatics & Genomics), UC Riverside
Member of De Ley Lab
Awards:Graduate Division Fellowship.
Jolly Shrivastava
B.S., Life Sciences, Ch. Charan Singh University, India; M.S., Biology, University of North Carolina; M.S., Biology, Cal State Fullerton
Rotating
Awards: Chancellor's Distinguished Fellowship, 2011.
Venkatesh Sivanandam
B.S., Biotechnology, School of Engineering & Technology, India
Member of Rao Lab
Analysis of molecular mechanisms regulating replication and packaging of satellite Tobacco Mosaic Virus.
Awards: Dean's Distinguished Fellowship.
Caroline Sjogren
B.S., Biology, UC Riverside
Member of Larsen Lab
Awards: Dean's Distinguished Fellowship, 2011.
Bo Zhao
B.S., Biology, Nankai University
Member of the Alexander Raikhel lab
Awards: Dean's Distinguished Fellowship, 2009.