Students - Current and Past

Catherine Beazley

Jaclyn Conley

Adriana Cretu

Joaquin Howard

John Kaiser

Samuel Pennock

Ashley Rettino

Divyani Sitaldin

Divyani Sitaldin is a first-year PhD student in the Biochemistry and Structural Biology (BSB) program at Stony Brook University. She earned a B.S. in Biochemistry from the City College of New York, where she conducted honors research on β₂-adrenergic receptor (β₂AR) aptamers. Her research interests include structural biology, biomolecular interactions, and the biochemical mechanisms underlying disease.

Angel Caitlin Bondoy

Angel Caitlin Bondoy graduated from University College Ghent (HOGENT) in 2023 in Belgium. After graduation, she worked as a research technician and earned her M.S. in Biochemistry from Indiana University. Her interests include DNA damage and DNA repair, but she is open to exploring other topics related to nucleic acid biology. She is eager to learn the techniques and use multidisciplinary approaches to understand the fundamental questions associated with genome stability and pathologies. In her free time, she enjoys baking, trying new recipes, traveling and discovering new foods and restaurants. Angel is conducting thesis research in the Tan lab.

Kaitlyn Donnelly

Kaitlyn Donnelly graduated from Stony Brook University with a B.S. in Biochemistry. After graduation, she worked as a research technician in Dr. Bernadette Holdener’s laboratory, where she studied the role of Protein-O-glucosyltransferases 2 and 3 (POGLUT2/3) in modifying extracellular matrix proteins during development. During this time, she was introduced to structural biology techniques, which sparked her interest in understanding protein structure-function relationships. Kaitlyn is excited to further explore these approaches throughout her PhD. Outside of her studies, she enjoys trying new restaurants and reading. Kaitlyn is doing her thesis research in the Airola lab.

Dennis Ferm

Dennis Ferm graduated from the College of William and Mary with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Biochemistry. He gained research experience working for the United States Department of Agriculture as a lab technician studying metabolomic profiles of numerous industrial and ornamental plant species. He hopes to develop his skills in experimental structural biology using precision instruments, eventually focusing on metabolic interactions with pathology. Outside his studies, Dennis enjoys snowboarding, surfing, and some casual cycling. Dennis is conducting research in the lab of Dr. Eugene Serebryany.

Arlene Shaji

I graduated with a B.S. in Biology from SUNY Binghamton. Throughout my academic career, I’ve continually sought to bridge the gap between biology and chemistry. I’ve explored the intersections of these disciplines through research, while also fostering scientific understanding in others both inside and outside the classroom. I’m passionate about cell signaling and drug discovery, and I look forward to contributing to these areas of research at Stony Brook. Arlene is conducting research in the lab of Dr. Qun Liu.

Behrgen Smith

Behrgen Smith earned his B.S. in Biomolecular Engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering in 2023. As an undergraduate, he focused on modeling at the intersection of chemical, biological, and computational sciences. Through the TECBIO REU at the University of Pittsburgh, he worked with Dr. Ivet Bahar on modeling glutamate transporter mechanisms. In 2022, he joined Congruence Therapeutics, contributing to dynamics-informed structural biology methods and virtual screening projects for drug discovery. His interests include integrating experimental and computational approaches to advance rational drug design. Outside the lab, he enjoys baking, 3D animation, and hiking. Behrgen is in the lab of Dr. Markus Seeliger.

Hatice Baysal

Hatice comes to us with a BS in Biotechnology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, NY. Throughout her academic career, Hatice has developed her adaptability, resilience and commitment to finding alternative solutions in research and hopes to further these attributes at Stony Brook University. Hatice has a medical academic background and her research interests lie in computational biology and cancer biology. Hatice is doing her thesis research in the lab of Todd Miller.

Azadeh Mahdavinia

Azadeh graduated from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences with a doctorate in pharmacy. She joined the Department of Allergy and Immunology at Harvard Medical School to study the immune system and antibodies. Past two years, Azadeh has studied the role of G protein-coupled receptors on B cell response and B cell evolution after COVID-19 vaccination. Now, she's eager to learn more about immune cells and proteins focusing on their structure, function, and therapeutic potential. Outside the lab, Azadeh enjoys Pilates and loves cooking. Azadeh is in the lab of Dr. Kathryn Gunn.

Rishav Mitra

Hey everyone!! Excited to share my journey with all of you. I completed both my Bachelor's and Master's in Microbiology and then delved into the captivating world of structural biology and fascinating proteins at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in India as a Project Associate. Thrilled to join the BSB graduate program, aiming to nurture my passion for becoming an independent researcher. When I'm not playing with proteins, you'll find me exploring new cities, binge-watching movies, and whipping up culinary delights in the kitchen. Let's connect and do some wonderful work together. Rishav is conducting his thesis research in the lab of Dr. Vish Chandrasekaran.

Kevin Shionarain

Kevin graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry from CUNY City College of New York in January 2024. For his undergraduate thesis research and post-baccalaureate research, Kevin studied the conformational dynamics of related protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) by designing and analyzing the structures and functions of chimeric PTPs under the supervision of Dr. Daniel Keedy at CUNY’s ASRC. At Stony Brook University, Kevin hopes to perform similar research that can help with the development of therapeutics. During his free time, Kevin likes to play video games, cook different cuisines, and sleep.  Kevin is conducting thesis research in the lab of Dr. Michael Airola.

Ali Behboodian

Ali is a Research Assistant in Eugene Serebryany's lab. His research interest is in protein biochemistry. His favorite hobby is ordering from Taco Bell! Fun fact: Ali's favorite scientist is Rick Sanchez from dimension C-137. Ali has a B.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from University of Tehran and a M.S. in Biochemistry from Tarbiat Modares University, both of which are in Iran.

Andrew Hillowe

Andrew is no stranger to Stony Brook University having obtained a BS in Biology followed by a MS in Biochemistry and Cell Biology.   After graduating with his MS, he briefly continued his research on chemotherapy-resistant prostate cancer before joining the Sharma lab. Andrew is a CBTP Fellow.  In his free time, Andrew is usually outdoors, running and enjoying trails, wherever he can find them. Andrew is in the lab of Dr. Stuti Sharma.

Diksha Parwana

Diksha graduated with a Bachelor's in Pharmacy from Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani, in 2022. During her senior year, she worked at Indian Institute of Science, where she studied the pore formation mechanism of a bacterial toxin, Cytolysin A, using biophysical experiments. She developed a passion for advancing drug discovery while interning at University College London, where she used computational methods to investigate the mechanisms of drug resistance and aid in the rational design of novel inhibitors. Diksha's research interests broadly include structure-based drug design and molecular modeling methods. Apart from research, she enjoys trying out new cuisines, music, and workout routines. Diksha is conducting thesis research in the lab of Dr. Ivet Bahar.

Vanie Seecharan

Vanie earned a BS in Biochemistry from Adelphi University where she received the American Institute of Chemists Award and was a Levermore Global Scholar.  She aspires to work for a biotechnology or pharmaceutical company and create a drug design.  She completed undergraduate research on an organic synthesis project focused on Cu(I) mediated alkylation of nitriles. She studies the mechanisms of resistance mutations to inhibitors in human kinases.  She is doing her thesis research in the lab of Dr. Markus Seeliger.

Khalayi Martha Aywa

I graduated from Wellesley College with a BA in Biochemistry and worked in the Dora Carrico-Moniz lab studying the anti-cancer effect of a coumarin compound on pancreatic adenocarcinoma. I then worked at Tufts in the labs of Brian Schaffhausen and Andrew Bohm studying protein phosphatase 2A. I enjoy walking, reading, and eating good food. Khalayi is conducting thesis research in the labs of Dr. Michael Airola and Dr. Yusuf Hannun.

Caitlin Bricault

Caitlin Bricault received her B.S. in Biochemistry at Stony Brook University in 2020. She completed her undergraduate research in The Collier Lab and presented at the Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities annual event. Caitlin has worked as an Introductory Biology Lab Instructor at Stony Brook for the past 2 years. Caty is in the lab of Dr. Stuti Sharma.

Emma Gebauer

Emma graduated from Bucknell University in 2020 with a BS in Cell Biology and Biochemistry with a minor in physics, where she did analytical chemistry research in the Collins lab. Following graduation, Emma spent two years studying structure function relationships of viral RNA sensors implicated in diseases such as Hepatitis C and COVID-19 in the Marcotrigiano lab at the NIH. Emma is conducting thesis research in the lab of Dr. Markus Seeliger. Outside of the lab, Emma is an amateur film photographer, classically-trained violist, and an avid competitive jigsaw puzzler.

Daniel Wong Gutierrez

Daniel completed his senior thesis on lipid droplet-localized scaffold proteins in the Airola laboratory and graduated from Stony Brook University with a B.S. in Biology. His research interest lies in designing and purifying membrane-associated proteins to ultimately understand their structure, function, and therapeutic application. Daniel is in the lab of Dr. Qun Liu.

Hoang Nguyen

Hoang is a Research Assistant in Dr. Ivet Bahar's lab. His research interest is in studying protein structure and dynamics, especially membrane proteins and membrane influenced dynamics using Elastic Network Model combined with Coarse-grained Molecular Dynamics simulations. His hobbies include volleyball and photography. Hoang is an international student from Vietnam with a BS in Biochemistry from SUNY Plattsburgh.

Satyaki Saha

Satyaki completed his bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Belur, India. He received his master's degree in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, India, in 2022, where he focused on studying virus-receptor interactions in SARS-CoV-2. Subsequently, he joined Dr.. Ivet Bahar's lab at the University of Pittsburgh as a research assistant, dedicating his efforts to protein dynamics and computational drug discovery. In his free time, Satyaki enjoys reading and writing poems, as well as spending time with his family.

Antonio Torlentino

Antonio graduated from Binghamton University with a B.S. in Biochemistry. He studied bacterial biofilms in the labs of Caitlin Light and Karin Sauer. Antonio enjoys discovering new music and playing tennis. He is conducting thesis related research in the lab of Dr. Todd Miller.

Max Henderson

Max received his BS in Biophysical Chemistry at James Madison University in 2017. He then worked in a structural biology lab at Duke University for three years. Outside of science he enjoys writing music, reading, and visiting family and friends. He is doing thesis research in the lab of Dr. Qun Liu.

Sanjna Rana

I graduated with a BS and MS in Chemistry from St. Stephen's College at the University of Delhi in India where I worked on nanoparticle synthesis and their applications as reaction catalysts for a greener approach. Apart from my coursework, I enjoy listening to music, reading novels, and sketching. Sanjna is conducting thesis related research in the lab of Dr. Todd Miller.