{"id":15499,"date":"2020-05-28T10:09:26","date_gmt":"2020-05-28T14:09:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/?page_id=15499"},"modified":"2026-05-21T14:14:42","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T18:14:42","slug":"graduate-students","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/people\/graduate-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Graduate Students"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t<div class=\"profile-listing\">\n\t\t<ul class=\"advanced\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/kaitlyn-alimenti\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2023\/10\/Alimenti_headshot2.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Kaitlyn Alimenti<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; Blower Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">Mitosis, Long non-coding RNAs, Chromatin Structure, RNA:Chromatin Interactions<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/elizaveta-berson\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-24-at-7.36.50\u202fAM-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Elizaveta Berson<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student \u2014 Perissi &#038; Isaac Labs<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">anterograde and retrograde signaling, mitochondrial DNA<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/adaline-brekker\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2024\/07\/Biochem_Photo_AB-1-1-e1759156862505-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Mollie Adaline Brekker<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; Lyons Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">Non-canonical Translation Initiation, Protein Modifications and Functions, Cancer Biology<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/alec-candib\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"150\" height=\"144\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2021\/09\/Publications.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Alec Candib<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; Zaia Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">Bioinformatics<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/scott-connelly\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"150\" height=\"145\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2023\/06\/Screenshot-2023-06-23-at-9.14.13-AM-310x300.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Scott Connelly<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; Layne Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">Adipose tissue fibrosis, adipose tissue biology<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/autumn-grimins\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2024\/07\/Grimins_Photo-for-Lab-Website-4-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Autumn Grimins<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; Lyons Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">Virology, eukaryotic translation initiation, non-canonical translation initiation mechanisms<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/ryan-johnston\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2021\/10\/CIlia.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Ryan Johnston<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; Lyons Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/konstantinos-kontodimas\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2022\/05\/Kostas.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Konstantinos Kontodimas<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; Varelas Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">Lung injury repair<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/keyu-chloe-li\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-24-at-7.30.51\u202fAM-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Keyu (Chloe) Li<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student \u2014 Perissi Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/nadia-mirza\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2022\/06\/IMG-20230121-WA0010.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Nadia Mirza-Romero<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; Harris Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">Non-neuronal cell involvement in prion disease, astrocytes, prion strain specificity<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/karol-newalaniec\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2021\/09\/Organoid2-1-e1632169128818.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Karol Nawalaniec<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; Grishok Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/isabel-orbe\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"126\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2023\/06\/Orbe-Isabel.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Isabel Orbe<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; Harris Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">Prion Disease, Cell Biology of Strain Susceptibility, Neurodegenerative Diseases<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/jake-rusnack\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2025\/08\/Jake-1-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Jake Rusnack<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; Isaac Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">Mitochondrial Genome Regulation, Stem Cell Biology, Aging<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/owen-sanborn\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"100\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2024\/05\/OwenS-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Owen Sanborn<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; Cifuentes Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">RNA-Protein Interactions, microRNA<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/linnea-saunders\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2025\/07\/LinneaPicture-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Linnea Saunders<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; Harris Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">Neurodegeneration, prion diseases<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/emily-sparago\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"113\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2022\/06\/Sparago-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Emily Sparago<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; Blower Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/ashley-tai\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"146\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-15-103607.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Ashley Tai<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; Zaia Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">Mass spectrometry<br \/>\r\nGlycoproteomics<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/rachel-thomas\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"118\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2021\/12\/rachael_face.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Rachael Thomas<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; Blower Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">X chromosome inactivation<br \/>\r\nEpigenetics<br \/>\r\nCell Cycle<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/vladimir-tkachev\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2025\/07\/Vladimir-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Vladimir Tkachev<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; <br \/>\r\nGarcia-Macros Lab (Pharm)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">G-protein biosensors<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/samantha-tolton\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"113\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2024\/05\/TOlton.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Samantha Tolton<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; Harris Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">Neurodegeneration, prion diseases, cell metabolism<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/sarah-valente\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"150\" height=\"145\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2024\/06\/Sarah-1-311x300.jpeg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Sarah Valente<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; Varelas Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">Cancer Biology<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/annie-wen\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"150\" height=\"112\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2024\/05\/AnnieWen.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Annie Wen<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; Cifuentes Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">Biochemistry, Virology<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/abigail-wilcox\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2025\/07\/Abby-headshot_crop-1-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Abigail Wilcox<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">Ph.D. Student &#8211; <br \/>\r\nGarcia-Marcos Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">G protein signaling, cardiomyocytes<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/saylor-williams\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2025\/08\/Saylor-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Saylor Williams<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student &#8211; Isaac Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">Gene regulation , Mitochondrial dynamics, Rare diseases<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/diana-yeriysyan\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-2025-08-06-at-8.28.02\u202fAM-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Diana Yeritsyan<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">PhD Student \u2013 Layne lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<li class=\"has-title\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/profiles\/crystal-zhu\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img width=\"112\" height=\"150\" src=\"\/biochemcellbio\/files\/2024\/08\/Zhu_Crystal_Headshot.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-name\">Crystal Zhu<\/p>\n\t\t<p class=\"profile-title\">MD\/PhD Student &#8211; Varelas Lab<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"profile-interest\">Early Lung Cancer Development<br \/>\r\nCancer Immune Evasion<br \/>\r\nChemoprevention Strategies<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t<\/div><!--\/.profile-listing-->\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1191,"featured_media":0,"parent":452,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/no-sidebars.php","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15499"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1191"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15499"}],"version-history":[{"count":50,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15499\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19741,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/15499\/revisions\/19741"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/biochemcellbio\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}