Current members

Natalie Minkovsky, PhD, Adjunct Professor
Department of Molecular & Cellular Biosciences Rowan University

​My main research interest is investigation of mechanisms aligning ribosome biogenesis and cell cycle in prokaryotic (Bacillus subtilis) and mammalian cells.

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​Allison Higgins, Undergraduate student
​I am an undergraduate student at Rowan University majoring in biological sciences with minors in chemistry and computer science and a certificate in bioinformatics. My research interests include gene and protein expression, genetics, gene editing, and proteomics. As a volunteer researcher, I work with tissue culture and molecular cloning techniques. One of my projects include restriction enzyme cloning to observe critical genes involved in the 60S ribosomal subunit assembly. ​

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Joan Castells Ballester, PhD, Postdoctoral fellow
I am interested in different aspects of protein synthesis, and protein quality control, and how these are connected to the cellular response to stress. Previously, I investigated the influence of protein glycosylation on proteostasis in the secretory pathway. Recently, I retrotranslocated into the cytosol, and my main focus is exploring the role of the Ribosomal Expansion Segment 7 and its influence in the formation of TRAP (Translational Relocalization with Aberrant Polypeptides) bodies, a newly discovered class of cytosolic compartments that host damaged, yet translationally competent ribosomes together with misfolded proteins.

A L U M N I

Leena Srivastava, PhD
​Former postdoctoral fellow
Current occupation: Senior Research
​Scientist at Eli Lilly

Minshi Wang, PhD
Former PhD student
Current occupation: Scientist in Process
​Development at WuXi AppTec, Advanced Therapies

Leonid Anikin, PhD
​Former PhD student
Current occupation: Senior Scientist
​at Wuxi ATU

Amaryllis Ortiz, MSc
Former MSc student
Current occupation: Research Associate at Joint Health Sciences Center in Camden, NJ 

Ethan Gardner, MSc
Former MSc student
Current occupation: Bioengineer at United Therapeutics Corporation, Durham, NC 

Farrah Mansour, MSc
​Former Technical Associate
Current occupation: bioprocess
​data analytics sales, Sartorius

Daniel Shedlovskiy, BS
Former Technical Associate
Current occupation: Medical student at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
​(Class of 2023)

Jessica Zinskie, PhD
Former postdoctoral fellow
Current occupation: Solutions and Support Scientist for LI-COR

Nick Kovalev, PhD
​Former postdoctoral fellow
Current occupation: University of Kentucky

Dan Smethurst, PhD
Former postdoctoral fellow
Current occupation: Associate Medical Writer
at Oxford Pharmagenesis.

Arnab Ghosh, PhD
​Former postdoctoral fellow
Current occupation: Sr. Research Associate;
​Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, Cleveland State University

Brandon Trainor, PhD
Former PhD student
Current occupation: CAR-T Scientist
at Eurofins PSS Insourcing Solutions

Russell Sapio, PhD
Former PhD student
Current occupation:
Analytical Assay Development in Gene Therapy

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