2025 - 2026 Trainees
Brett Hilbers
2025-2027
B.S. 2023 Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, Wayne State College, Wayne, NE
PhD in Progress, Department of Biochemistry
Research Project: Crosstalk Between Ubiquitin-Proteasome System and Protein Quality Control in Mitochondria
Mentors: Dr. Oleh Khalimonchuk and Dr. Forrest Kievit
AJ Steen
2025-2027
2024 B.S. Medical Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD; PhD in Progress, Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
Research Project: Molecular mechanisms of Arp2/3 complex inhibition by Arpin in cell migration, cell-cell junction and virus infection
Advisors: Dr. Qing Tang and Dr. Lindsey Crawford
Olivia Warriner
2025-2027
Education/Degrees/including college and locations: BS Biochemistry and BS Chemistry from South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD
PhD in Progress, Department of Biochemistry
Research Project: Host:Pathogen Interactions of HCMV UL6 in Mitochondrial Function and RPL35 Regulation
Mentors: Dr. Lindsey Crawford and Dr. Oleh Khalimonchuk
Christine Humphrey
2025-2027
B.S. 2024 Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, PhD in Progress, Department of Biological Systems Engineering
Research Project: Engineering mesenchymal stem cell–derived extracellular vesicles for targeted gene delivery through plasmid design and pharmacological priming
Mentors: Dr. Angie Pannier and Dr. Ozan Ciftci
Ethan Bentley
2026-2027
B.S. 2024 Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami
PhD in Complex Biosystems in progress, Department of Food Science and Technology
Research Project: Investigation of the role of the gut microbiome in gastrointestinal acute radiation survivorship
Mentors: Dr Amanda Ramer-Tait and Dr. Rebecca Oberley-Deegan
Tatiana Flores
2026-2027
B.S. 2025 Chemistry, Concentration in Biochemistry, Minor in Biology, Washington University in St. Louis
PhD in progress, Department of Chemistry
Research Project: Characterizing the structure and dynamics of 7SK RNA domains to understand their roles in ribonucleoprotein assembly and transcriptional regulation.
Mentors: Dr. Catherine Eichhorn and Dr. Lindsey Crawford
Luis Resendiz
2026-2027
B.S. 2025 Chemistry, University of Central Missouri
PhD in progress, Department of Chemistry
Research Project: Structure-inspired design of peptide inhibitors targeting Mycobacterium Tuberculosis WhiB-like protein family
Mentors: Dr. James Checco and Dr. Limei Zhang
Lingwen Zhang
2026-2027
M.S. 2024, Cell Biology, Central South University
PhD in progress, Department of Biochemistry
Research Project: Structural Basis of Redox Stress-Mediated Transcriptional Regulation by SufR-Like Proteins.
Mentors: Dr. Limei Zhang and Dr. Catherine Eichhorn.