Team

TEAM

Assistant Professor (Jun 2021- present)

Curious about all things stress and ribosome, trying to figure out selective mRNA translation, love a good signaling pathway, easily distracted by data, known cat lady.

deepika.vasudevan@pitt.edu

www.deepikavasudevan.info

Lydia Grmai, Ph.D.

K99/R00 Postdoctoral Fellow (Sep 2021- present)

Following the mysteries of Inter-organ reproductive regulation, maintenance of sexual identity and dimorphism, and how cellular stress impacts reproduction. Sucker for fly genetic tricks + new craft projects, invested in empowering the next generation of scientists.

lydia.grmai@pitt.edu

www.lydiagrmai.com

Shyama Nandakumar, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellow (Feb 2023-present)

Obsessed with polyploid cells, where they come from and what they do. Endeavoring to understand funky mRNA 5' leaders. Lover of microscopes and coffee. Legendary pun maker.

shyama.n@pitt.edu

Manuel Michaca

IGBP Graduate student (Nov 2022-present)

Trying to figure out the relationship between stress:steroid hormone signaling in the context of lipid metabolism. Adore foxes and long walks.

manuel.michaca@pitt.edu

Katherine Querry

Postbac research associate (Jan 2024-present)

Focused on the role of translation termination factors in the retina during stress conditions. Always down for a cool cell culture experiment, a good book, and a new recipe to try out!

KEQ4@pitt.edu

Mark J. Brown

Lab manager/technician (Oct 2024-present)

Jack of all trades and love to tinker with a protocol to get it to work. D&D fan who loves to draw my characters!

mjb86@pitt.edu

Aditya Arkalgud

Undergraduate Trainee (Sophomore) (Sep 2023- present)

Image analysis enthusiast trying to figure out why stress response signaling is required in fat tissue homeostasis. Tennis player, polyglot, Felix Auger-Aliasimme fan, always up for a volunteer opportunity.

ada143@pitt.edu

Dharrnhi Purushothaman

Undergraduate Trainee (Junior) (Sep 2024- present)

Delving into Drosophila genetics to understand how adipocytes communicate with one another in larvae during stress and homeostasis. Always in for baking a banana bread (yummmm)!

dhp38@pitt.edu

PAST MEMBERS

Nina Gralewski-Goel

Undergraduate research trainee (Aug 2023-May 2024)