CURRENT LAB MEMBERS
DIEGO ARROYO
Research Lab Technician
I graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in May of 2021 with a B.S. in both Biology and Psychology. My responsibilities entail the preparation of reagents, ordering of supplies, as well as the husbandry and genotyping of the mice used by the lab
Location: AS4-2003
AYCA BAGCI
Graduate Student
I received my B.S in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Bogazici University in Turkey. During my first semester, here at UMass Med, I was introduced to small-RNA research and I have been enthusiastic about continuing that research ever since. My main interest is understanding the dynamics of piRNA precursor subcellular localization in cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) germ cells.
Location: AS4-2005
SHANNON BAILEY
Graduate Student
I graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University in 2017. My interest in RNA and its pathways began during my undergraduate studies where I studied how codon usage affects mRNA decay rates. Currently, my work in the Zamore lab is focused on understanding the endogenous functions of prokaryotic Argonautes, specifically TtAgo.
Location: AS4-2002
MARIE BERNARD-COOK
Executive Assistant to Phillip Zamore
I joined UMMS in 2021 & bring my twenty years of healthcare experience. In my current role I support Dr. Phil Zamore, Chair of the RTI. I have knowledge of executive calendar management, budgeting, special projects, provider support and other administrative tasks. I was Co-Chair of Diversity & Inclusion at my previous organization and led many extracurricular events from company talent shows to holiday events. Outside of work, I enjoy travel, the arts, shopping, cooking and spending time with friends, family.
Location: AS4-2045
ADRIANO BIASINI, PH.D.
Postdoctoral Associate
I graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a B.Sc. in Biochemistry. Since completing my undergraduate studies, I have researched sRNA-dependent gene expression regulation: first in yeast, during my M. Sc. thesis in Dr. Marc Buehler's lab at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research in Basel, Switzerland, and next in mammalian cells during my PhD studies in Dr. Ana C. Marques's lab at the University of Lausannne, Switzerland. In Dr. Zamore's lab I am investigating the contribution of sRNA-dependent gene expression regulation in mammalian reproductive physiology.
Location: AS4-2003
JENNIFER BRODERICK, PH.D.
Research Specialist - HHMI
My goal is to translate discoveries to the clinic. I am developing a new class of oligonucleotide drugs—miRNA tethers— an approach that promises to increase biodistribution and specificity of mRNA silencing. miRNA tethers silence by recruiting an Argonaute-bound miRNA to the target mRNA. Unlike antisense oligos, silencing does not occur without the miRNA. miRNA tethers may be useful for diseases associated with large increases in the abundance of specific miRNAs (e.g., inflammation, fibrosis, or cancer, ALS) or with infection by viruses that increase expression of host miRNAs or produce their own viral miRNAs.
Location: AS4-1003
KATHERINE CECCHINI
Research Technician III - HHMI
I assist and coordinate the execution of all mouse projects in the Zamore lab. My goal is to identify subfertility phenotypes in piRNA cluster mutant mice and, generally, to characterize the infertility phenotypes inherent in piRNA pathway mutants mice. I received an M.S. in pathobiology from the University of Connecticut in 2006.
Location: AS4-2004
LUDMILA FERREIRA CAMARGO, PH.D.
Visiting Professor
II graduated in Biological Sciences from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, where I also obtained a master’s degree and Doctorate in Immunology. I did my postdoctoral studies at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health studying host-parasite interaction during Chagas disease. In 2011 I became a researcher at the Immunology Laboratory at the Heart Institute of São Paulo in Brazil. Since then, I have been studying the role of non-coding RNA’s in human diseases by using large-scale molecular biology analysis techniques, as well as systems biology, to integrate data and generate biological interaction networks to understand the role of these molecules in the human interactome. In 2017 I became an Associate Professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil. In 2022 I joined the Zamore Lab to investigate the biological role of vault RNA’s, components of the largest known ribonucleoprotein complexes called “vault”.
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ILDAR GAINETDINOV, PH.D.
Postdoctoral Associate
I got my M.S. in Biochemistry at Lomonosov Moscow State University in 2003 and my Ph.D. degree in Molecular Biology at Russian Academy of Sciences in 2008. Here, I study the role of small RNAs (both miRNAs and piRNAs) in regulation of gene expression during mammalian spermatogenesis.
Location: AS4-2005
SEONG HYEON HONG, PH.D.
Postdoctoral Associate
I graduated from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) College in 2015 with a B.S. in Biology. I received my Ph.D. degree in 2022 under the guidance of Dr. Chunghee Cho in the School of Life Sciences at GIST. During my Ph.D. courses, I studied functions of testis-specific long noncoding RNAs in spermatogenesis. With my knowledge and experimental skills in RNA biology and male reproduction, I want to investigate functions of PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) during male germ cell development.
Location: AS4-2005
KARINA JOURAVLEVA, PH.D.
Postdoctoral Associate
I graduated from the École normale supérieure (Paris, France) in Molecular and Cell Biology (2011). During my Ph.D. under the supervision of Dr. Arturo Londono at Institut Curie, I used genome-wide approaches to establish a link between chromosome instability and changes in epigenetic and microRNA landscapes, that in turn provoke an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a key event in metastasis process. My current research is focused on understanding the mechanisms by which small RNAs guide Argonaute proteins to repress gene expression. For this purpose, I use in particular single-molecule fluorescence techniques.
YONGJIN LEE
Graduate Student
As a graduate student in the lab, I am interested in piRNA biogenesis in Drosophila. My research focuses on how piRNAs are generated and processed in germ cell nucleus.
Location: AS4-2004
CINDY TIPPING
Research Technician III - HHMI
I graduated from Saint Anselm College with a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry. I am interested in looking at the localization of piRNA proteins using electon microscopy. Also, I assist graduate students and post-docs on their projects while serving as the lab fly technician.
Location: AS4-2002
JOEL VEGA-BADILLO, PH.D.
Postdoctoral Associate
I am a Biotechnology Engineer who studied at National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City. After receiving my Sc.B, I attended the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) for graduate studies in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Biotechnology Institute and National Institute of Genomic Medicine. I completed my Ph.D. in 2016 and joined the Zamore lab the same year. My interests include the study of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), liver fibrosis and its relationship with microRNAs, as well as the study of molecular mechanisms of target recognition by small RNA-guided Argonaute proteins.
Location: AS4-2004
ZEYU YAO
Graduate Student
I received my B.S. from China Pharmaceutical University in 2016. I am currently studying a novel model organism, cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni), especially its germ cell line. Specifically, I am developing tools to interrogate the cabbage looper genome for genes that influence piRNA functions and transposon activities.
AS4-2007
CHRISTINA MINNITI
Lab Manager
I received my B.S. in biochemistry and B.S. in microbiology from Arizona State University. I've since gained experience in scientific publishing, science communication, aquatic husbandry, and conservation, particularly in marine and coastal ecosystems. I am now applying my diverse skill set to serve as a resource for investigators using live animals in research and teaching, and to support their teams.
AS4-2005
DIEGO ARROYO
Research Lab Technician
I graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in May of 2021 with a B.S. in both Biology and Psychology. My responsibilities entail the preparation of reagents, ordering of supplies, as well as the husbandry and genotyping of the mice used by the lab
Location: AS4-2003
AYCA BAGCI
Graduate Student
I received my B.S in Molecular Biology and Genetics from Bogazici University in Turkey. During my first semester, here at UMass Med, I was introduced to small-RNA research and I have been enthusiastic about continuing that research ever since. My main interest is understanding the dynamics of piRNA precursor subcellular localization in cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) germ cells.
Location: AS4-2005
SHANNON BAILEY
Graduate Student
I graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University in 2017. My interest in RNA and its pathways began during my undergraduate studies where I studied how codon usage affects mRNA decay rates. Currently, my work in the Zamore lab is focused on understanding the endogenous functions of prokaryotic Argonautes, specifically TtAgo.
Location: AS4-2002
MARIE BERNARD-COOK
Executive Assistant to Phillip Zamore
I joined UMMS in 2021 & bring twenty years of experience in the field of healthcare & executive support. In my current role, I assist Phil Zamore, Chair of the RTI. I oversee calendar management, budgeting, special projects, provider support and other administrative tasks. I was Co-Chair of Diversity & Inclusion at my previous organization and led many extracurricular events.
Location: AS4-2045
ADRIANO BIASINI, PH.D.
Postdoctoral Associate
I graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a B.Sc. in Biochemistry. Since completing my undergraduate studies, I have researched sRNA-dependent gene expression regulation: first in yeast, during my M. Sc. thesis in Dr. Marc Buehler's lab at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research in Basel, Switzerland, and next in mammalian cells during my PhD studies in Dr. Ana C. Marques's lab at the University of Lausannne, Switzerland. In Dr. Zamore's lab I am investigating the contribution of sRNA-dependent gene expression regulation in mammalian reproductive physiology.
Location: AS4-2003
JENNIFER BRODERICK, PH.D.
Research Specialist - HHMI
My goal is to translate discoveries to the clinic. I am developing a new class of oligonucleotide drugs—miRNA tethers— an approach that promises to increase biodistribution and specificity of mRNA silencing. miRNA tethers silence by recruiting an Argonaute-bound miRNA to the target mRNA. Unlike antisense oligos, silencing does not occur without the miRNA. miRNA tethers may be useful for diseases associated with large increases in the abundance of specific miRNAs (e.g., inflammation, fibrosis, or cancer, ALS) or with infection by viruses that increase expression of host miRNAs or produce their own viral miRNAs.
Location: AS4-1003
KATHERINE CECCHINI
Research Technician III - HHMI
I assist and coordinate the execution of all mouse projects in the Zamore lab. My goal is to identify subfertility phenotypes in piRNA cluster mutant mice and, generally, to characterize the infertility phenotypes inherent in piRNA pathway mutants mice. I received an M.S. in pathobiology from the University of Connecticut in 2006.
Location: AS4-2004
LUDMILA FERREIRA CAMARGO, PH.D.
Visiting Professor
II graduated in Biological Sciences from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, where I also obtained a master’s degree and Doctorate in Immunology. I did my postdoctoral studies at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health studying host-parasite interaction during Chagas disease. In 2011 I became a researcher at the Immunology Laboratory at the Heart Institute of São Paulo in Brazil. Since then, I have been studying the role of non-coding RNA’s in human diseases by using large-scale molecular biology analysis techniques, as well as systems biology, to integrate data and generate biological interaction networks to understand the role of these molecules in the human interactome. In 2017 I became an Associate Professor at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil. In 2022 I joined the Zamore Lab to investigate the biological role of vault RNA’s, components of the largest known ribonucleoprotein complexes called “vault”.
Location: AS4-2002
ILDAR GAINETDINOV, PH.D.
Postdoctoral Associate
I got my M.S. in Biochemistry at Lomonosov Moscow State University in 2003 and my Ph.D. degree in Molecular Biology at Russian Academy of Sciences in 2008. Here, I study the role of small RNAs (both miRNAs and piRNAs) in regulation of gene expression during mammalian spermatogenesis.
Location: AS4-2005
SEONG HYEON HONG, PH.D.
Postdoctoral Associate
I graduated from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) College in 2015 with a B.S. in Biology. I received my Ph.D. degree in 2022 under the guidance of Dr. Chunghee Cho in the School of Life Sciences at GIST. During my Ph.D. courses, I studied functions of testis-specific long noncoding RNAs in spermatogenesis. With my knowledge and experimental skills in RNA biology and male reproduction, I want to investigate functions of PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) during male germ cell development.
Location: AS4-2005
KARINA JOURAVLEVA, PH.D.
Postdoctoral Associate
I graduated from the École normale supérieure (Paris, France) in Molecular and Cell Biology (2011). During my Ph.D. under the supervision of Dr. Arturo Londono at Institut Curie, I used genome-wide approaches to establish a link between chromosome instability and changes in epigenetic and microRNA landscapes, that in turn provoke an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a key event in metastasis process. My current research is focused on understanding the mechanisms by which small RNAs guide Argonaute proteins to repress gene expression. For this purpose, I use in particular single-molecule fluorescence techniques.
YONGJIN LEE
Graduate Student
As a graduate student in the lab, I am interested in piRNA biogenesis in Drosophila. My research focuses on how piRNAs are generated and processed in germ cell nucleus.
Location: AS4-2004
CINDY TIPPING
Research Technician III - HHMI
I graduated from Saint Anselm College with a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry. I am interested in looking at the localization of piRNA proteins using electon microscopy. Also, I assist graduate students and post-docs on their projects while serving as the lab fly technician.
Location: AS4-2002
ALOK TIWARY, PH.D.
Postdoctoral Associate
I got my PhD in 2022 from the Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali (IISER Mohali) in India. For my PhD, I studied the effects of different Wolbachia supergroup infections on the life-history traits of its arthropod hosts. My model system was a parasitoid wasp named Nasonia vitripennis. In the Zamore lab, I am trying to investigate the role mammalian PIWI proteins in spermatogenesis and oogenesis.
Location: AS4-2004
JOEL VEGA-BADILLO, PH.D.
Postdoctoral Associate
I am a Biotechnology Engineer who studied at National Polytechnic Institute, Mexico City. After receiving my Sc.B, I attended the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) for graduate studies in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Biotechnology Institute and National Institute of Genomic Medicine. I completed my Ph.D. in 2016 and joined the Zamore lab the same year. My interests include the study of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), liver fibrosis and its relationship with microRNAs, as well as the study of molecular mechanisms of target recognition by small RNA-guided Argonaute proteins.
Location: AS4-2004
ZEYU YAO
Graduate Student
I received my B.S. from China Pharmaceutical University in 2016. I am currently studying a novel model organism, cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni), especially its germ cell line. Specifically, I am developing tools to interrogate the cabbage looper genome for genes that influence piRNA functions and transposon activities.
AS4-2007
CHRISTINA MINNITI
Lab Manager
I received my B.S. in biochemistry and B.S. in microbiology from Arizona State University. I've since gained experience in scientific publishing, science communication, aquatic husbandry, and conservation, particularly in marine and coastal ecosystems. I am now applying my diverse skill set to serve as a resource for investigators using live animals in research and teaching, and to support their teams.
AS4-2005