Johanna Arnadottir

I received a B.Sc. degree in biology, cell and molecular biology track, from the University of Iceland in 1998. That fall I went back to the University and spent the following year taking courses in philosophy and sociology at the Department of Philosophy. Concurrently with my biology studies I had a few jobs in the field of biology - measuring enzymatic activity in a lab at Harvard Medical School, working in a genotyping group at deCODE Genetics and research on a proposed DNA vaccine against Clostridium perfringens infection in sheep at the Institute for Pathology at the University of Iceland. For the past year I was working in a physical mapping group at deCODE Genetics, mapping regions in the human genome using hybridization of radiolabeled probes against a BAC-library as well as datamining for resources in genome databases. I have a wide interest in biology, however, my main interest lies in cell-cycle control and cancer biology. My hobbies include watching films and reading books, but especially enjoying the great outdoors - hiking, camping and mountain climbing.

Lora Barnhart

I graduated in 1998 from the University of Delaware with a degree in biochemistry. While at Delaware, I participated in undergraduate research in enzymology and molecular evolution. Until I came to Columbia, I worked as a molecular and cell bioscientist in the target discovery group at AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals in Wilmington, DE. Professionally, I am interested in developmental and cancer biology. 

I also enjoy music and films, watching and playing sports, and spending time with my dog. I am also trying to learn to speak German well. 

Daita Ciobanu

I graduated in June, 2000, from the University of Bucharest, School of Biology, Department of Biochemistry with a Specialization in Molecular Biology and Biotechnologies. I worked for two summers, 1998 and 1999, at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City as an intern in the Neurobiology of Aging Laboratories. The project I worked on was testing the effects of environmental toxicants on neuroendocrine development. This involved animal injections, husbandry, RNA extraction, brain tissue dissection and a large amount of organization. The results were published in:

Gore AC, Ciobanu D, Weber DA, Oung T, Sun Y (1999) "Effects of environmental toxicants on GnRH gene expression in hypothalamic neurons" in: Proceedings of International Symposium on Environmental Endocrine Disruptors, Kobe, Japan, In Press.

In 1999-2000 I was employed as a Biology teacher at the German High School in Bucharest, where I tought in German at the 5th, 6th, and 9th grades. I enjoy working with students and making them understand and like Biology. In the future I hope to continue teaching and communicating science values to others.

Benjamin Dale

Charles Keller

I graduated from the University of New Mexico with a double major in Biology and Psychology. As an undergraduate I worked in several labs in the areas of molecular evolution, yeast cell cycle regulation and neurotrauma (behavioral neuroscience). I value this exposure to different areas of research. My research interests continue to evolve. All of biological science is amazing and the "kid-in-a-candy-store" phenomenon is difficult to avoid. There are many diverse and exciting areas of science represented within the Department as well as at the College of Physicians and Surgeons. At present I am interested in apoptosis, cell cycle gene expression and regulation, evolution, general neuroscience, and genomics. I find the possibilities of recent large-scale approaches such as microarrays and the Serial Analysis of Gene Expression especially exciting. On the side, I enjoy caffeine, history, various outdoor activities, good guitar music (of various genres) and bad movies. 

Claire LePichon

I graduated from Cambridge University with a BA in biology. I ended up specializing in Pathology. The courses in neuropathology and cancer fueled my interest in both neuro and development which I am hoping to further 
explore here. I am really looking forward to both the research and the TA-ing, while being unsure of the exact field yet. Aside from this, I really love the visual and the performing arts,and music. 

Jiang Li

Education background:
1996-2000 Studied at Nanjing University, China as undergraduate, major in Biology

Personal interests: 
Photography, traveling, cooking, sleeping (I found way to remain conscious while sleeping, so that I can see how my dreams goes on and even directly maneuver them to avoid nightmares) I hope to unravel the secret of dreams someday.   

Hong Lu

I graduated and obtained the B.S. degree from Beijing Normal University in 1991. My major was Biochemistry. Then I worked at the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences,Peking Union Medical College for 7 years. I studied on the biochemical and molecular mechanism of PNH, a kind of blood cell disease that GPI-anchored proteins are deficient on the blood cell membranes. I also worked on the mechanism of erythocyte aging according to the theory of oxidative damage. In November 1998, I came in USA and worked as a technician in Prof. Erickson's lab, Biological Sciences, Columbia University. Using P-element transformation assay, I worked on the in vivo function of noncanonical SiS B/Da and Dpn binding sites in the promoter of Sxl, the master gene of sex determination in Drosophila. I also participated in the research of RNAi in Drosophila embryos. Although I am interested in studying on aging, this is just a future plan after I can get my PhD degree. Now I just want to grasp this good opportunity to learn more things about Life Science. I like music, movie, and travel. I think I have many interests when I have enough time and money.

Melissa Mattia

I was born and raised in Queens, New York and attended Queens College of the City University of New York from 1993 to 1998. After I obtained my BA in biology, I went to work at Weill Medical College of Cornell University and Mount Sinai School of Medicine as a Lab Technician. At Mount Sinai, I worked with the tumor suppressor protein, p53, in the lab of James Manfredi. It is here that I developed my interest in cancer biology, which I would like further explore during my studies at Columbia. On a more personal note, while I do not have any formal hobbies, I do enjoy listening to music, going to the museum, watching baseball (Yankee!) games, reading classic novels and cooking.

Dar Meshi

I grew up in Southern California. After high school I attended UCLA. There I had limited exposure to the lab environment. I helped out in an immunology lab for a bit. Upon graduating in 1997 with a bachelor's in Biology, I moved up to San Francisco. In SF I got a job as a lab tech in a human genetics lab. There I mainly did genotyping for linkage disequilibrium studies (severe bipolar disorder, asthma, etc.). Now I'm here.
My main interest in science lately has been the brain. My thesis will probably reflect this interest. As for my goals post-PhD, I'm unsure. More research is the most likely. I think I might be a talented teacher, but we'll see how I do when I TA. 

I have many interests/hobbies outside of science. I really like the creative arts. Maybe one day I would like to be involved in the making of a film. When I get the time, I come up with ideas for movies and sometimes write short stories.

Brian Nasipak

Brian Nasipak is from Rochester, New York. He recieved his BA in Biology from the University of Rochester in 2000. While at the University of Rochester, he worked for two years in the laboratory of Cheeptip Benyajati studying gene regulation in the context of Chromatin using the Drosophila Adh distal promoter as a model. For the past half-year, he has worked for a new University of Rochester faculty member setting up her lab and beginning research on DNA repair in Yeast Mitochondria. Brian's major interests are mechanisms of gene regulation, particulary in the context of development. 

Volodymyr Nikolenko

Generally I think that the ability to be a broadminded person is very important in modern society. My present interests lay in interdisciplinary field of biology and biotechnology. I think this field demands specialists with breadth of mind and views. And I can be the most productive researcher and apply my education by working in this field.

Robert O'Hagan

Zita Peterlin

I attended Columbia College as an undergrad. Initially a biochem major, I was so fascinated by the intro Neurobiology course that I switched late junior year to a Neuro major. After graduating I spent two years as a technician for Prof. Yuste to gain greater familiarity with biology research and whole cell patch clamp techniques. During that time I develop particularly rodents. In my free time I try to learn more about the mating behaviors, breeding strategies, and comparative anatomy of commonly used laboratory rodents. As a long term goal I really hope to incorporate these two guiding interests to become a member of a team generating and characterizing transgenic mice as models of neurological disease. 

Sasha Rieders

David Savitsky

I spent a typical childhood in Brooklyn and Long Island that included model rocket building, missing school and frying insects with a magnifying glass. My academic career was undistinguished until I attended college at Boston University. It was in college where my interest in science and seriousness in my education took hold. After graduating in 1997 from SUNY Stony Brook with a degree in biochemistry, I accepted a position as a research technician at the Population Council in New York City.

In Dr. Milan Bagchi's laboratory, I assisted in examining the action of steroid and nuclear hormone receptors on gene activation. We specifically looked at the co-activator and co-repressor complexes that associated with the basal transcription machinery. I enjoyed the intellectual and technical challenges of bench research. My scientific interests are varied, but they mainly concentrate in molecular biology.

Outside the lab, I enjoy reading, playing games and occasionally venturing outdoors. I have also recently begun ballroom dancing with my wife. Looking ahead, I hope to complete my graduate education in a timely manner and someday become a happy and productive scientist. 

Paul Smith

Born March 29, 1978 in Kalispell Montana. Attended school until spring of 1993 (dropped out)
Attended college at University of Montana from fall of 93 to spring of 95 while enrolled in a part-time high school program. Received GED spring of 95. Columbia College class of 99, majors: Biology and Psychology.

Throughout my college years, my intention was to continue on in Medical School. After graduating from Columbia, I began working as a research technician in Prof. Hunt's lab in order to gain the research experience necessary to enter medical school. While working with John, I have developed a strong interest in biochemistry, particularly x-ray crystallography. When the oppertunity arose to enter the graduate program at Columbia where I could continue doing research I found interesting while at the same time gaining greater knowledge and experience in the biological sciences as a whole, I felt I could not pass up such a chance. 

My current academic goals are to continue to learn x-ray crystallography and use the technique to investigate the functions and mechanisms of proteins. I plan complete my PhD before the spring of 2005, at which point I hope to have reached a decision between continuing on to medical school as I had originally planned or continuing to work in the sciences. Should I stay in the sciences, I suspect I will feel inclined to work in industry as opposed to academia.

Cheng Xie

I was born in Beijing and lived in Suzhou, a very beautiful city in the eastern of China. I spent my undergraduate years at Nanjing University (China) and got my BS in Physiology in 1997. Then at Tsinghua University (China), I studied for three years and obtained my MS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2000.

My research interest is focused on neurobiology, especially on cellular and molecular neurobiology. Also, I have great interest in developmental biology.

In my spare time, I enjoy swimming, skiing and sleeping.

Xiang Zhang

In July 2000, I got my B. S. degree in department of genetics of Fudan University, a top university of China expecially in biological field. As a undergraduate student, I won great honors in Fudan because of my outstanding performance in academic and other activities. 

For about two years, I worked in the Lab of Plant Genetic Engineering, Genetic Institute of Fudan University. My research mainly focus on the artificial resistance to a kind of plant virus, Rice Strip Virus (RStV). We tried to cut the transmission of RStV by express the antibodies of pathogenic protein in E. Coli and then transfer them into Rice. And also, it is an important part of our project to enhance the activity of those antibodies. After the introduction of random mutations by error-prone PCR, we screen for the genes expressing antibodies with higher affinity to the target protein.Phage-display was prooved to be a effective method of screening.

I am expecially interested in Bioinformatics. But neuroscience and cancer biology are also my favorite fields of research. With the progress of my study in Columbia, my interests may be more and more specific.

Haoyuan Zhu