Lab Members

Lindquist Lab Members

Postdoctoral Associates and Fellows
	Simon Alberti, PhD	Rm# 651	alberti at wi.mit.edu	Simon Alberti is investigating the impact of prion-based mechanisms on the biology and evolution of yeast.
	Pavan Auluck, MD, PhD	Rm# 649	auluck at wi.mit.edu	Pavan Auluck is interested in models of neurodegenerative disease.
	Gabriela Caraveo, PhD	Rm# 649	caraveop at wi.mit.edu	Gabriela Caraveo is working on identifying genetic modifiers of cellular toxicity in a yeast Parkinson model.
	Chengkai Dai, MD, PhD	Rm# 649	cdai at wi.mit.edu	Chengkai Dai is investigating the roles of heat shock response in tumorigenesis as well as the potential function of buffering genetic mutations by Hsp90 during tumor evolution.
	Jijun Dong, PhD	Rm# 659	jdong at wi.mit.edu	Jijun Dong is working on cryo-EM studies of the amyloid-forming region of Sup35.
	Kendra K. Frederick, PhD	Rm# 657	kendrakf at wi.mit.edu	Kendra K. Frederick is investigating the mechanism of NM oligomer and fiber formation by NMR.
	Melissa Geddie, PhD	Rm# 649	geddie at wi.mit.edu	Melissa Geddie is interested in metal ion transport in Parkinson's Disease
	Sven Heinrich, PhD	Rm# 659	heinrich at wi.mit.edu	Sven Heinrich is interested in investigation of the mechanism and identification of new regulators of prion formation of neuronal CPEB.
	Walker Jackson, PhD	Rm# 649	wjackson at wi.mit.edu	Walker Jackson is looking for evidence that cytosolic PrP is important in mammalian prion diseases, using in vivo models.
	Daniel Jarosz, PhD	Rm# 653	jarosz at wi.mit.edu	Dan Jarosz is interested in the mechanisms by which Hsp90 influences the expression of phenotypic variation and allows new traits to become genetically fixed.
	Rajaraman Krishnan, PhD	Rm# 655	krishnan at wi.mit.edu	Ram Krishnan is investigating the interactions of Hsp104p with the yeast Sup35p and Rnq1p.
	Joshua Kritzer, PhD	Rm# 649	kritzer at wi.mit.edu	Joshua Kritzer is interested in phenotypic selection of new classes of molecules that perturb yeast biology, including compounds that mediate the activities of neurotoxic proteins in yeast.
	Catherine McLellan, PhD	Rm# 649	mclellan at wi.mit.edu	Catherine McLellan is interested in the modulation of function of cancer related proteins by Hsp90.
	Elena Nabieva, PhD	Rm# 655	nabieva at wi.mit.edu	Elena Nabieva is a computational biologist analyzing data from a variety of disease model systems and screens.
	Sandro Santagata, MD, PhD	Rm# 657	santagat at wi.mit.edu	Sandro Santagata is interested in using the heat shock response as a sensor for bioactive molecules that can be used to treat brain tumors.
	Linhui Julie Su, PhD	Rm# 651	su at wi.mit.edu	Julie Su is using yeast as a model system for investigating the mechanism of alpha-synuclein-induced toxicity.
	Mikko Taipale, PhD	Rm# 655	taipale at wi.mit.edu	Mikko Taipale is investigating how Hsp90 modulates the relationship between genotype and phenotype in human cancer cells.
	Daniel Tardiff, PhD	Rm# 653	tardiff at wi.mit.edu	Dan Tardiff is interested in selection and characterization of cyclic peptides in yeast models of neurodegenerative disease.
	Jens Tyedmers, PhD	Rm# 657	tyedmers at wi.mit.edu	Jens Tyedmers is studying the cellular requirements for the de novo induction of the yeast prion [PSI+].
	Esti Yeger-Lotem, PhD Esti is co-mentored by Ernest Fraenkel in the Biological Engineering Division at MIT.	Rm# 635	esti at wi.mit.edu	Esti Yeger-Lotem is interested in the computational identification of genes and pathways perturbed in yeast models for Huntington's and Parkinson's diseases.

Staff Scientist

Kent Matlack, PhD

Rm# 651

kmatlack at wi.mit.edu

Kent Matlack is interested in developing new yeast models of neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS and Alzheimer's.

Visiting Scientist

Luke Whitesell, MD

Rm# 663

whitesell at wi.mit.edu

Luke Whitesell is a pediatric oncologist interested in understanding cancer as a process of somatic evolution and the role that molecular chaperones, especially Hsp90 may play in malignant progression.

Graduate Students

Jessica Brown	Rm# 653	jbrown at wi.mit.edu	Jessica Brown is interesed in identifying new prions in yeast.
Allen Bryan Allen is co-mentored by Bonnie Berger in the Department of Applied Mathematics at MIT.		awbryan at mit.edu	Allen Bryan works on computational modeling of beta-rich protein structures, especially prions and amyloid, with the goal of understanding their fiber assembly.
Randal Halfmann	Rm# 651	halfmann at wi.mit.edu	Randal Halfmann is interested in the physical interactions between prions and prion-like proteins, particularly those involving yeast Rnq1p.
Charles O'Donnell Charlie is co-mentored by Bonnie Berger in the Department of Applied Mathematics at MIT.	Rm# 635	cwo at mit.edu	Charlie O'Donnell is working on algorithms for investigating NM structure.
Sebastian Treusch	Rm# 653	treusch at wi.mit.edu	Sebastian Treusch is interested in identifying and characterizing proteins that are required to induce and maintain [RNQ+] and potentially other yeast prions.
Julie Valastyan	Rm# 659	beckenst at wi.mit.edu	Julie Valastyan is working on factors that influence the toxicity of the human Parkinson's disease-asspciated protein, alpha-synuclein, in yeast.

Technical Associates

Haesun Han	Rm# 655	han at wi.mit.edu	Haesun Han works on high-throughput screening in yeast models of neurodegenerative disease.
Casey Perley	Rm# 657	perley at wi.mit.edu	Casey Perley works on heat shock proteins and cancer biology.
Artur Topolszki	Rm# 655	artur at mit.edu	Artur Topolszki is the chief mouse colony manager of the Lindquist lab. He is a vital member of ongoing projects to determine the normal function of PrP, the role of several genes in prion disease, and the study of PrP mutant induced toxicity in mice.
Melissa Topolszki	Rm# 655	duquette at mit.edu	Melissa Topolszki is helping out with a variety of projects in the lab, including but not limited to studies of heat shock factor one (HSF1) in cancer.

Lab Manager

Brooke Bevis, PhD

Rm# 659

bevis at wi.mit.edu

Brooke Bevis is interested in understanding yeast prion dynamics and inheritance.

Executive Assistant

Kate Harmon, M.Ed., M.B.A.

Rm# 661

harmon at wi.mit.edu

Kate Harmon coordinates communication within the lab and between the members of lab and the outside world. She assists Dr. Lindquist and members of the lab with scheduling, travel arrangements, record keeping, purchasing, document preparation and general lab administration.

Lab Administrator

Bob Burger

Rm# 661

burger at wi.mit.edu

Bob Burger performs financial accounting, ordering, and personnel management for the Lindquist and Matsudaira labs, and liaisons with the Office of Sponsored Programs.

Project Manager, Communications and Grant Development

Karen Allendoerfer, PhD

Rm# 663

allendoe at wi.mit.edu

Karen Allendoerfer manages communication and development of scientific activities for the Lindquist Lab. She manages and assists in the preparation of scientific aspects of grants and fellowships, edits manuscripts, and maintains the lab website.