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.