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Lab members

We're hiring! (See below)

 

We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds as we seek to form a diverse research group were everyone feels welcome and can thrive. We recognize the lack of diversity within the scientific community and the challenges faced by members of underrepresented and minority groups. We especially encourage applications from trainees from underrepresented groups and backgrounds.

CURRENT LAB MEMBERS

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Josué Flores Kim

Assistant Professor

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology

Josué was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where he obtained his undergraduate degree in Industrial Biotechnology at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez campus. He moved to New York City to do his Ph.D. in molecular microbiology at the Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at NYU School of Medicine under the guidance of Dr. Andrew J. Darwin. His thesis focused on understanding how signal transduction is achieved in the Phage-shock-protein (Psp) system of Yersinia enterocolitica, an extracytoplasmic stress response that is essential for the virulence of several bacteria. For his postdoctoral studies, Josué joined Tom Bernhardt and David Rudner’s laboratories in the Microbiology department at Harvard Medical School. The general scope of his postdoc research was to study cell envelope biosynthesis pathways in the human opportunistic respiratory pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae, which he continues to investigate as an Assistant Professor in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology department at UMass Chan School of Medicine.

 Josué is a member of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology and Immunology and  Microbiology Graduate programs, and the Institute for Drug Resistance.

      Contact: Josue.FloresKim3 (at) umassmed (dot) edu

Trang Ho

Graduate Student

Trang graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN with a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Her undergraduate research experiences include epigenetics and fungal cytokinesis. 

Contact:  Trang (dot) Ho1 (at) umassmed (dot) edu

Chris is originally from New York, where he graduated from SUNY Stony Brook majoring in biochemistry and minoring in Philosophy. Before attending UMass Chan, he worked as a research assistant in the labs of Donald Coen and Steve Gygi at Harvard Medical School.  

Contact:  Christopher (dot) Jahns (at) umassmed (dot) edu

Chris Jahns

Graduate Student

Pegah was born in Tehran, Iran. She obtained her bachelors in Medical Microbiology from Tehran University of Medical Sciences, and her PhD from the Department of Microbiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University in Tokyo, Japan. Her thesis focused on characterizing the molecular mechanisms of mcr-9, a gene encoding a factor that causes colistin resistance in Gram-negative bacteria. 

Contact:  Pegah (dot) Kananizadeh (at) umassmed.edu

Pegah Kananizadeh

Postdoc 

Renata Silva

Postdoc 

Renata is originally from Brazil, where she graduated in Biological Sciences at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora. She later proceeded to do a Master's Degree in Biological Sciences (Genetics and Biotechnology) and a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences (Immunology and Infectious Diseases) at the Center of Studies in Microbiology at the same institution. Before joining the Flores Kim lab, Renata worked with Dr. Cláudio Galuppo Diniz on studying antimicrobial resistance and tolerance to toxic metals in Enterobacterales. 

Contact:  Renata (dot) Silva1 (at) umassmed (dot) edu

Hoang is a Worcester State University graduate with a B.S. in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Psychobiology.  In the lab Hoang will be working employing genetic screens to discover and characterize novel pathways involved in cell envelope biogenesis. 

Contact:  Hoang (dot) Vo (at) umassmed (dot) edu

Hoang Vo

Research Associate

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You?

Postdoctoral Researcher

We always encourage applications from prospective and highly motivated postdoctoral fellows in the process of finishing their PhDs or with a Ph.D. degree awarded within the past 1-2 years; having a background in microbiology, bacterial genetics, molecular biology, immunology, biochemistry, or a related field; and excellent communication skills.

If you are interested, please send a cover letter describing your scientific accomplishments, interests and goals; a CV; and the contact details of three references by email to Josue.FloresKim3 (at) umassmed (dot) edu

 

UMass Chan Medical School and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology is committed to Postdoctoral training, with a thriving postdoctoral community, and excellent benefits package. Please see more info by following the links below.

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We always welcome students interested in rotating and/or performing their graduate work in our lab. If you're interested and enrolled in the Morningside GSBS program at UMass Chan Medical School contact Josué at Josue.FloresKim3 (at) umassmed (dot) edu. 

 

For more info into our grad school program and department please see the links below.

You?

Graduate Student

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You?

Undergraduate Student

We are always interested to hear from motivated undergraduates who are interested in doing research. Prospective students should send an email to Josué at Josue.FloresKim3 (at) umassmed (dot) edu introducing yourself and explaining why you are interested in doing research and why you would like to join our lab.

Previous members 

Ava Silverman

Undergraduate Student

Ashley Bradshaw

Undergraduate Student

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