Principal Investigator:
Shawn Ahmed, PhD
PROFESSOR, GENETICS AND BIOLOGY
Trained Mentor under Office of Graduate Education UNC Chapel Hill
Haven Trained
Postdoctoral Fellows:
coming soon
Research Technicians:
Ambika completed a Master’s degree in Genomics and Molecular Biology from West Virginia State University in Institute, WV, where she studied genomics of Capsicum fruit color. Ambika has an undergraduate degree in Agriculture and Animal Sciences at the Institute for Agriculture and Animal Sciences in Rupandehi, Nepal.
Maddie completed her undergraduate studies in Biology at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. She is completing a Master’s degree in Biostatistics from NC State University.
Rotation students:
Ben completed his undergraduate degree in Physics at Vassar College. He worked for three years as a research technician in the Ahmed lab before beginning graduate school at UNC
Undergraduate Research Assistants
Eli Waite (Chem) – 2022 to present
Vi Pham (Chem) – 2023 to present
Arzan Upadhyay (Chem) – 2023 to present
Niha Kanumuri (Ncsi / Biol)- 2023 to present
Sara Boburka (Qbio) – 2024 to present
past Postdoctoral Fellows:
Evan Lister-Shimauchi (PhD, University of California, Irvine) – 2017 to 2023 – funded by my NIH grant GM043048; telomere biology; currently Microbiologist at TechDigital, NC
Maya Spichal (PhD, Pasteur Institute with Romain Koszul) – 2015 to 2019 – funded by DFG German fellowship; germ cell biology; currently a postdoctoral fellow with Craig Mello, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Bree Heestand (PhD, Baylor College of Medicine with Adam Antebi) – 2013 to 2019 – funded by my NIH grant GM043048; germ cell/RNA biology; currently Director of Fit Lab Studies, Raleigh, NC
Stephen Frenk (PhD, Cambridge University with Jon Houseley) – 2015 to 2018 – funded by my NIH grant GM083048; currently Team Leader, Achilles Therapeutics, London UK
Kathryn Kretovich Billmyre (PhD, Duke University with John Klingensmith) – 2015 to 2017 – funded by Ellison Award & NIH NRSA postdoctoral fellowship; currently Assistant Professor at Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens
Matt Simon (PhD, University of North Carolina with Shawn Ahmed) – 2014 to 2015 – funded by NIH grant GM66228; Currently Project Director at Rare Disease Translational Center, the Jackson Laboratory.
Stacy Alvares (PhD, University of Washington, Seattle) – 2008 to 2012 – funded by SPIRE postdoctoral fellowship program; currently Adjunct Professor, Bellevue College, WA
Aisa Sakaguchi (PhD, Nagoya University, Japan) – 2007 to 2010 – currently Assistant Professor, Center for Education in Liberal Arts and Sciences, Osaka University, Japan
Theresa Zucchero (PhD, University of Iowa) – 2005 to 2007 – SPIRE teaching fellow – funded by NIH SPIRE training grant; currently Senior Research Scientist, Rho
Bettina Meier (PhD, University of Munich) – 2001 to 2005 – funded by my NIH grant GM66228; currently Bioinformatician, Fios Genomics, Edinburgh, UK
Iuval Clejan (PhD, Boston University) – 2001 to 2005 – funded by my NIH grant GM66228 and by a UNC Lineberger Cancer Center Postdoctoral Fellowship; currently Tech Engineer, Open Space Community, GA
past PhD students:
Felix Peng (joint student with talented chromosome imaging investigator Paul Maddox) – 2013 to 2016 – funded by my NIH grant GM066228, left with Master’s; currently Foreign Service Officer and Diplomat, US Department of State
Denis Titov – 2015 to 2016 – funded by my NIH grant GM043048, left experimental biology to pursue other interests
Jacinth Mitchell – 2009 to 2015 – funded by my Ellison grant; currently looking for a position
Matt Simon – 2009 to 2014 – funded by my NIH grant GM66228; currently Project Director at Rare Disease Translational Center, the Jackson Laboratory
Morgan Brady – 2011 to 2014 – funded by my NIH grant GM66228; currently Associate Research Scientist at The Jackson Labs
Luciana Leopold – 2008 to 2014 – funded by my Ellison grant, currently Senior Medical Writer at OPEN Health Communications, NC
Ludmilla Shtessel – 2006 to 2012 – funded by my NIH grant GM66228; currently Clinical Scientist at GlaxoSmithKline, NC
Mia Lowden – 2003 to 2008 – funded by NIH NRSA Predoctoral Fellowship Award for Minority Students, and by minority supplement to my NIH grant GM66228; currently Chief Diversity Officer, National Institute of Nursing Research, NIH
Julie Hall (Boerckel) – 2002 to 2007 – funded by my NIH grant GM66228; Professor at Biology Department, Lincoln Memorial University, TN
past Research Technicians:
Ben McCarthy – 2021 to 2024 – currently graduate student at UNC Chapel Hill
Emily Mathew – 2021 to 2024 – currently at Medical School at US Air Force Academy
Shiyan Wang – 2022 to 2023 – currently pursuing Master’s in Biostatistics
Michael Lippencott – 2019 to 2021 – currently Graduate Student at University of Colorado Anschutz
Braxton Harris – 2016 – 2018 – currently Research Associate at UNC Neuroscience Center
Charlie Longtine – 2015 to 2017 – currently Graduate Student at Harvard University
Yan Liu – 2001 to 2005 – currently Research Associate at the NIH
past Rotation Students:
David Cully (Winter, 2023)
Clayton Harry (Fall, 2022)
Fred Koitz (Spring, 2022)
Patrick Havlick (Fall, 2015)
Chris Uyehara (Spring, 2015)
Denis Titov (Spring, 2015)
Philip Coryell (Fall, 2013)
Jordan Kardos (Summer, 2013)
Mike Conlin (Summer, 2013)
Garret Berry (Fall 2012)
Mariah Hanson (Fall 2011)
Morgan Brady (Fall 2011)
Brian Bower (Spring 2010)
Jacinth Mitchell (Spring 2009)
Matt Simon (Spring 2009)
Christian Burr (Spring 2007)
Curtiss Hewitt (Fall 2005)
Nevzat Kazgan (Spring 2004)
Andrea Chaput (Fall 2004)
Kui Kwon Kim (Fall 2004)
Keith Woods (Spring 2003)
Patrick Reynolds (Fall 2003)
Jan LaRoque (Fall 2003)
Nathan Montgomery (Spring 2002)
past Undergraduate Students:
Brittany Marcus – 2023 to 2024
Chris Ewart – 2022 to 2024
Maggi Mugi – 2021 to 2023
Riyasha Gautam – 2021 to 2023
Deborah Agorua – 2022 to 2023
Emily Matthew – 2019 to 2021
Pagnanaeth Tin – 2021
Xiao Wen Chen – 2021
Olivia Mwangi – 2021
Dat Tran – 2019 to 2021
Margaret Wu – 2019 to 2020
Lanna Jin – 2019 to 2020
Minh Nguyen (Chemistry Department) – 2017 to 2019
Seeun Jung – 2017 to 2019
James Horng – 2017 to 2018
Ruwaydah Sideek – 2017 to 2018
Aylin Memili – 2016 to 2018 – currently Medical Student, UNC Chapel Hill
Michael Dinh – 2016 to 2018 – currently Medical Student, UNC Chapel Hill
Wilfred Wong – 2015 to 2018
Zijin (Annie) Lin – 2016 to 2017
Katharine Coomer – 2016 to 2017
Zamira Figuereo – 2016 to 2017
Ayush Kaushish – 2016 to 2017
Tina Xiang – 2014 to 2016
Priyanka Srinivas – 2015 to 2016
Isabel Kenny – 2013 to 2015 – currently Graduate Student at Duke University
Ricky Ho – 2014 to 2015
Shengmei Yin – 2013 to 2014
Kathryn Yiwen Wu – 2012 to 2014
Soobin Seong – 2011 to 2014 – currently consultant at The Chartis Group, VA
Jaslina Paintal – 2013
Florence Tang – 2013 – UNC undergraduate exchange student from Singapore
Anna-Lisa Doebley – 2011 to 2013 – currently MSTP student at University of Washington, Seattle
Ah Jung Jeon – 2012 – UNC summer exchange student from Singapore
Zhi Wen Eyo – 2012 – UNC summer exchange student from Singapore
Shivani Garg (UNC School of Public Health) – 2012
Hannah Chacon – 2010 to 2012
Chen Cheng (Chemistry Department) – 2008 to 2012 – currently Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Oxford
Michael Ropero – 2011
Tiffany Lee – 2010 to 2011
Gaea McCaig – 2009 to 2011
Elizabeth Cotton – 2009 to 2011
Ashley Hedges – 2007 to 2010
Kristy Cho (Chemistry Department) – 2008 to 2009
Vahini Chundi – 2008 to 2009
Lauren Garwood – 2007 to 2008
Robert Patrick Summers – 2007 to 2008
Teresa Lee – 2005 to 2007 – currently Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Lowell
Carolyn Hollands – 2005 to 2006
Matt Eckler – 2004 to 2006 – currently Investment Analyst, Arrowmark Partners
Qi Peng (Biology and Biomedical Engineering) – 2003 to 2006
Chris Smelick (Biochemistry) – 2003 to 2005
Aidan Spring – 2004 (Summer exchange student from Kings College, Dublin)
Sarah Mense – 2002 to 2004
Yan Zhao – 2002 to 2004
Joshua Eudailey – 2002 to 2004
Jasper Harris – 2001 to 2003, currently Biostatistician, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Durham, NC