The Spotlight series was created in 2009 as a way of building camaraderie in our department and as a way of communicating our unique departmental culture to prospective students and visitors. Featuring current graduate students, postdoctoral associates, technical staff, and administrative staff it showcases the broad interests and talent of our many department members. In April of 2015, we launched our first online version.
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2025 Spotlights
Kaushani Misra
February 2025
I am a second-year graduate student in the Fu lab. My project involves studying particular tRNA modifications like 3-methylcytosine and how that contributes to the tRNA function and stability. Our lab has previously identified a protein (DALRD3) that is involved in performing this modification and mutations in the protein result in loss of the modification that also affects neurodevelopment. I am trying to find the reason and mechanism behind that using tissue culture and mouse models.
Elsa Hahn
January 2025
I work as a research technician in the TropBio lab, where I am collaborating with another researcher on a project that investigates host reproductive and neurological differences due to host and parasite sex. Currently, my research focuses on comparing if male and female Xenos peckii parasites affect the reproduction of their secondary host, male Polistes fuscatus wasps.