{"id":36,"date":"2010-10-11T23:17:04","date_gmt":"2010-10-12T03:17:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.vassar.edu\/donhauser\/?page_id=36"},"modified":"2026-03-05T13:02:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T18:02:45","slug":"people","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pages.vassar.edu\/donhauser\/people\/","title":{"rendered":"People"},"content":{"rendered":"

Current Lab Group<\/h2>\n
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Lab Group Summer 2024. L to R: Roudro Saha (’25), Aanzan Sachdeva (’25), An Huang (’25), Prof. Donhauser, Lynn Mendez (’25), Ali Shamil (’27)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Former thesis students<\/h2>\n

An Huang (’25)<\/strong> Chemistry thesis: Quantifying the Kinetics of Tau Fiber Formation Reported by Thioflavin Dyes
\n<\/em>Current position: Research Assistant at Lafayette College<\/p>\n

Lynn Mendez (’25)<\/strong> Biochemistry thesis: Determination of Relaxosome Protein pCU1 Trak\u2019s Oligomerization State Using Atomic Force Microscopy<\/em><\/p>\n

Aanzan Sachdeva (’25)\u00a0<\/strong>Biochemistry thesis: In-Vitro Assembly of Tau Fibers with Different Polyanionic Inducers Reveals Distinct Mechanics of the \u201cFuzzy-Coat\u201d<\/em>
\nCurrent position: PhD student at Cornell University<\/p>\n

Roudro Saha (’25)\u00a0<\/strong>Biochemistry thesis: C\u2010Terminal Truncation Accelerates Tau Polymerization and Alters Fibril Mechanics Revealed by Fluorescence Kinetics and AFM Nanomechanical mapping<\/em>
\nCurrent position: EMT with Westchester Medical Center Health Network<\/p>\n

Lukas Johnson (’24)<\/strong> Biochemistry thesis: Investigating the Impact of Tau\u2019s Projection Domain on its Function and Role in Disease by Comparing Naturally-Occurring Isoforms<\/em>
\nCurrent position: Research technician at National Institutes of Health<\/p>\n

Shaharia Khan (’24)<\/strong> Biochemistry thesis: Comparative Analysis of Wild-Type and\u00a0<\/em>
\nPseudophosphorylated Tau Protein Variants<\/em>
\nCurrent position: Research technician at New York State Psychiatric Institute<\/p>\n

Kayleigh Mason (’24)<\/strong> Chemistry thesis:\u00a0Tau Aggregation is Altered by Variations in its Projection Domain<\/em>
\nCurrent position: PhD student at the University of California Los Angeles<\/p>\n

Micaela Primer (’24)\u00a0<\/strong>Chemistry thesis: Volume Analysis of pCU1 TraK with AFM<\/em>
\nCurrent position: PhD Student at University of Colorado Boulder<\/p>\n

Banpreet Bawa (’23)<\/strong> Biochemistry thesis: Characterization of pseudophosphorylated 1N4R and 0N4R tau <\/em>Constructs
\n<\/em>Current position: Research technician at Columbia University Irving Medical Center<\/p>\n

Ella Kolk (’22)<\/strong>\u00a0Biochemistry thesis:\u00a0Intermolecular interactions and structure of R5L tau<\/em>
\nCurrent position: Research technician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Institute<\/p>\n

Dr. Zachary Henig (’21)<\/strong>.\u00a0Biochemistry thesis: The effect of phosphorylation on tau-tau intermolecular interactions\u00a0<\/em>
\nMD from New York University
\nCurrent position: MD at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia<\/p>\n

Anna Sesonske (’21).<\/strong>\u00a0Chemistry thesis: The relative acidities of weak organic acids: Solvent and solute effects on pKa
\n<\/em>Current position: QC Analyst at Regeneron<\/p>\n

Lukas Harries (’19)<\/strong>.\u00a0Biochemistry thesis:\u00a0Phosphorylation’s impact on tau
\n<\/em>MS in Analytics from Georgia Tech
\nCurrent position: Data Engineer at Meta<\/p>\n

Cassidy Nealon (’19).<\/strong>\u00a0Chemistry thesis:\u00a0Relative pKas of water and various alcohols<\/em>
\nMEd from University of California Berkeley
\nCurrent position: Chemistry teacher in Carlsbad Unified School District<\/p>\n

Dr. Zofia Siwicka (’18).<\/strong>\u00a0Chemistry thesis:\u00a0Investigating intermolecular forces in pseudophosphorylated tau<\/em>
\nPhD from Northwestern University
\nCurrent position: Senior Research Specialist at Dow Chemical Company<\/p>\n

Dr. Claudia Carcamo (’17). <\/strong>Biochemistry thesis: Using surface patterning to interrogate tau structure in various ionic strength conditions<\/em>
\nPhD from Johns Hopkins University
\nCurrent position: Postdoctoral researcher at Merck<\/p>\n

Amizhdini Eswaramoorthy (’17).\u00a0<\/strong>Biochemistry thesis:\u00a0Probing specific interactions in the tau protein projection domain<\/em><\/p>\n

Dr. Alexandra Gittens (’17). <\/strong>Biochemistry thesis:\u00a0Examining the function of the carboxyl-terminal domain with respect to tau structure and assemblage
\n<\/em>PhD from Johns Hopkins University
\nCurrent position: Visiting Lecturer at University of Richmond<\/p>\n

Dr. Morrie Lam (’16)<\/strong>. Biochemistry thesis:\u00a0Determining the role of the carboxyl-terminal domain in tau protein function
\n<\/em>PhD from Harvard University
\nCurrent position: Equity Analyst at Gilder Gagnon Howe & Co LLC<\/p>\n

Drury McAlarney (’16).<\/strong> Chemistry thesis:\u00a0Optimizing parameters for uCP of proteins
\n<\/em>MD student from Albert Einstein College of Medicine
\nCurrent position: Pediatrics Resident at NYU Grossman School of Medicine<\/p>\n

Dr. Christopher Rosenberg (’15).\u00a0<\/strong>Biochemistry thesis:\u00a0Purification of a pseudohyperphosphorylated tau mutant for analysis by SDS-PAGE and atomic force microscopy<\/em>
\nMD from Stony Brook University
\nCurrent position: MD in Portland, OR<\/p>\n

Dr. Samuel Verbanic (’15).\u00a0<\/strong>Biochemistry thesis:\u00a0Expression and purification of the tau projection domain<\/em>
\nPhD from University of California Santa Barbara
\nCurrent position: Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Moab Therapeutics<\/p>\n

Dr. Amer Hossain (’14). <\/strong>Biochemistry thesis:\u00a0Construction of pseudohyperphosphorylated tau mutants for analysis by atomic force microscopy<\/em>
\nPhD from The Rockefeller University
\nCurrent position: Research Fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center<\/p>\n

Pedro Sepulveda (’14).\u00a0<\/strong>Biochemistry thesis:\u00a0Purification and characterization of novel constructs of the microtubule associated protein tau<\/em>
\nJD from City University of New York
\nCurrent position: Attorney and Litigation Fellow at the International Refugee Assistance Project<\/p>\n

Dr. Sarah Cheng (’13).<\/strong> Biochemistry thesis:\u00a0Examining the structural and mechanical effects of microtubules doubly-stabilized with guanylyl 5′-a,b-methylene diphosphonate (GMPCPP) and paclitaxel
\n<\/em>MD from University of California San Francisco
\nCurrent position: MD in Honolulu, HI<\/p>\n

Dr. Jared Saunders (’13).\u00a0<\/strong>Biochemistry thesis:\u00a0Functional analysis of the projection domain of the microtubule associated protein tau
\n<\/em>PhD from Princeton University
\nCurrent position: Senior Medical Lead at minds + assembly<\/p>\n

Dr. Visham Appadoo (’12).\u00a0<\/strong>Chemistry thesis:\u00a0Optimizing surface functionalization of mica and silicon with smooth silane films
\n<\/em>PhD from University of Wisconsin-Madison
\n<\/em>Current position: Product Development Lead Scientist at PPG Industries<\/p>\n

Dr. Dennis D’Urso (’11).\u00a0<\/strong>Biochemistry thesis:\u00a0 Modification and functional study of tau’s projection<\/em>\u00a0domain
\n<\/em>MD from Thomas Jefferson University
\nCurrent position: MD in Elizabeth, NJ<\/p>\n

Nyanza Rothman (’11).<\/strong>\u00a0 Chemistry thesis:\u00a0 In vitro structural study of microtubules using quantitative fluorescence microscopy<\/em>
\nCurrent position: Senior Scientist at Regeneron<\/p>\n

Dr. Scott Pascal (’10).\u00a0<\/strong>Biochemistry Thesis: The effect of tau protein and polymerization conditions on the radial elasticity of microtubules
\n<\/em>MD from University of Massachusetts Medical School
\n<\/em>Current position: MD at UMass Memorial Medical Center<\/p>\n

Dr. Muhammad Haq (’09).<\/strong>\u00a0Biochemistry Thesis: Purification and characterization of microtubule associated protein tau
\n<\/em>MD from NYU School of Medicine
\nCurrent position: MD in Jersey City, NJ<\/p>\n

Dr. Elysa Kliman (’08).<\/strong>\u00a0Chemistry Thesis: Characterization of tubulin zinc sheets using UV-vis and AFM
\n<\/em>DDS from University of Southern California
\n<\/em>Current position: Dentist in Toronto, ON<\/p>\n

Dr. Sean Boley (’08).<\/strong>\u00a0URSI 2006. Chemistry Thesis: Determination of elastic modulus of rubber modified epoxy using atomic force microscopy
\n<\/em>MD from Penn State College of Medicine
\n<\/em>Current position: MD in St. Paul, MN<\/p>\n

Dr. Philipose Mulugeta (’07).<\/strong>\u00a0Biochemistry Thesis: Atomic force microscopy studies of the elastic properties of glutaraldehyde and paclitaxel stabilized microtubules
\n<\/em>MD from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
\n<\/em>Current position: MD in Rockville, MD<\/p>\n

Dr. Kathleen Munson (’06).<\/strong>\u00a0Biochemistry Thesis: AFM studies of local structural properties of microtubules using paclitaxel and GMPCPP
\n<\/em>PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology\/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
\n<\/em>Current position: Staff Scientist at Pacific Northwest National Lab<\/p>\n

Saad Akbar (’05).<\/strong>\u00a0Chemistry Thesis: Probing the surface of microtubules using atomic force microscopy<\/em><\/p>\n

Former students<\/strong>: If you see your name on this page and you’d like me to make any changes, please let me know!<\/p>\n

Some older lab photos:<\/strong><\/p>\n