TEAM
Dr. Vera Moiseenkova-Bell, Ph.D.
Director, Institute of Structural Biology
Professor
Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania Profile
Fun fact: Vera loves to travel but is afraid of airplane rides!
Dr. Ruth Anne Pumroy, Ph.D.
Senior Research Investigator
Ruth earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Thomas Jefferson University. During her Ph.D. she discovered her passion for structural biology where she employed X-ray crystallography, NMR, and cryo-EM to solve the structures of a range of proteins. Currently, she focuses her efforts on solving the structures of TRP channels to understand their gating mechanisms and solve ligand binding pockets.
Fun fact: I (accidentally) tattooed myself with india ink during a lab class in college.
Kendra Ireland, Ph.D.
Postdocrotal Fellow
Kendra earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Emory University, focusing on enzyme structural biology in natural product biosynthesis using X-ray crystallography. She is currently studying TRP channel drug-binding interactions and exploring molecular mechanisms of calcium channels in situ.
Fun fact: You can find Kendra in the background of a Grouplove music video!
Julia Rocereta
Ph.D. candidate in Pharmacology
Julia received her B.S. in Neuroscience from Muhlenberg College and completed a post-baccalaureate at the NIH/NINDS. Julia’s research interests lie in the structural biology of membrane-bound proteins, particularly in leveraging structural insights to design small molecule ligands that can modulate their activity.
Fun fact: Julia is the biggest fan of the Philadelphia Flyer's mascot, Gritty!
Elena Nikitina
Laboratory Technician
Elena is actively engaged in the optimization of protein expression and growth for single particle analysis. She specializes in purifying antibodies and generating antibody-conjugated beads for protein isolation. Additionally, she is committed to maintaining a well-organized and efficient laboratory environment.
Lab Alumni
Chloe Christensen
Visiting summer college student in the Moiseenkova-Bell lab, 2024
Pam Gallo, Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, 2024
Current: Postdoc in Joshua Levitz lab at Weill-Cornell
Anushka Chakraborty
Visiting summer high-school student in the Moiseenkova-Bell lab, 2023
Anna Protopopova, Ph.D. in Physics
Former postdoc in the Moiseenkova-Bell Lab
Current: Research Scientist at Adolphe Merkle Institute
Yaxian Zhao, Ph.D. in Physiology and Biophysics
Former postdoc in the Moiseenkova-Bell Lab
Current: Postdoc at Tsinghua University
Dr. José J De Jesús-Pérez, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
José received his Ph.D. in Physics from the Physics Institute of UASLP. During his Ph.D. research, he developed a fascination for membrane proteins and their gating mechanisms of calcium- and voltage-activated chloride channels. Currently, he focuses on studying the activation mechanisms and pharmacological properties of TRP channels from a molecular structure perspective and directly visualizing membrane proteins and membrane-associated complexes in situ.
Fun fact: José is a big fan of anime and manga!
Bridget McVeigh, ScM
Ph.D. candidate in Pharmacology
Bridget received her B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from The University of Scranton and her ScM in Biotechnology from Brown University. Bridget’s research interests lie in the function of lysosomal membrane proteins, particularly TRP channels, and how they regulate lysosomal signaling and homeostasis by exploring their proteomic binding partners.
Fun fact: Bridget enjoys playing pickleball!
Aria Garrett
Ph.D. candidate in Pharmacology
Aria received her B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Washington and then served as a Research Laboratory Technician at Dotquant. Her research interests lie in applying structural and fundamental scientific methods to explore the functions of TRP channels.
Fun fact: Aria loves to go bird-watching!
Elaine Mihelc, Ph.D. in Biomolecular Structure and Biophysics
Former postdoc in the Moiseenkova-Bell lab
Current: Institute of Structural Biology Cryo-ET Technical Director at the University of Pennsylvania
Prerana Gogoi, Ph.D. in Structural Biology
Former postdoc in the Moiseenkova-Bell lab
Current: Institute of Structural Biology Cryo-EM Technical Director at the University of Pennsylvania
Carl Fluck, Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, 2022
Current: Cryogenic Electron Microscopy Core Manager at Weill-Cornell
Tofayel Ahmed, Ph.D. in Structural Biology
Former postdoc in the Moiseenkova-Bell Lab
Current: Associate Professor at Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics
Taylor Hughes, Ph.D. in Pharmacology
Graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, 2019
Current: Chemist at Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection