Alumni | UNMC

	Jennifer Kopanic, Ph.D., April 2013 Thesis: Structural characterization of the connexin45 carboxyl-terminal domain and its interactions with molecular partners Mentor: Paul Sorgen, Ph.D. Current Position:
	Rosslyn Grosely, Ph.D., April 2013 Thesis: Biophysical characterization and effects of pH and phosphorylation on the secondary structure of the intrinsically disordered connexin43 carboxyl-terminus attached to the 4th transmembrane domain Mentor: Paul Sorgen, Ph.D. Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Drs. Puglisi and Glenn Labs, Stanford School of Medicine, California
	Parama Dey, Ph.D., September 2012 Thesis: Role of novel cell cycle regulator(s) in pancreatic cancer Mentor: Surinder K. Batra, Ph.D. Current Position:
	Kelly Stauch, Ph.D., July 2012 Thesis: Structural characterization of the Connexin32 carboxyl-terminal domain and mutants that cause Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease: Effects on protein partner interactions Mentor: Paul Sorgen, Ph.D. Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Howard Fox Laboratory, Pharmacology/Experimental Neuroscience, UNMC
	Navneet Momi, Ph.D., July 2012 Thesis: Smoking and pancreatic cancer Mentor: Surinder K. Batra, Ph.D. Current Position:
	Kristen Johnson, Ph.D., July 2012 Thesis: Endocytosis of Connexin43 and gap junction assembly Mentor: Parmender Mehta, Ph.D. Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Keith Johnson Laboratory, COD-Oral Biology, UNMC
	Lili Gong, Ph.D., February 2012 Thesis: Regulation of ocular lens differentiation by protein sumoylation Mentor: David Li, Ph.D. Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Systems Biology Department, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center
	Mi Deng, Ph.D., February 2012 Thesis: Roles of paired Box 6 and its downstream genes in human pancreatic cancer Mentor: David Li, Ph.D. Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
	Jason Porta, Ph.D., December 2011 Thesis: Modulated crystals of profilin: actin Mentor: Gloria Borgstahl, Ph.D. Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Michael Rossmann Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, Illinois
	Juliati Rahajeng, Ph.D., July 2011 Thesis: The roles of Rab effectors and their interaction patterns in endocytic trafficking Mentor: Steve Caplan, Ph.D. Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Endocrinology and Metabolism - Dr. Palade Laboratory, University of California - San Diego
	Sudhir Singh, Ph.D. May 2011 Thesis: Relaxin activates PPARy through a pathway involving CREB and PGC1α Mentor: Robert Bennett, Ph.D. Current Position: Life Technologies, San Diego, California
	Subhankar Chakraborty, Ph.D., April 2011 Thesis: Novel insights into the molecular markers for early detection of pancreatic cancer Mentor: Surinder K. Batra, Ph.D. Current Position: Medical Resident, College of Medicine - UNMC
	Dulce Maroni, Ph.D., April 2011 Thesis: Role of the transforming growth factor Beta 1 in the regression of the corpus luteum Mentor: John Davis, Ph.D. Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Mayumi Naramura Laboratory, Eppley Institute - UNMC
	Christopher Connelly, Ph.D., August 2010 Thesis: Mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor II receptor: multivalent ligand interactions and effects on IGF2-dependent growth Mentor: Richard MacDonald, Ph.D. Current Position: Research and Development Scientist, Streck Laboratories, Omaha
	Michelle Montgomery (Hartman), Ph.D., August 2010 Thesis: Ligand binding and ectodomain shedding of the mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor II response Mentor: Richard MacDonald, Ph.D. Current Position: Scientist, Aegis Food Testing Laboratory, North Sioux City, South Dakota
	Michelle Lewallen (Behrens), Ph.D., August 2010 Thesis: Insights into mechanisms of regulation of gene expression by the MUC1 cytoplasmic tail Mentor: Tony Hollingsworth, Ph.D. Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Stowers Institute, Kansas City
	Harini Chakravarthy, Ph.D., July 2010 Thesis: Identification and regulation of novel Sox2:Oct4 target genes in mouse embryonic stem cells Mentor: Angie Rizzino, Ph.D. Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Developmental Biology, Stanford School of Medicine
	Razia Aziz-Seible, Ph.D., May 2010 Thesis: The role of cellular fibronectin in the promotion of alcohol-induced liver injury Mentor: Carol Casey, Ph.D. Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Osteoporosis Research Center, Creighton University
	Shantibhusan Senapati, Ph.D., April 2010 Thesis: Mechanisms associated with MUC4-mediated metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells Mentor: Surinder K. Batra, Ph.D. Current Position: Postdoctoral Researcher, Columbus Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ohio State University
	Amit Tuli, Ph.D., September 2009 Thesis: Regulation of the major histocompatibility complex class I antigen presentation pathway by amyloid precursor-like protein 2 Mentor: Joyce C. Solheim, Ph.D. Current Position: Ramanujan Fellow, IMTECH, India
	Mahak Sharma, Ph.D., September 2009 Thesis: Role of C-terminal EHDs and their interaction partners in endocytic trafficking Mentor: Steve Caplan, Ph.D. Current Position: Assistant Professor, Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali Knowledge City, Punjab, India
	Shonali Deb, Ph.D., August 2009 Thesis: Molecular characterization of PD2/Paf1 (RNA polymerase II-associated factor I) Mentor: Surinder K. Batra, Ph.D. Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University
	Sangeeta Bafna, Ph.D., June 2009 Thesis: Functional studies of MUC4 mucin in pancreatic cancer Mentor: Surinder K. Batra, Ph.D. Current Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Vanderbilt University
	Marko Jovic, Ph.D., May 2009 Thesis: Mechanisms of EHD1-mediated endocytic recycling Mentor: Steve Caplan, Ph.D. Current Position: Postdoctoral Research Associate, National Institutes of Health