STACY A. MALAKER, PH.D.
Principal Investigator
_________________________________
PETAR PAJIC, PH.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Petar received his MS and PhD form the University at Buffalo in Biological Sciences. He is now an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow with broad interests in evolutionary genetics, structural variation, and mucin biology. His research combines evolutionary genomics and glycoproteomics to understand how mucin-domain proteins evolve, diversify, and contribute to human health and disease, with a particular focus on variable number tandem repeats and glycan-mediated protein function.
SAYAN KUNDU, PH.D.
Postdoctoral Associate
Sayan recently joined the Malaker Laboratory after completing his Ph.D. in Chemical Biology at the University of Florida, where he studied glycan-mediated protein and lipid interactions using chemical biology and proteomic approaches. In the lab, he is excited to expand his expertise in glycoproteomics and spatial mass spectrometry to investigate how glycosylation regulates protein function in complex biological systems.
SARAH LOWERY, PH.D.
Graduate Student
Sarah completed her BS in Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she did research in algal signaling pathways using mass spectrometry. She is a recent recipient of a Ph.D. from the Malaker lab in the Department of Chemistry, where she worked on spatial mucinomics and characterization of apo(a) in cardiovascular disease.
JOANN CHONGSARITSINSUK
Graduate Student
Joann obtained her my B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Richmond where she studied the MEMO1-ErbB2 protein-protein interaction involved in breast cancer. She is now interested in utilizing mass spectrometry techniques to better understand the role of mucin-domain glycosylation in the progression of cancer.
ALEXANDRA STEIGMEYER
Graduate Student
Lexi completed her BS in Biochemistry at Boston College, where she did research on the use of CRISPR constructs to modulate gene expression. She is currently a 5th year graduate student in the Department of Chemistry and is interested in studying the role of glycosylation in the brain by developing and applying novel mass spectrometry-based methods.
VINCENT CHANG
Graduate Student
Vincent obtained his B.S. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of California Davis where he performed undergraduate research under the guidance of Professor Carlito Lebrilla. In the Lebrilla lab, he used mass spectrometry (MS) to study glycoproteins and gained exposure to glycomics and glycoproteomics. As a 4th year graduate student in the Department of Chemistry, he is using MS to study mucin domain glycoproteins in tears. He is also pioneering discoveries regarding uncommon core structures in O-glycans.
.jpeg)
RYAN CHEN
Graduate Student
Ryan obtained his B.S. in Biochemistry from Purdue University where he conducted research analyzing aviation fuel using mass spectrometry. As a 3rd year graduate student in the Malaker lab, he is currently interested in studying mucin evolution and applying glycoproteomics to reveal molecular mechanisms underlying immune regulation. In his free time, Ryan enjoys baking sourdough, reading, and exploring restaurants around New Haven.
SHANE FINN
Graduate Student
Shane is a graduate student in the Malaker Laboratory developing analytical and sample preparation tools for glycoproteomics, with a particular focus on improving workflows for mucin-domain glycoprotein analysis. He played a key role in the development of GlycoFASP and is currently applying glycoproteomic technologies to complex biological samples including human saliva to better understand how glycosylation shapes mucosal biology and disease. (He's happier in person!)
KEXIN CHEN
Graduate Student
Kexin received her BS in Chemistry from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MS from the University of Pennsylvania. Her prior experience in proteomics and analytical biochemistry drew her to the Malaker lab. Now as a graduate student, she is applying glycoproteomic approaches to investigate interactions between CD8 and PILRA, with the goal of understanding how glycosylation influences immune receptor recognition and signaling.
VIVIAN ZUO
Graduate Student
Vivian is a graduate student in the Malaker Laboratory who received her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research interests span chemical biology, glycobiology, and host-microbe interactions, and she is currently developing proximity labeling approaches to identify interaction partners and substrates of GalNAcT2 to better understand how O-glycosylation is regulated within the Golgi.
IRIS LIEBMAN
Undergraduate Researcher
Iris is a rising senior in Branford College majoring in Chemistry. She is interested in the applications of chemistry to study proteins and learning about mass spectrometry techniques. Her thesis will be focused on investigating changes in mucin-domain glycoprotein expression and glycosylation changes that occur in endometriosis. She hopes to addend grad school to obtain a PhD in chemical biology.
ISAAC LIAN
Undergraduate Researcher
Isaac is an undergraduate researcher in the Malaker Laboratory interested in glycoproteomics, protein biochemistry, and analytical method development. His work has contributed substantially to the lab’s tear glycoproteomics projects, including characterization of lacritin glycosylation and spliceoform diversity, helping to advance understanding of the molecular complexity of the ocular surface proteome.
PARKER VERRAN
Undergraduate Researcher
Parker is a rising second-year student joining the Malaker Laboratory through a summer research fellowship program. He will work with Petar and Ryan on projects investigating the evolution and diversity of mucin-domain proteins, combining computational and glycoproteomic approaches to better understand how these complex proteins vary across biological systems.
ABDUR-RAHMAN OLADOJA
Underraduate Student
Abdur is an undergraduate researcher in the Malaker Laboratory interested in chemical biology, mass spectrometry, and translational biomedical research. In the lab, he is gaining experience in glycoproteomic workflows and analytical method development while contributing to projects focused on mucin-domain glycoproteins and disease-associated glycosylation.
MADILYNN HAMILTON
Undergraduate Researcher
Madilynn is an undergraduate researcher joining the Malaker Laboratory for the summer to study glycoprotein biology and analytical chemistry. Working with Vincent, she will contribute to projects focused on tear glycoproteomics and the role of core 5 O-glycosylation in regulating mucin-domain protein structure and function.
We are actively seeking undergraduates and postdoctoral associates to join us! Interested parties should email Professor Malaker at stacy [dot] malaker [at] yale [dot] edu
​
Interested PhD students should apply through the Yale Chemistry graduate program
Postdoctoral Associates:
Keira E. Mahoney (Dana Farber)
Taryn M. Lucas (Abbvie)
Alexandria Battison (CSHL)
​
Graduate Students:
Valentina Rangel-Angarita (Postdoc: UMichigan)
​
Undergraduate Students:
Deniz Ince (MD/PhD Student: UPenn)
Lea Kim (PhD Student: UChicago)
Isa Tran (ClearView Healthcare)
JOIN US!
_____________________________________